Launched in 2006 and funded by Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Neubauer of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, The Neubauer Research Fellowships Program is an opportunity for Ph.D. students to be engaged at the Institute for National Security Studies in half-time positions. These appointments are particularly suitable for doctoral candidates who are writing dissertations on subjects related to Middle East studies, international relations, national security, and other fields relating to strategic studies.
Affiliation with INSS will allow students to complete the dissertation process while acquiring experience in their areas of specialization. Appointments are for one year and may be renewed for an additional year.
Three or four Neubauer Fellows are appointed each year. In addition to their doctoral work, they will work as associate research fellows and be connected to INSS project directors or senior research fellows in their particular research fields. They are encouraged to write for INSS publications and are integral parts of the INSS research team. The program also offers Neubauer Fellows an opportunity for continued affiliation with INSS in a research capacity.
Candidates are requested to submit a resume, an approved doctorate proposal and a document on behalf of the university attesting to its approval, a letter of recommendation from the doctoral advisor and at least one additional letter of recommendation.
Click here for more details on applying for the program (2024 - English)
Click here for more details on applying for the program (2024 - Arabic)
Outstanding Ph.D students are invited to submit their application by June 20, 2024.
Neubauer Research Fellows 2022
Jesse Weinberg is a Neubauer Research Associate at the INSS and a doctoral candidate at the Zvi Yavetz School of History at Tel Aviv University. His doctoral dissertation is a study of Syrian-American bilateral relations from 1977-1992. His current research focuses on US- Middle East relations, inter-state relations and the contemporary political history of the Middle East, and the impact of state formation on contemporary politics. Jesse received his Bachelor’s degree in History and Political Science and Masters in History from Tufts University and an Msc. in the History of International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Ilan Zalayat is a Neubauer Research Associate in the Gulf States Program at the Institute for National Security Studies. Ilan is a PhD Candidate at the School of Historical Studies at Tel Aviv University and a Research Fellow at the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies at the same university.
His research concentrates on contemporary politics and society in the Arab Gulf states, with an emphasis on political Islam, Shi'ism, identities, and collective memories. Before joining the institute, he worked in geopolitical consulting for state and commercial entities.
He holds a B.A. in Middle Eastern History and Political Science from Tel Aviv University and an M.A. in Government with a specialization in Security and Counter-Terrorism from Reichman University.
Neubauer Research Fellows 2022
Aref Abu- Gweder is a Neubauer Research Fellow at the INSS and a PhD candidate in University of Strasbourg, France, Social Sciences.
Thesis topic: When Academia meets Culture: The Challenges of Arab-Bedouin Female Students in Academia - between the difficulties of the Hebrew language, the different culture and the acquisition of education as a lever for new meaningful experiences.
Aref holds a Bachelor's degree from Kay College, three Master's degrees; (in communications and technology from the Department of Communication at Ben Gurion, a second degree in management and educational leadership from the Open University, and recently received a master's degree in conflict management and conflict resolution from Bar Ilan University).
His research in recent years has dealt with the challenges of Arab-Bedouin students in academia, Hebrew as a second language among Bedouins, the challenges of Bedouin society in the internal arena in general, and especially the challenges of its integration into Israeli society.
At INSS, Aref is engaged with researching the Bedouin community in the Negev with BG. (ret.) Dr. Meir Elran
Derek Lief, a Neubauer Research Fellow at the INSS, was born and raised in San Francisco, California where he remained until age fourteen. After graduating from Town School for Boys, he attended Cate School in Carpinteria, California. Following his graduation from Cate he matriculated at Haverford College in Philadelphia, where he studied Economics, History and was a member of the lacrosse team.
After Haverford, Derek returned to San Francisco where he began his career as a Consultant for the Forensic and Litigation firm FTI Consulting, Inc. in their Intellectual Property Division. Derek worked there for four years before spending one year as a Senior Researcher in the Department of Economics at Stanford. After Stanford, Derek moved to the Middle East and during the period from 2013 - 2017, he worked with several organizations in both Israel and Jordan including: King's Academy, the United States Peace Corps and Yahel - Israel Service Learning.
Following his time in the Middle East, Derek came to the University of Michigan where he completed a master's degree in Public Policy and a master's degree in Middle Eastern Studies. Currently, he is pursuing a joint PhD in Political Science and Business Strategy at the University of Michigan, in addition to a master's in Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language at Middlebury College. His research focuses on the effect of non-pecuniary incentives (NPIs) - religion and ethnicity in particular - on firm performance. More specifically, his research is segmented into three parts: 1) defining organizational religiosity; 2) the effect of these NPIs in factor markets; and 3) the effect of these NPIs in product markets.
At INSS, Derek is working with Prof. Esteban Klor on the issues of East Jerusalem, with special focus on the economic aspects.
