Chagai Weiss, assistant professor of political science, awarded a prestigious 2026 Andrew Carnegie Fellowship for research on polarization, institutions, and reducing prejudice in divided societies. (photo by Diana Tyszko)
Chagai M. Weiss awarded 2026 Andrew Carnegie Fellowship
Published: May 5, 2026
Chagai M. Weiss, an assistant professor in the department of political science in the University of Toronto's Faculty of Arts & Science, has received a 2026 Andrew Carnegie Fellowship.
Awarded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the fellowship supports scholarship in the social sciences and humanities addressing significant societal challenges, with recent cohorts emphasizing research on political polarization.
Weiss’s research examines the political effects of conflict and polarization and the institutional conditions that can mitigate them. His work explores how institutions shape intergroup relations, influence political behaviour and preferences and can be designed to reduce prejudice and strengthen democratic engagement.
“I feel extremely lucky to be in a position of pursuing ideas that I care about, and to have the resources to do it in the most impactful way possible,” said Weiss, who is cross-appointed to the Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies, where he holds the Andrea and Charles Bronfman chair in Israel Studies.
With the fellowship's support, Weiss will study the role of civic education in aligning citizens’ values with democratic norms and practices, with a focus on how educational systems can foster constructive political engagement.
“Political polarization is one of the most urgent problems in contemporary political life," said Ryan Balot, chair of the department of political science. "Chagai Weiss’s exciting research promises to illuminate the potential of civic education to address this problem.”
