Call for Applications: Research Fellowship in Islamic Law and Civilization

The Abdallah S. Kamel Center at the Yale Law School for the Study of Islamic Law and Civilization will be accepting applications for its 2026-2027 research fellowships from November 1 until November 30, 2025.

The fellowships are meant to afford promising scholars time to make significant progress on their writing and research agenda in subjects related, however loosely, to Islamic law and civilization while contributing to the intellectual life of the Law School and Yale University more broadly.

The Abdallah S. Kamel Center seeks scholars from diverse backgrounds and academic disciplines who have completed or are near completion of an advanced degree (e.g., Ph.D., J.S.D., D.Phil.) and whose work engages with the intellectual and social history of Islam, Islamic legal and political theory, or law in contemporary Muslim societies. Scholars working or studying abroad are welcome to apply, although the offer is contingent upon the ability of non-US citizen applicants to obtain the necessary immigration visa. The one-year residence research fellowships carry a stipend in the range of USD $52,000 to $67,000 commensurate with education and experience. Some support is available for fellows relocating to New Haven from abroad and some funding is available for research support (generally trips for archival work or conferences). Such requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.

While fellows will devote the majority of their time to their own research, they are expected to participate in all the activities of the Abdallah S. Kamel Center, occasionally assist with the administration of these activities, and to the extent possible avail themselves of the Law School’s various workshops and course offerings. Fellows will also be encouraged to build relationships among colleagues in other departments of the University. For these reasons, while some exceptions might be made for certain conferences or fieldwork, the fellows are expected to be present at the law school when classes are in session.

To apply, please submit the following materials by email to kamel.center@yale.edu by November 30, 2025:

1)    A statement of interest (of no more than 1000 words) describing the applicant’s relevant experience, interest in the Kamel Center, and research proposal for the duration of the fellowship;
2)    a current resume or CV;
3)    relevant law school or graduate school transcripts; and
4)    two letters of recommendation to be sent by the recommenders directly to kamel.center@yale.edu.
5)    Please also note that non-native speakers of English must provide proof of proficiency (e.g., a recent TOEFL score of over 100 or an advanced degree from an English-speaking university).

For any questions about the application process, please contact bradley.hayes@yale.edu.

Decisions will be made by January 31, 2026.