Inbar Noy-Freifeld, a Neubauer Research Fellow at the INSS, is a PhD candidate in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and she is a fellow in the Leonard Davis Institute's graduate program (Telem). Her dissertation’s main topic is the social construction of peace, and the representation of peace in political discourse and texts. Her research interests also include discourse and textual analysis in International Relations, and international norms and identities. Inbar is a fellow of the President’s Scholarship for Outstanding PhD Students at the Hebrew University. She holds B.A and M.A from the Hebrew University.
At INSS, Inbar works with Colonel (res.) Adv. Pnina Sharvit Baruch, the head of the geopolitical power cluster, as a coordinator of the cluster.
Anat Shapira is a Neubauer Research Fellow at the INSS and a PhD candidate in the Philosophy Department of Tel Aviv University. Her dissertation focuses on the Moral Foundations of War Ethics. In the course of her work, Anat examines the effect that adopting different normative approaches has on questions like "when is it just to go to war?" and "Which means is it just to use during a war".
Anat finished her BA in Philosophy and the University of Haifa honours program Magna Cum Laude, and proceeded to do her MA in Philosophy at the same university. She is also a lecturer on philosophy and rhetoric, public-speaking and persuasion in Israeli Academia alongside the public and private sector. In the past she has won many debate competitions in Israel and abroad and was twice designated as the best speaker at the European Universities Debating Championship and once as the best speaker at the World Universities Debating Championship.
At INSS, Anat works with Yoram Schweitzer on the topic of terrorism as a war phenomenon.
Cody Levine is a Neubauer Research Fellow at the INSS and a PhD candidate in the International Relations Department at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His dissertation focuses on the concept of procedural choice in peace negotiations and the contextual conditions that affect the choice of procedure by decision-makers prior to the onset of peace processes in international, intermestic and civil conflicts.
Cody holds a B.A. (Hons.) in political science from McGill University and an M.A. in international relations from the University of Toronto. Before joining the INSS, Cody worked as a journalist at The Jerusalem Post and previously served as an NCO in the IDF's International Cooperation Division.
At INSS, Cody works with BG. (ret.) Udi Dekel on Israeli-Palestinian relations.
Neubauer Research Fellows 2021
Dr. Shlomo Black is a psychologist and a Neubauer Research Fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS). Shlomo received his BA in psychology from the Open University (with honors), going on to take Master's and Ph.D. degrees in educational and clinical psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His thesis dissertation, “The Acculturation of the Ultra-Orthodox Students in Israel”, examined the different ways the ultra-orthodox community perceives and copes with the Israeli society's expectations regarding their integration in the general society in Israel. In his doctoral dissertation he examined acculturation Integration expectations discrepancies between the individuals and groups: the case of the ultra-orthodox community in Israel. Shlomo is currently working on his post-doctoral research at the Hebrew University's Law Faculty, in his Post-Doctoral, he is examining the motivations of ultra-orthodox parents who choose not to include the core studies at their boys’ curriculum.
Shlomo has been working under BG. (ret.) Dr. Meir Elran's guidance since April 2021; they work together on finding ways to strengthen the social resilience in Israel with a special focus on the ultra-orthodox community.
Remi Daniel is a Neubauer Research Fellow at the INSS and a PhD candidate in the International Relations Department at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His dissertation deals with the relations between Turkey and Israel between 1960 and 1971. Beyond analyzing the events that shaped the bilateral ties during the period, he uses their study to assess theories linking domestic and foreign politics and especially the impact of democratization on foreign policy decision-making processes. Before joining INSS he worked as an intern in the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) and was a research assistant at the Israeli Center for Third Sector Research at Ben Gurion University of the Negev.
For the last three years of his PhD, he has been an Azrieli Fellow. He holds a BA and a MA in History (with highest honors) from the Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne University and from the Ecole Normale Supérieure (Paris) and was a student at the Bosphorus University in Istanbul.
At the INSS, he works on Turkish foreign policy with Dr. Gallia Lindenstrauss. Additional areas of interest are: European politics, Canadian and Quebecois politics, nationalist ideologies and their political consequences.
Mora Deitch is a Neubauer Research Fellow at the INSS, a Research Fellow at the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), and a Ph.D. candidate at the Political Studies Department of Bar-Ilan University. Mora specializes in the influence of religion on politics and conflicts. Her doctoral research explores the influence of religious armed conflict termination on discrimination against 771 religious minorities in 183 countries worldwide. Mora published several articles in peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Conflict Resolution, Terrorism and Political Violence, and Peacebuilding. During her studies, she received multiple awards and research grants from the Volkswagen Stiftung, the National Union of Israeli Students, the National Lottery of Israel, ISEF Foundation, Mozes S. Schupf Foundation, Walter-Lebach Institute, and the Bar-Ilan President's and Rector's Award for Academic Excellence.
