Underground Fire: ICSZ Faculty Fellowship | 2027

Applications are now open for the 2027 Fellowship Cohort! Apply by October 16.

The Underground Fire fellowship supports SWANA and Global South critical lenses on Zionism and builds intellectual connections among CZS researchers in the US and the Global South. Specifically, the fellowship supports scholarly research/writing works in progress by faculty in Palestine, the Global South, and the United States who are also mentoring student researchers (undergrad or grad) in CZS. Fellowships will be geographically distributed to form a cohort of scholars thinking together across contexts.

Questions? Start with the FAQ, below. Last updated Sept. 28, 2026.

Underground Fire fellows are funded to work on their own research over a 3-month fellowship period. Additionally, they are asked to:

• Join 2 remote meetings with other fellows and ICSZ collective/AB members to discuss fellowship projects and think through research problems together
• Invite students working in CZS as observers to these working meetings
• Scholars and organizers in the ICSZ collective are available to discuss work throughout and after the fellowship.
• Applicants are encouraged to submit a short written work or full paper drawn from their fellowship research to the Journal for the Critical Study of Zionism (whether on the journal’s blog or in an issue, at the editors’ discretion.)
• Present final drafts in an online session open to the ICSZ community.
• Consider presenting their work at a later ICSZ conference (remote or, if in person, with travel funding)
• Fellows join a growing community of CZS scholars and fellowship alumni.

Funding: $2500 each

Review Committee:

Alex Aviña, Arizona State University
Stacy Farenthold, UC Davis
Maura Finkelstein
Emmaia Gelman, Institute for the Critical Study of Zionism
Yulia Gilichinskaya, University College Dublin
Bassam Haddad, Arab Studies Institute, George Mason University
Alana Lentin, University of Western Sydney
Abdeljawad Omar, Birzeit University
Shahnaaz Suffla, University of South Africa

To apply:

• Curriculum Vitae
• Abstract of research project already underway, which the fellowship will be used to support.
• Short scholarly writing sample
• Name, affiliation, and email for two recommenders: one academic peer/colleague and one student working in CZS under your mentorship. (Only after finalists are selected, recommenders will be asked to submit short endorsements of the project and your scholarship.)

Questions? Email catie@criticalzionismstudies.org

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: The Underground Fire fellowship asks faculty applicants to have students provide short endorsements of their work, and invite students to sit in on fellowship presentations. So is there any direct support for students from the institute?

A: The fellowship only directly funds the faculty member. There’s no expectation/requirement that students sit in on faculty presentations – we only require that the students be invited! But it is our hope that students encountering ICSZ through their faculty mentor will find helpful and supportive resources here, including opportunities to present and workshop their own research.

Q: Is this fellowship open to faculty anywhere in the world?

A: Yes.

Q: Are there ICSZ fellowships for activists and independent scholars, beyond academic institutions?

A: Yes, we have at least two more fellowships for scholars and artists planned for 2026-2027. Dates are not yet set, but they will be announced as soon as we’re able! To get those announcements, please join our mailing list.

Q: Is this fellowship only for scholars with faculty appointments?

A: No. A central requirement of the fellowship is that the recipient be a mentor to students, so that those students can be invited to join in discussion. If you are a scholar who mentors students in Critical Zionism Studies outside of a formal university context, you are also eligible. Please feel welcome to send us any queries in advance if you’re unsure whether your circumstances align with the fellowship.