Cara Palestine Programme Virtual Fellowships

In order to be considered for Palestine Programme funding, applicants must:

• Hold a PhD degree*

• Be employed by, or maintain an ongoing affiliation with, a Palestinian University in Gaza or the West Bank (applicants must have been employed by their home university for a minimum of 6 months)

• Reside in Gaza or the West Bank 

• Have a level of English language that is of a standard suitable for academic exchange 

• Meet Cara's At- Risk assessment
   

*Applicants are asked to identify themselves as Early Career or Experienced academics (early Career – less than 8 years post PhD; experience – More than 8 years post PhD)

Applications are particularly encouraged from Female applicants and those who have not previously participated in similar schemes.

The Palestine Virtual Fellowship Scheme is a one-year research Fellowship to connect Palestinian academics with UK Universities in a structured programme of academic exchange.

Fellowships are not full time, they are intended to complement existing academic responsibilities and provide an opportunity to advance a new or ongoing research project in the Fellow's field of expertise. The Palestine Virtual Fellowship scheme aims to strengthen cross- border research connections and support engagement with international scholarly communities.

Total of 14 Fellowships will be awarded in the current application round.

There will be up to 3 Fellowships awarded for West Bank applicants, and up to 11 Fellowships for applicants from Gaza.

Each Fellowship includes: 

• Academic affiliation with a UK university
• Connection to one or more UK- based academic peers to support the continuation of research activities, strengthen academic skills, and foster international collaboration. Opportunities to participate in research seminars, workshops, and professional development activities

• Assistance with publication strategies, career development, and networking opportunities.

• Access to UK University digital resources, including library collections and online academic materials 

• Access to training, wellbeing provision and networking opportunities offered through Cara and partner organisations

• A Fellowship stipend of £6,000* to support participation in the programme. Fellows residing in Gaza will receive an additional £2,000 location supplement.

• Additional research engagement funds will be available for project-related expenses access to datasets, memberships, E- conference attendance, professional development, wellbeing support, specialist services, equipment, internet access, local workspace costs, etc.  

In our application form we ask for:

1. CV (max. 3 pages, min. font size: 10) including most recent publications, academic achievements and career history to date
2. PhD Certificate (or if not available, official confirmation of successful defence of a doctoral thesis)
3. Evidence of English Language ability – Certificates, publications in   English, evidence of study in English
4. Official letter of support from the home university, signed by an authorised representative, confirming the applicant’s current affiliation and academic status, issued on official letterhead. If this is not possible to obtain before the closing date, evidence of employment is also acceptable
5. Identity document – Copy of a passport, or identity document with a photograph

We will also require written submission of:

1. Research proposal: Applicants are requested to outline a research project they wish to conduct during this one-year Fellowship. This proposal can be new or ongoing, and should include alignment to expertise, project scope and proposed / foreseeable outcomes. Clearly identified delivery challenges, including potential field, lab, or political risks and practical mitigation strategies. Please note, this is research project outline of 500 words (max) to be refined on selection.
2. At- Risk statement: Applicants are asked to provide an At-Risk statement outlining personal risks, threats of persecution and/or any direct dangers faced. Please explain how your current situation has affected your ability to continue to pursue your academic career. Briefly explain why you are applying for this fellowship and how it relates to the progression of your research and career.
3. University hosts: Applicants should identify up to three University partners from a possible seven. For each selection, applicants are requested to provide a clear rationale for their choice. This could include alignment with research groups/ clusters, individual researcher(s), access to specialist archives/ materials/ expertise at the host university. Existing connections and/or a clear rationale for the potential strength of research alignment.

Applications must be submitted in English. For documents in other languages, please include an English translation.

If academic certificates are not available at the time of application, please contact [email protected]

Additionally, please contact us on [email protected] if applicants experience connectivity or technical difficulties during submission.

Applicants should identify up to three University partners as potential hosts for their virtual fellowship. Applicants are requested to provide a clear rationale for their choice. This could include alignment with research groups, access to specialist archives, expertise at the host university, or existing connections and research alignment

• Newcastle University - All disciplines
• University of Sussex - All disciplines
• The Open University - All disciplines
• University of Glasgow - All disciplines
• University of Edinburgh - All disciplines
• University of Cambridge - Education and Business School only
• University of Bristol - Medical Sciences; Education (Gaza only)

Multiple applications by the same applicant, are not permitted. In this case, only the first submitted application will be considered. No changes can be made after submission.

Use of generative AI is strongly discouraged. AI tools such as Chat GPT, Claude, Co-Pilot are not permitted in any written submissions, evidence of their use will result in your proposal being rejected. Cara supports individual academics, and for this reason we need to hear and understand your circumstances, motivations, expertise and goals. Language errors will not be taken into account in the evaluation. In case applicants use generative AI tools to support the preparation of their application, responsibility for the content, accuracy, and authenticity of all the submitted information remains entirely with the applicant.

Applications will be evaluated through a qualitative assessment of all submitted materials. Each application will be scored equally against the below criteria in relation to career stage Early Career and Experienced.

Risk (Unweighted) – Risk statements will be assessed against Cara’s At-Risk threshold and results combined with below scores.

Relevance (50%) - Clarity of motivation, including immediate challenges. Relevance of research experience and training to the research project described. Clear and detailed rationale for host university choice(s). Alignment of research project with, and contribution to Palestinian High Education thematic priorities. Strong potential to benefit both personally and professionally from programme engagement.

Impact (50%) - Clarity of planned research project including methodology, design, suitability to answer the proposed question and impact. Clear rationale for UK University choice(s) and clear potential collaborative impact. Contribution to Palestinian Higher Education priorities. Expected impact both personally and professionally from programme engagement and future career plans.

The application process will be managed by Cara in close consultation with UK University partners.

Stage 1: Applications submitted by Monday, 5 October 2026 deadline will be checked for completion, submission of required documents, eligibility and due diligence criteria, including international sanctions, and political exposure. Eligible applications will progress to the next stage.

Stage 2: Applications are reviewed and scored against key criteria outlined above - Relevance and Impact. Each application will be scored at least twice and an average score recorded.

Stage 3: A panel will then review ranked applications and decide on a shortlist of applicants to share with host Universities. Taking into account balanced representation (discipline, gender, career stage, university, location).

Stage 4: Language proficiency and identity interviews take place online

Stage 5: Short-listed candidates (approximately three times the number of available placements) will be shared with each University host for academic matching. Applicants may be interviewed about their research project during this stage. Final selections and reserve candidates are made.

Stage 6: Final selections are confirmed by Cara considering partner university selections and location quotas.

Stage 7: Cara communicates outcomes to all remaining applicants and onboarding begins. Selected Fellows will be required to sign a participation agreement containing financial and engagement commitments.

If academic certificates are not available at the time of application, please contact [email protected]. Multiple applications by the same applicant, are not permitted. In this case, only the first submitted application will be considered. No changes can be made after submission.

Please contact [email protected] if applicants experience connectivity or technical difficulties during submission.

All Cara support is contingent on our applicants' competency in English. This is because the working language for all our placements is English. Therefore, all Fellows must be able to contribute academically at the host institutions.

If you already have an English language certificate, please upload it with your application. We also ask applicants to submit any publications in English, or evidence of study in English

For information about feedback, challenge procedures, Data Protection and Terms and Conditions, please see the Terms of Reference.