The Doctorate Research Fellows Program at the Faculty of Law
Overview of the Program
1.
The Faculty of Law launched its Research Fellows program in the 2007/8
academic year. The program is intended for outstanding research students
who are interested in devoting all their time and energy to research activities
in the Faculty. The program is open to students who are registered at the Law
Faculty as research students (LL.D. degree) in the ordinary or direct track. As
detailed below, candidates who are not yet registered at the Law Faculty as
research students may also apply for the program, provided they meet the
conditions of admission for LL.D. students.
2.
The participants in the program will serve as research fellows in the Faculty for
three years. As detailed below, research fellows will be entitled to a living
stipend during their time in the program. In the 2013/14 academic year, the
stipend is expected to be in the range NIS 6,500 – 7,300; the precise sum will
be determined at the beginning of the year. Students in the direct track, who
are considered by the university to be LL.M. students in their initial stage, will
be entitled to a full scholarship subject to the approval of the university
authorities. If approval is not received, they will receive the maximum
permitted scholarship for LL.M. students (NIS 6,000) during their initial stage.
Research fellows will also be entitled to a work space at the Faculty.
3.
Research fellows will be integrated in the academic activities of one of the
research workshops (“forums”) active in the Faculty. Research fellows will
devote their time fully to research work, although they will be able to teach up
to four academic points a year within the framework of the Faculty (see
below). Ongoing payment of the living stipend is dependent on adequate
progress toward the doctorate thesis as detailed below.
Conditions of the Program
1.
Subject to the conditions detailed below, research fellows will be entitled to
receive a living stipend during their time in the program. Research fellows will
also be entitled to a work space at the Faculty.
2.
Research fellows will be integrated in the academic activities of one of the
research workshops (“forums”) active in the Faculty, related to their doctoral
thesis. Each forum includes faculty members, experts from outside the
university, and graduate students working in the relevant field. Involvement in
the forum’s activities will include attending academic meetings held by the
forum; presenting research work to the forum members; and regular meetings
with forum members and with researchers from Israel and abroad who are
being hosted as part of the forum’s activities. In the case of forums that are
running a special research project, the forum members will attempt to involve
the research fellows in the research in a way that contributes to their work.
The Faculty website will include a special section providing a brief description
of the research fellows in the Faculty.
3.
Research fellows will devote their time fully to research work, although they
will be able to teach up to four academic points a year within the framework of
the Faculty of Law at the Hebrew University and to pursue academic activity
within the forum in which they are placed. The scholarship is not intended for
students who are working outside the university while pursuing their studies.
4.
As a general rule, participants in the program must submit a research proposal
approved by their supervisor to the Research Students Authority within 12
months from joining the Research Fellows program (at the latest). Research
fellows will usually be required to complete writing their doctorate within
three years from the date of joining the program, or four years in the case of
fellows admitted to the program prior to the approval of their doctorate
research program. In special cases, the committee will be entitled to extend
the scholarship period by one additional year (a fourth year).
5.
The Committee for Advanced Studies (“the Committee”) is entitled to
recommend that the Dean of the Faculty allow an exceptionally outstanding
research fellow to visit a leading university outside Israel for the purpose of
studies or research during his/her time in the program, and to provide financial
assistance to this end.
6.
As a general rule, participation in the program will be for a single continuous
period of three years. Fellows may ask the Committee to allow them to
suspend their participation in the program for a period of not more than one
year, stating their reasons for this request.
7.
Research fellows will be required to inform the Committee of any scholarships
or prizes they receive in addition to the living stipend awarded for the period
of the stipend. University scholarships will be offset in full from the sum of the
living stipend (in other words, these payments will be considered part of the
Research Fellows stipend for any purpose and mater). External scholarships
will be offset partially at a rate to be determined by the Committee (usually
half the sum). Research fellows will be required to make an effort to secure
competitive scholarships both from the Hebrew University and from other
sources. Specifically, they will submit their candidacy for any university
scholarship if asked to do so by the Committee.
8.
By June 15th each year (or by another date as determined by the Committee),
research fellows will submit a report to the Committee detailing their progress
in their research over the course of the year. The report will include a detailed
description of their activities over the year, additional sources of income (if
any), and plans for the coming year. A letter will be attached from the
supervisor detailing the fellow’s research progress.
9.
Even if a period of three years has not yet passed, the fellow’s participation in
the program will terminate at the end of the academic year (i.e. September
30th) in which the research fellow submitted a doctorate thesis to the
university’s Research Students Authority.
10.
The Committee will be entitled to order the cessation of participation of a
research fellow in the program if it emerges that the fellow has discontinued
his/her studies; failed to make adequate progress in the research work; or
violated the undertaking not to engage in other activities and to devote his/her
time fully to research work. The Committee will be entitled to instruct the
research fellow to repay sums he/she received over the course of that year.
The Committee will only be entitled to exercise this authority after consulting
with the research fellow’s instructor or the coordinator of the relevant forum,
and after giving the fellow an opportunity to state his/her case.
Conditions of Admission to the Program
1.
The Committee for Advanced Studies will select the research fellows each year
in consultation with the coordinators of active forums in the Faculty.
2.
The decision to admit students to the program will be based on an evaluation
of academic excellence and clear research potential.
3.
Admission of new candidates to the program:
A.
Students registered as research students (LL.D.) in the ordinary or direct
track in the Law Faculty are entitled to submit an application to the
program.
B.
Applications will also be accepted from persons who are not yet
registered as research students in the Law Faculty, but who meet the
conditions of admission for LL.D. studies.
C.
Students admitted to the program may only begin to serve as research
fellows after they have been registered as research students at the
Faculty. Students may only continue to serve in this capacity for as long
as they are registered as stated.
D.
The application to join the program will be submitted to the
coordinator of Doctorate Studies in the Faculty, using the form attached
at the end of this document. The application will include all the details
specified in the form, including a commitment to observe the
conditions of the program. We recommend that candidates contact the
coordinator of the forum they are applying to join at the time they
submit their application, in order to present their research plan. The
chairperson of the Committee can provide details concerning the active
forums in the Faculty and the forum coordinators.
4.
E.
As a general rule, participation in the program will begin on October 1st
of the year in which the candidates were admitted to the program.
F.
The application to join the program must be submitted by January 15th
of the year preceding the year in which the applicant wishes to begin
the program (or by another date as published by the Committee). The
Committee will inform applicants whether they have been admitted to
the program approximately one month later. In unusual instances
involving exceptionally outstanding candidates, the Committee is
entitled to examine applications submitted after the above-mentioned
deadline.
G.
Students will be admitted to the program for three years, provided that
the Committee approves their annual application to continue their
participation as detailed below. In special cases, the Committee will be
entitled to extend the period of participation in the program by one
additional year (a fourth year).
Application to approve continued participation in the program:
A.
At the end of each year of participation in the program, research
fellows may ask the Committee to approve their participation for an
additional year, up to a total period of three years (or four years, as
noted above). An application to approve continued participation in the
program must be submitted by June 15th (or by another date as
published by the Committee).
B.
The request to approve continued participation in the program will
include a report detailing the fellow’s progress in his/her research over
the course of the year. The report will include a detailed description of
activities undertaken over the year, additional sources of income (if
any), and plans for the coming year. A letter will be attached from the
supervisor detailing the fellow’s research progress.
C.
The Committee will approve continued participation in the program for
an additional year on the basis of its evaluation of the fellow’s research
progress and other activities.