It is vital to remember that the official procedure of obtaining a student visa might take several weeks (not including weekends and holidays). Therefore, in order to avoid potential delays, the application procedures described herein must be completed at least two months before the expected arrival of the prospective visiting student.

Finding a host

The first step is to find a WIS principal investigator as a host for the duration of the desirable visit. Prospective visiting students must reach out independently to Heads of Research Groups at the WIS and make the necessary arrangements directly with them. The WSoS is not involved in this part of the process.

Filing an application

Visiting students do not apply directly to the WSoS. The hosting scientific departments do so on their behalf.

Guaranteed financial support

The hosting scientist at the WIS must provide the WSoS with a special form stating that the prospective visiting student will be adequately supported financially (at least at a level of a Master’s fellowship at the WSoS), and specify the relevant funding sources (e.g. their own research grants, the home institution's resources or a grant by a third party).

Israeli students studying in Israel cannot receive a scholarship or payment under the program.

Letter from the home university

Every visiting student must provide an official letter or certification from their home university stating its approval of the visit, and declaring that the visitor will continue to be a full-time student there during the planned visit. If the hosting scientist is one of the visitor’s co-advisors, the confirmation letter should state this explicitly.

Intellectual property form

• All visiting students must sign the Weizmann Institute’s Intellectual Property Form (IP form).
• This requierment does not apply to visiting students aho arrive for less than three weeks.
• Please note, that in addition, all visiting students who are PhD students at their home universities must ask the authorized party at their university to add their signature to the IP form too. This requirement does not apply to undergraduate or MSc students.
• Requests to waive one or both of the abovementioned requirements must be made, by the host scientist to the WIS VP for Technology Transfer through the WSoS.

Letter of confirmation

Upon completion of the application process (including the WSoS issues a letter of confirmation of the approved status.

WSoS Contact information

For further information about the application process, student visa etc., prospective visiting students may contact the relevant WSoS Faculty Coordinator:

• Physical Sciences: wsos-physics@weizmann.ac.il
• Chemical Sciences: wsos-chemistry@weizmann.ac.il
• Life Sciences:  wsos-lifesciences@weizmann.ac.il
• Math & CS: wsos-mathcs@weizmann.ac.il

Timeline

When planning the visit, one should take into account that the official process of obtaining a student visa might take several weeks (not including weekends and holidays). Therefore, the application process must be completed at least two months before the expected arrival of the visitor.

Obligation

All international visiting students must arrange for a student visa to Israel prior to their arrival at the border.

Exemptions

International visiting students whose planned stay in Israel is less than 90 days, AND citizens of their country are exempted from an entry visa to Israel (see below), may enter the country and visit the WIS without a student visa

Types of visa

Our International Office will provide you with detailed instructions regarding obtaining the required visa. You can find the relevant information on the International office website.

Assistance

The WSoS assists prospective visiting students through the process of obtaining a student visa. The WSoS does not handle requests to issue student visas for visitors who declare a visit of less than 90 days, but wish to stay on for a longer period of time.

Restrictions

International visiting students may not engage in any kind of employment in Israel

Fees

Visa applications are subject to fees set by Ministry of the Interior.

International visiting students may reside in the Weizmann School of Science’s student housing facilities. The minimum stay is four weeks and the maximum allowed stay is one year.

Availability

The availability of student housing on campus is scarce. Therefore, it is highly advisable to book a room as much ahead of time as possible.

Booking

Booking is done through the WIS Housing Directorate by the hosting department.

Rent fees

Student housing is not free. It must be paid for by the visitor, unless the hosting scientist is willing to cover for the cost or subsidize it.

Obligation

All international visiting students must hold a valid policy of medical insurance. There are no exceptions to the rule. Visiting students may purchase insurance in their home countries or do so in Israel.

Standards

Upon arrival visiting students are required to verify that their medical insurance policy meets the WSoS standards. It is important to keep in mind that insurance companies do not usually include pregnancy, pregnancy-related complications, childbirth and hospitalization as a result of childbirth, or childbirth-related complications.

Visiting students must be funded at least at the level of a Master’s fellowship at the WSoS. The funding may be provided by one source or more (see above). The hosting scientist is not obligated but may provide the visitor with additional financial support by reimbursing expenses such as flights, medical insurance, or housing. If one of the funding sources is the hosting scientist research grants, then the visitor is paid either monthly or in one payment (depending on the length of stay at the WIS).

Israeli students studying in Israel cannot receive a scholarship or payment under the program.

The Government of Israel offers scholarships to international students and postdoctoral fellows as defined in the Cultural Agreements between Israel and certain countries.

Support is offered for a period of up to eight months.

The deadline for applications is November 30.

