Time Frame: Two Consecutive Academic Quarters or Full Academic Year

 Location: University of California, Los Angeles (in-person residency)

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Rami Hod has been selected for the 2024–25 Distinguished Fellowship. Read the announcement.

For information on applying for the 2025–26 Distinguished Fellowship, please see the section below titled Timeline for 2025–26 Applications.

For all other questions, please email the Center at israel@international.ucla.edu.

The UCLA Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies invites policy practitioners, journalists, public intellectuals and senior scholars to apply for its new Diane & Guilford Glazer Foundation Distinguished Fellowship. The fellow will conduct research and write, while interacting with UCLA academics, local experts and policymakers in Los Angeles. The Center accepts policy-relevant, non-advocacy fellowship proposals that address key challenges confronting Israel and the world. Priority will be given to proposals addressing contemporary policy issues that can result in work that reaches a broad audience. 

Fellowship Description

The Diane & Guilford Glazer Foundation Distinguished Fellowship at the UCLA Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies will focus on contemporary public policy issues of concern to Israel and the wider world. We especially welcome applicants who bring innovative approaches to studying or addressing major contemporary challenges, such as climate change; income inequality; housing and urban development; sustainable development public health issues; gender issues; issues concerning technology and cybersecurity; civil liberties; political polarization; social divisions and tensions; immigration and refugee resettlement.

The Distinguished Fellowship is an opportunity for practitioners with hands-on experiences in public policy (in government institutions or nongovernmental organizations), journalists, and outstanding scholars to engage in public policy-related research and interact with faculty and students at the leading public university in the United States. UCLA offers an ideal environment to incubate and develop new ideas, exchange perspectives, and acquire new contacts. This experience is further enriched by the diverse organizations and events in Los Angeles.

The residency at UCLA will provide the distinguished fellow with the time and space to reflect on their prior “on the ground” experience; to network with other practitioners or scholars in the same or related fields; and to compare and exchange best practices from public policy in Israel and the U.S. The fellow will have the opportunity to benefit from—and contribute to—UCLA’s intellectual community and the policy expertise available in the LA region. 

The Glazer Foundation Distinguished Fellow will be expected to produce policy-relevant work that can be widely disseminated in publications (whether in journals, magazines, newspaper op-eds, etc.); and through the fellow’s participation in public events and conferences. The fellow will be required to give a Work-in-Progress presentation at UCLA, when the fellow will discuss their work and receive feedback, and to give at least one presentation of their work publicly during the period of their fellowship. In addition, the fellow will be encouraged to meet with local experts and government officials working in the same policy area, to engage with UCLA students and faculty, and to share their expertise with the local community. The fellow will also be encouraged to participate in other programming by the Nazarian Center for Israel Studies.

Stipend & Benefits

The Fellow will receive a stipend of $50,000 per quarter, plus healthcare and other benefits.

The Fellow will enjoy full access to University libraries, a computer-equipped campus office during the appointment period, and access to various University facilities.

Length of Appointment

Fellows are required to be in residence for the entire duration of the fellowship period (six months), during the UCLA academic year (comprised of three academic quarters from October–June).

Timeline for 2025–26 Applications

Applications are currently on hold. Please check back later for an update.

Instructions for Applicants

A full application submission will require you to: 

• Submit a current CV or resume
• Contact information for two references. Letters of recommendation are no longer required.
• Project proposal (approximately 1500 words). The proposal should describe the issue your project will address, the desired impact of your project, and what you plan to accomplish during the fellowship period. It is essential to make your project clear to individuals outside your own field and to explain its relevance to contemporary policy issues. 

All application materials must be submitted in English.

To apply, please complete the electronic fellowship application. 

The main criteria for selection are:

• The significance and relevance of the proposed project to contemporary policy issues.
• The capabilities and achievements of the applicant and the likelihood that the applicant will accomplish the proposed project.
• The potential of the applicant to actively contribute to the mission of the UCLA Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies by making expert research accessible to a broader audience.

For questions, please contact the UCLA Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies at israel@international.ucla.edu or (310) 825-9646.