Mora is working with BG. (ret.) Dr. Meir Elran on the issues of social resilience, public opinion, and the Jewish-Arab relationship.
Itzik Itzhak Dessie is a Neubauer Research Fellow at INSS and a Ph.D. candidate at Bar-Ilan University Faculty of Law, where he serves as academic supervisor of the Clinic for the Advancement of Equality at Bar-Ilan University’s Faculty of Law.
His doctoral dissertation, "The Constitutional Rights to Positive Action," examines the constitutional duty to implement initiative-taking programs to promote equality and the benefits and social costs involved. For his research, Itzik received prestigious research grants, including Menachem Begins research grant from the Ministry of Science and Technology, The ISEF Fellowship for Outstanding Doctoral Students, and the President's Scholarship for Outstanding Doctoral Students from Bar Ilan University.
Itzik immigrated to Israel from Ethiopia alone at the age of thirteen and became the first combat medic in IDF, the first law student (and later the first lawyer) from the Ethiopian community in Israel. He founded the Tebeka Organization, which offers legal aid and nurtures young professional leadership, and served as its executive director for over a decade. In collaboration with Prof. Ariel Bendor (his doctoral supervisor), he initiated and established the Legal Clinic for the Advancement of Equality at Bar Ilan University. Itzik received an inspiring award for social action from the University of Haifa; an award from the "New Israel Fund" for protecting civil and human rights, and the Tebeka organization (under his management) received an award from the Bar Association.
Itzik specializes in structural inequality and circumstances that cause social stratification. Itzik's research at the INSS focuses on structural inequality in large entities, including law enforcement and security systems, and measures that the government authorities should take to reduce social inequality.
Jony Essa is a Neubauer Research Fellow at INSS and a doctoral candidate in the International Relations department and the Leonard Davis Institute for International Relations Graduate School at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a George Pinto Jerusalem Leadership Fellow.
His dissertation is titled “What Explains Different Military Behavior? Jordan, Syria, and Egypt in a Comparative Perspective.” He holds a B.A. in International Relations and English Literature and an M.A. in International Relations, both from the Hebrew University, and lectures on Middle East politics and culture at the Rothberg International School at the Hebrew University. His primary areas of research include contemporary Middle Eastern military history; conflict processes (ethno-political conflict and civil wars); and the state, society, and security in the Middle East.
At INSS, Jony Is engaged in researching Egypt with Dr. Ofir Winter, Syria with Dr. Carmit Valensi and is also involved in the media department building a model for outreach in Arabic to the larger Arab World, translating and writing posts and articles in Arabic.
Morr Link is a Neubauer Research Fellow at INSS and a PhD candidate in the Department of International Relations at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Her research interests include international political economy – particularly of the Middle East and North Africa – international institutions, and Israeli-Moroccan ties. Her dissertation examines Middle Eastern and North African states within the global investment regime, and how domestic characteristics, such as religion, culture, and regime shape their positions within it.
Morr is a fellow of the President’s Scholarship for Outstanding PhD Students at the Hebrew University. Before joining INSS she was a fellow in the Leonard Davis Institute's graduate program (Telem) and a research assistant and teaching assistant in the Department of International Relations at the Hebrew University. She holds a B.A and an M.A (with honors) from the Hebrew University.
Dr. Ilham Shahbari is a Neubauer Research Fellow at INSS and Advisor to the Director General of the Ministry of Social Equality for Arab Society Affairs. Dr. Shahbari was awarded a Ph.D. in Politics and International Relations by the University of Bradford, UK. Her doctoral dissertation is titled “Internationalization of the National Aspirations of the Palestinian-Arab Citizens of Israel”. She holds a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) in Arabic and Hebrew Languages from Oranim College, as well as postgraduate degrees from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem: a Master’s in Policy, Management & Leadership in Education (M.A.); and an Executive Master of Public Policy (M.A.).
In her most recent position, Dr. Shahbari was a Mimshak Fellow at the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology. Her projects focused on climate change risks and food security. Prior to that, she served as an Associate Lecturer in the Middle East and Terrorism Department at Salford University, UK, Parliamentary Advisor and Media Consultant for Israeli politicians, before joining the Israeli Ministry of Economy, where she held several positions, most recently as Senior Project Manager for promoting foreign investments.
Dr. Shahbari is member of the Police National Thinking Forum for combating crime and violence in Arab society and a member of the Board of Directors at the Mitvim.
At the INSS, Dr. Shahbari investigates social resilience. Her expertise includes Israeli politics, parliamentary diplomacy, Jewish-Arab relations, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, ethnic minorities and human rights, Middle East politics and international relations.
