Fellowships, Awards, and Internships

AIAR Fellowships & Prizes

Applications for 2027–2028 AIAR Fellowships will Open in September 2026

The W. F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research (AIAR) 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 around 6 fellowships every year, each with different requirements regarding academic status, and terms of residency (between one to four months).

Each fellowship includes a stipend that is used in part to cover room and board. The option to accommodate dependents is subject to available space. While an applicant may use the same application to apply for multiple awards in each round, the committee will not award more than one fellowship per applicant. Previous Fellows may re-apply, but preference will be given to first-time awardees.

Continuous residency at the Albright is required without frequent trips outside the country, and the fellowship project must remain the Fellow’s primary professional commitment throughout the period of residence. Applicants who hold or expect to hold concurrent employment, teaching positions, or other contractual work obligations during the fellowship period must disclose this at the time of application; such commitments must be compatible with full-time engagement in the fellowship project. Fellows are expected to participate in the academic life of the Albright Institute, including public lectures, field-trips and other events. Occasional absence is permissible, as long as fellows remain engaged members of the community in keeping with the spirit of the Albright Institute.

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).

Short-Term Fellowships

$3,000 award for 1 month. Room and half-board at the Institute is $1,750 per month, and the remainder is a stipend. 

Open to doctoral, post-doctoral, and senior scholars of all nationalities. This fellowship is for a residential period between June 1, 2028 and August 31, 2028. Residency at the Institute in Jerusalem is required and no exceptions can be granted.

Application Materials:

  • Project Abstract (200-word maximum)
  • CV (2-page maximum, 10 pt font)
  • Statement of Proposed Research (2,000-word maximum)
  • Bibliography (1,000-word maximum)
  • Two letters of reference
  • Transcripts (for PhD candidates and graduates within the last 5 years)
  • If relevant to the project, a statement justifying the study of unprovenanced materials or materials obtained on occupied territories (500-word max)

Long-term Fellowships

$12,000 award for 4 months. Room and half-board at the Institute is $1,750 per month and the remainder is a stipend.

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. This fellowship is for a residential period between September 1, 2027 and May 31, 2028. Residency at the Institute in Jerusalem is required, and no exceptions can be granted.

Application Materials:

  • Project Abstract (200-word maximum)
  • CV (2-page maximum, 10 pt font)
  • Statement of Proposed Research (2,000-word maximum)
  • Bibliography (1,000-word maximum)
  • Two letters of reference
  • Transcripts (for PhD candidates and graduates within the last 5 years)
  • If relevant to the project, a statement justifying the study of unprovenanced materials or materials obtained in occupied territories (500-word max)

$12,000 award for 4 months. Room and half-board at the Institute is $1,750 per month and the remainder is a stipend. 

Open to all doctoral students and recent Ph.D. (degree granted within last 5 years) recipients of all nationalities. This fellowship is for a residential period between September 1, 2027 and May 31, 2028. Residency at the Institute in Jerusalem is required and no exceptions can be granted.

Application Materials:

  • Project Abstract (200-word maximum)
  • CV (2-page maximum, 10 pt font)
  • Statement of Proposed Research (2,000-word maximum)
  • Bibliography (1,000-word maximum)
  • Two letters of reference
  • Transcripts (for PhD candidates and graduates within the last 5 years)
  • If relevant to the project, a statement justifying the study of unprovenanced materials or materials obtained on occupied territories (500-word max)

$13,500 award for 4 months. Room and half-board at the Institute is $1,750 per month and the remainder is a stipend.

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 the region is desirable. Contact the director with any questions related to the duties of the position. This fellowship is for a residential period between September 1, 2027 and May 31, 2028. Residency at the Institute in Jerusalem is required and no exceptions can be granted.

Application Materials:

  • Project Abstract (200-word maximum)
  • CV (2-page maximum, 10 pt font)
  • Statement of Proposed Research (2,000-word maximum)
  • Bibliography (1,000-word maximum)
  • Two letters of reference
  • If relevant to the project, a statement justifying the study of unprovenanced materials or materials obtained on occupied territories (500-word max)

$20,000 award for 4 months (up to two awards available). Room and half-board at the Institute is $1,750 per month and the remainder is a stipend.

Open to internationally recognized senior scholars of all nationalities who have made significant contributions to their field of study. This fellowship is for a residential period between September 1, 2027 and May 31, 2028. Residency at the Institute in Jerusalem is required and no exceptions can be granted.

Application Materials:

  • Project Abstract (200-word maximum)
  • CV (2-page maximum, 10 pt font)
  • Statement of Proposed Research (2,000-word maximum)
  • Bibliography (1,000-word maximum)
  • Two letters of reference
  • If relevant to the project, a statement justifying the study of unprovenanced materials or materials obtained on occupied territories (500-word max)

$12,000 award for 4 months. Room and half-board at the Institute is $1,750 per month and the remainder is a stipend. 

Open to all doctoral students and recent Ph.D. (degree granted within last 5 years) recipients of all nationalities. This fellowship is for a residential period between September 1, 2027 and May 31, 2028. Residency at the Institute in Jerusalem is required and no exceptions can be granted.

Application Materials:

  • Project Abstract (200-word maximum)
  • CV (2-page maximum, 10 pt font)
  • Statement of Proposed Research (2,000-word maximum)
  • Bibliography (1,000-word maximum)
  • Two letters of reference
  • Transcripts (for PhD candidates and graduates within the last 5 years)
  • If relevant to the project, a statement justifying the study of unprovenanced materials or materials obtained on occupied territories (500-word max)

AIAR Prizes

Details TBA

Outside-Funded Fellowships

Currently not open for applications.

$7,000 to be used to cover transportation, one month on a specific dig, and one month of travel to other digs, combined with a one-month residency (room and half-board) at the W. F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem.

Applicants must be American or American-based Ph.D. candidates or non-tenured faculty members, or graduate students in the field of Biblical Studies who wish to acquire elementary, first-hand experience in the field of archaeology.

For more information on this fellowship: https://www.asor.org/william-dever-fellowships/

Approximately nine awards of $11,500 for scholars to carry out research in two or more countries outside the US, at least one of which must host a participating Overseas Research Center.

Open to US doctoral candidates who are all but dissertation, and scholars who have earned their Ph.D. The fellowship supports advanced research in the humanities, social sciences, and allied natural sciences.

For more information on this fellowship: https://www.caorc.org/multi-fellowship-guidelines

https://us.fulbrightonline.org/countries/middle-east-and-north-africa

For further information:

Cynthia Shafer-Elliott, Ph.D.
Chair, Albright Fellowship Committee
Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
Department of Religion
Baylor University
One Bear Place #97284
Waco, Texas 76798
Office: (254) 710-3258

c_shafer-elliott@baylor.edu