Stipends for MSc, PhD, and postdoctoral students at the Institute are merit-based using a clear and uniform excellence criteria.

 

Main Points of the Framework:

1. Stipend Amount: The average stipend for MSc students and PhD students is in the ranges of 6,150–7,500 NIS and 8,000–10,000 NIS, respectively (details in the table below).
2. Outstanding Students: The top 20% of students in each cohort receive higher stipends.
3. External Excellence Scholarships: Students receiving competitive external scholarships (Azrieli, Clore, MSc Excellence, etc.) receive higher stipends, subject to the cap listed in the table.
4. PhD Stage B: Stipends are higher for students in Stage B of their PhD than in Stage A.
5. Teaching Assistants: Stipends are paid in addition to teaching assistantship salaries.
6. Pilot Implementation: This framework is applied as a pilot for all students and postdocs during the two years of 2025–2026 and 2026-2027. It is subject to change/cancellation at the end of the pilot period.

 

Monthly Living Stipend Levels (in NIS):

Degree / Stage	Regular Stipend	Excellence Stipend	External Excellence Scholarship
MSc	6,150	6,750	7,500
PhD Stage A	8,000	8,750	9,600
PhD Stage B	8,750	9,200	10,000
Postdoc	10,800	12,000

 

 

Additional Important Information:

 

Who is considered an Outstanding Student (and gains Excellence Stipend)?

 

Degree / Stage	Eligibility for Excellence Stipend	Validity of the Excellence Stipend
Graduate students	Students in the top 20% of every cohort are considered outstanding
MSc Year 1	Based on undergraduate GPA	Valid until the end of the academic year; students starting in the spring semester: one semester only
MSc Year 2	50% Year 1 MSc GPA + 50% Research Proposal grade	Valid until the end of the academic year
PhD Stage A	Based on MSc GPA	Valid until transition to Stage B
PhD Stage B	Based on research proposal exam score (committee score only; advisor scores are not considered)	Valid until the end of 5 years as a PhD student
Exception	Students not initially marked as 'outstanding' will be considered outstanding if, by the end of PhD Year 3, they publish two first-author peer-reviewed publications
Postdoc	Based on recommendations	Reviewed once per year

 

What are External Excellence Scholarships?

Defined as scholarships providing a living stipend of over 2,000 NIS/month for at least one year. Examples: Adams, Clore, Azrieli, Environmental Protection, KKL (JNF), Ministry of Energy, University or Institute scholarships (e.g., MSc Excellence, Kolodny). External Excellence Stipends remain valid for the duration of the external scholarship. One-time awards are not included in this framework.

How long is the stipend awarded for?

Stipends are provided for up to 2 years for MSc and up to 5 years for PhD. Both are taken from the beginning of the grade studies.

What about special circumstances?

Students with additional employment or in difficult socio-economic situations will be evaluated by an institutional exceptions committee.

What if part of my stipend is paid via external funders?

Students receiving part of their stipend from external sources (e.g., the Geological Survey of Israel) will have this amount included in the framework amount. They will not be considered 'external excellence' recipients.

If I’m not a teaching assistant, will I get an additional stipend?

No.

 

All the details in the attached file: