Call for Proposals
2026-2027 PhD Fellowship in Child and Youth Rights
The Child and Youth Rights Program (ChYRP) at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Minerva Center for Human Rights is accepting applications for Doctoral Fellowships in 2026-2027
ChYRP aims to promote research, pedagogy, and dissemination of knowledge in the field of child rights (aged 0-18). ChYRP uses the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) as the blueprint for the program agenda and fosters interdisciplinary scholarship with a preference for rights-respecting methodologies. Each year ChYRP emphasizes a different right outlined in the CRC. For the 2026-27 academic year, the program will give preference to studies related to children’s right to equality (Article 2, CRC).
Deadline for applications: March 15th, 2026
Terms of the Fellowship:
1. The Fellowship will be at the Child and Youth Rights Program at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Minerva Center for Human Rights, Faculty of law.
2. The grant is at the annual sum of 120,000 NIS and may continue for up to three years.
3. Once admitted to the program, Fellows may apply for additional funds.
Requirements:
1. The Fellowships are open to researchers from all disciplines related to issues of child and youth rights, including, but not limited to: law, social work, medicine, criminology, education, and sociology.
2. Candidates may be either doctorate students already enrolled at any department at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, or plan to begin their doctoral studies in October 2026.
3. Successful recipients must present a letter of acceptance from the relevant department and supervisor by October 2026.
4. The Applicant’s research plan must address current themes and challenges in the fields of child rights, and should be guided by the CRC, preferably focusing on children’s right to equality.
5. Candidates interested in researching children in Israel may also consider topics such as children living in the periphery, children of asylum-seekers, Palestinian children in Israel or the OPT, immigrants, LGBTQI, children from ultra-orthodox communities, and children with special needs.
6. The research plan may involve any one or several methodologies, including legal-doctrinal, theoretical, comparative, quantitative, qualitative, action research, and experimental, with emphasis on child participation in research when feasible.
7. Fellows are expected to take part and contribute to the activities of ChYRP and the Minerva Center throughout their PhD studies, including weekly seminars and meetings.
8. Fellows are expected to publish their research outputs in leading academic venues (in English), either as part of their dissertation, in the case of a dissertation by publications, or immediately after the completion of the dissertation manuscript.
Application instructions:
• Applications should include:
1. Research plan (up to three pages) describing the intended research topic, the importance and relevance of the research question to the field of children’s rights, the methodology, and relevant theoretical frameworks.
2. Summary of the Applicant’s Master's thesis (up to one page).
3. Curriculum vitae, including a list of publications.
4. Two recommendation letters, including one from the thesis supervisor. A letter from the current or designated PhD supervisor is recommended.
5. A one-page research plan summary written in accessible language (English, Hebrew, or Arabic) for young readers (ages 12-18), explaining your research topic and its importance for children's rights. ChYRP’s youth advisory boards will review these summaries and provide their input as part of the selection process.
6. All documents should be formed into one PDF file.
7. Please submit applications (and questions) to the Child and Youth Rights Program via email: chyrp@mail.huji.ac.il.
• Interviews of select candidates will be held in March.
• Final decisions - by the end of March.
Deadline for applications: March 15th, 2026
