The W. F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research (AIAR) in Jerusalem supports an annual Fellows program that brings US, Israeli, Palestinian and other international scholars together in the shared pursuit of research excellence. The AIAR offers fellowships every year, each with different requirements regarding nationality, academic status, and terms of residency (between one to six months). Continuous residency at the Albright is required without frequent trips outside the country, and each fellowship includes a stipend that is used in part to cover room and board. Previous Fellows may re-apply, but preference will be given to first-time awardees.
Applications are open to students and scholars of the humanities and social sciences studying any aspect of cultural development in the southern Levant from deep prehistory to the Early Modern period. Applications from related disciplines are also considered, such as museum studies or cultural heritage management. The AIAR does not support projects that engage with cultural materials of unknown provenance and/or with ownership histories that violate the terms of the UNESCO 1970 Paris Convention. Projects that engage with archaeological excavations in occupied territories are expected to adhere to the terms specified in the Hague Convention (1954) and the UNESCO New Delhi Recommendation (1956).
Residence at the Albright is required, and no exceptions can be made. The residential period for 2025–2026 Fellowships is between 1 September 2025 and 31 May 2026.
Carol and Eric Meyers Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship
$12,000 award for 4 months. Open to doctoral students who are US Citizens. While all topics will be considered, those involving the study of archaeology and society at the household level are encouraged.
Marcia and Oded Borowski / Barton Research Fellowship
$12,000 award for 4 months. Open to all doctoral students and recent Ph.D. (degree granted within last 5 years) recipients of all nationalities.
Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Junior Research Fellowships
$12,000 award for 4 months (three awards available). Open to doctoral students and recent Ph.D. (degree granted within last 5 years) recipients who are American citizens.
Ernest S. Frerichs Annual Professorship
$13,500 award for 4 months. Open to post-doctoral scholars of any nationality. The Frerichs Annual Professor is expected to be a leader among the community of fellows, and mentor to younger fellows while in residence. As such, the recipient is expected to assist the Albright’s Director in planning and implementing the Ernest S. Frerichs Program for Albright Fellows, and to organize informal events to build community among the residents. A working knowledge of living and traveling in Israel and Palestine is desirable.
Seymour Gitin Distinguished Professorship
$20,000 award for 4 months (two awards available). Open to internationally recognized senior scholars of all nationalities who have made significant contributions to their field of study.
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Fellowship
The NEH award is a prestigious fellowship for outstanding scholars at any stage of their career who are U.S. citizens (or alien residents for at least three years). Applicants from outside the Albright Institute’s core fields of archaeology or biblical studies, or those pursuing innovative research within these fields, are especially encouraged to apply.
The award is $5,000 per month for 4 to 6 months. Applicants must have completed all requirements of a PhD, except for the actual conferral of the degree, by the application deadline for the fellowship. Up to three NEH Fellowships may be awarded for the 2025-2026 period.
SHORT-TERM FELLOWSHIPS
Lydie T. Shufro Summer Research Fellowship
$3,000 award for 1 month. Open to doctoral, post-doctoral, and senior scholars of all nationalities. This Fellowship is for a residential period between June 1, 2026 and August 31, 2026.
The Palestine Exploration Fund-Albright Institute Fellowship
£3,000 award to support research that requires access to the PEF archives and collection and also time spent in residence at the Albright Institute in Jerusalem.
Open to all doctoral and post-doctoral researchers of all nationalities. A minimum of 10 working days at the PEF in Greenwich, London, and 1-month minimum stay at the AIAR in Jerusalem is required. The working days at the PEF may be completed anytime from the granting of the award until May 31, 2026.