For further information concerning eligibility and application procedures, see the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs relevant webpage

You may also write to: scholarship@mfa.gov.il.

Restrictions

• Maximum number of students per rotation: Two
• Maximum number of rotation students per year: Four
• Maximum number of MSc students per year: Two
• Maximum number of PhD students at any given time: Five (see comments below)
• Number of postdoctoral fellows: No limit
• Number of visiting students: No limit

The way FGS Counts PhD Students

• FGS counts only PhD students who haven't yet submitted their final report.
• A student who has two supervisors is considered as "half" as long as both co-advisors are WIS PIs who are not professors emeriti.
• FGS allows heads of research groups to take one student, who is in the PhD Track for Medical Residents and Specialist MDs, over and above the allowed number of doctoral students per group.

Special Requests

• Requests to accept an additional rotation student should be addressed to the chair of the Board of Studies.
• Requests to accept an additional M.Sc. student should be addressed to the chair of the Board of Studies and are subject to approval by the FGS Dean.
• Request to accept an additional PhD student should be addressed directly to the FGS Dean.

Heads of Research Groups
Heads of Research Groups at the Weizmann Institute of Science (i.e. from the rank of senior researcher and up) may supervise MSc and PhD students, train postdoctoral fellows, and host visiting students.

Professors on Extension of Service
Professors on extension of service can mentor MSc and PhD students. In case of PhD students - as long as another head of research group at WIS (who is not on extension of service), agrees to serve as co-advisor. There is no restriction on training of postdoctoral fellows or on hosting visiting students.

Professors Emeriti
In general, professors emeriti can not supervise MSc or PhD students. However, The FGS Dean will review each case on an individual basis. If approved, a Professor Emeritus will be considered as a co-advisor as long as the principal advisor is a WIS PI who is not on extension of service or emeritus, and there is a real collaboration between the advisors.

Senior Staff scientists or Senior Research Fellows
Senior Staff scientists or Senior Research Fellows may be appointed, at the discretion of the FGS Dean, as co-advisors as long as the principle advisor is a WIS PI who is not on extension of service or emeritus.

Staff Scientists
As a rule, Staff Scientists can not appointed as co-advisors to students, train postdoctoral fellows, or host visiting students.

MSc Fellowship
MSc students are entitled to a full fellowship for 24 months. The monthly rate is NIS 5,750

FGS support

• FGS supports 100% of a Master's fellowship for 21 months.
• If the study period is less than 24 months then the FGS support is shortened accordingly.
• FGS supports 100% of a Master's fellowship of a student who won a Hammer Fellowship (or similar) up to the end of September of the 2nd year of that Master's studies.
• FGS extends its 100% support of a Master's fellowship by up to 3.5 months for every maternity leave.
• FGS extends its support  according to the total reserve duty days served by a student.

All students are entitled to a full fellowship for 54 months.

• First Year PhD Fellowship: NIS 6,600
• Second Year PhD Fellowship: NIS 7,600

Eligibility to a 2nd year fellowship
Eligibility to a fellowship at a second-year doctoral level takes effect in the month following the one in which the research proposal is submitted. However, it is paid only after the proposal is approved. There are a few cases of students whose fellowships prior to the October 2008 reform were slightly higher than the new fellowships (this is due to the pre-reform structure of the fellowships). It has been decided to leave these fellowships untouched (i.e. at their old level).

FGS Support of PhD Fellowships

• FGS support of PhD fellowships is given to research groups (not to individual students). The first 50% support is given to a group if one student in the group has submitted his/her research proposal and hasn't completed 48 months of studies. A second 50% support is given to a group if two students in that group fulfill the above mentioned conditions. A third 50% support is given to a group if five students in the group fulfill the above-mentioned conditions.
• An exception to the rule is the first student of a new senior scientist. FGS supports 100% of the fellowship from day for 48 months. Further FGS support is allocated according to the system outlined above.
• FGS terminates its support of a PhD fellowship as soon as the student completes his/her 48th month of studies - except for the two cases specified below.
• FGS extends its 100% support of a PhD fellowship by up to 3.5 months for every maternity leave.
• FGS extends its 100% support of a PhD fellowship according to the total reserve duty days served by a student.
• FGS pays the difference between a regular PhD fellowship and the one awarded to students in the program for Medical Residents (it's possible to receive such support for one student per group at the same time).
• If a student wins an external fellowship (e.g. Adams, Clore, Azrieli),  the external fellowship will be over and above the FGS allocation. In other words, if that student's fellowship was supported by FGS prior to the activation of the external fellowship, the support will be transferred to another student (provided he/she has submitted his/her research proposal and he/she is not a PhD student for more than 48 months). If the external fellowship is lower than the WIS fellowship, the advisor is responsible for the funds to cover the difference.