I am in the final stages of completing my degree. Can I apply?
Yes. Candidates who have not yet completed degrees may apply if they will submit their dissertations by the month of September. For example, if you apply for the Fellowship beginning in October 2021, your dissertation should be submitted by September 2020. Your acceptance will be final upon completion of their doctoral degrees by April 1, 2021.
It has been several years since my PhD was awarded, until when can I apply?
Applications will be accepted from candidates who completed their doctoral degrees no earlier than the date specified in the Call for Applications. If you were on documented medical leave or maternity leave, please contact us to adjust this date.
What is Mandel Scholion Center policy on diversity and equal opportunity?
We are looking for candidates with high research skills and who strive for excellence. We welcome diverse candidates. Please add any information you think is important on these matters on your application form.
Can I still apply if I don't have any peer-reviewed publications?
It is possible to apply for the Fellowship without having published peer-reviewed work, but your prospects are slimmer. Nonetheless, the Call for Applications is published every June, and you can apply within the four years following the completion of your PhD.
Can my proposal be on any topic?
Yes, you can propose research on any topic that is relevant to the Humanities at large.
Can I submit a research proposal for a project that will start this year during my current post-doctoral fellowship?
Yes.
What guidelines should I follow when writing my proposal for my post-doctoral project?
Please explain what is new about your proposal and how it is appropriate for a three-year time frame. We advise you to seek a balance between specialists in the field and a proposal written for a broad humanities committee. It is also useful if you explain briefly how your new project came out of your doctoral research. Although we know that you will most probably spend part of your postdoctoral years turning your dissertation into a book, it is important to give the committee an idea of your future plans and directions.
How are the applications processed?
Each application is sent to 2 external readers. The applications that receive excellent assessments from both readers are then read by all the committee members and a short list of 6-8 people are invited to be interviewed and the Mandel Fellows are chosen from these interviewees .
How do I get the recommendation letters to you?
When you submit your application through the online university platform, you will be assigned a private (randomly generated) email address to which your recommenders should send their letters. You can log into the online university platform anytime to check who sent an email, when it was sent, and the name of any attached files, but you won’t be able to read the recommendations.
Whose responsibility is it to ensure that my letters of recommendation arrive on time?
Yours! Please make sure your recommenders have received all the information from you ahead of time, and double check online that everything has arrived before the final date. Please do not wait until the last minute with this or any aspect of the application.
Can I compose my application in Hebrew?
Yes, but we do recommend that you write it in English.
Can I send more than two recommendation letters?
Unfortunately, no. Any further recommendations sent after the two first letters will not be included in your submission.
I applied for the Fellowship but since applying I have new publications. Is it possible for me to send an update?
Those who advance to the next level of evaluation will receive an email in which they will be asked to update their publication list.
When will the candidates be informed about the committee's decisions?
Candidates invited to an interview are informed no later than 3-4 weeks before the interview date, during the first week of December. If you are not chosen to be interviewed, you will also receive an answer at this time.
If I have applied in the past, should I try again?
Definitely, you should apply again. Some of our post-docs were only successful on their second and third tries. Good luck!
Finally, a few words about letters of recommendation:
“One point needs special emphasis. Those who ask for letters of recommendation, as well as those who provide them, should think carefully about what they are doing. It's always most effective to ask the scholars and teachers who know you best—rather than those who may seem more famous—to write on your behalf. It's always important to make this request well in advance of deadlines, and, if you are on the same continent as the letter-writer, to provide clear addresses (or, even better, stamped and addressed envelopes). As your career develops, moreover, you should continue to ask yourself if your referees are the ones who serve you best. If you never contact someone except to ask for a recommendation, you should think again. Someone who plays no active role in your intellectual life is not the logical person to assess your accomplishments and convey to others what you do particularly well. It is always the responsibility of the one asking for recommendations to provide up-to-date curricula vitae, copies of recent work, and other information that can enable a letter-writer to refresh his or her work.”
—"Some Songs of Experience", AHA Persectives, Oct. 2007, Anthony Grafton (Princeton University)
“A word of advice to applicants for jobs: a good letter will not get you the job or fellowship because that ultimately is a product of your own hard work and the serendipity of the application process. But it can assist you by reinforcing the best qualities of your application materials. Choose your recommenders well and you should be confident that they are giving you the support you need.”
—"The Art and the Science", AHA Persectives, Oct. 2007, Paula Findlen (Stanford University