About
The U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF) promotes scientific relations between the United States and Israel by supporting collaborative research projects in a wide area of basic and applied scientific fields, for peaceful and non-profit purposes. Founded in 1972 by an agreement between the United States and Israel, the BSF is an independent body directed by a board of governors consisting of five American and five Israeli members, with its base of operation in Israel. Since its inception, the BSF has awarded over $1 billion to over 6,500 research projects of the highest quality, many of which have led to important scientific, medical and technological breakthroughs. Notable grantees include 53 Nobel Prize laureates, 9 Turing Award winners, and 71 Wolf Prize recipients.
Funding Opportunities
Start-Up Research Grants
The Start-Up Research Grants program is designed to help newly appointed researchers who are beginning their independent research careers and may not yet have initial results to substantiate their application. This program helps young scientists in the U.S. and Israel to establish cooperation, as part of the vision of the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation. Grants are awarded for two years to enable grantees to submit a standard application to the next competition in their area of research. Start-Up proposals are implemented within the framework of the regular BSF Research Grants program, requiring scientific excellence and a strong element of cooperation between Israeli and American scientists. At least one of the principal investigators should have attained their Ph.D., M.D. degree or equivalent no more than ten years prior to submitting the proposal. The program distinguishes between 'Senior PI' (established scientist) and 'Junior PI' (researcher in the first stages of independent career). Start-Up Grant applications compete for funding together with standard BSF Research Grant applications through the same submission and evaluation process. While the BSF has no special funds set aside for these grants, Start-Up applications traditionally have a higher rate of success compared with standard applications, with a recent success rate of 39%. Each principal investigator receives $90,000 over the two-year grant period.
NEH-BSF Research Grants
The NEH-BSF Research Grants program is a collaboration between the U.S. National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF), established through a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2022. The program encourages international collaboration in humanities research between American and Israeli scholars. Financial support for U.S. scholars comes from NEH's internal resources as part of its regular activity, while Israeli researchers receive funding from annual allocations from the Israeli Committee for Planning and Budgeting (CPB). The grants support collaborative research projects in the humanities for periods of 1-3 years, with a maximum annual award of $50,000.
NSF-BSF Research Grants
The NSF-BSF Research Grants program is a collaborative funding initiative between the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Binational Science Foundation (BSF) that supports joint U.S.-Israeli scientific research. Established through a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2012, this program enables collaborative research across multiple NSF directorates and divisions. Financial support for U.S. scientists comes from NSF's internal resources as part of regular activities, while Israeli researchers are funded through annual allocations from the Israeli Committee for Planning and Budgeting (CPB). The program currently encompasses 27 programs across NSF grant-making directorates, facilitating binational collaboration in various scientific fields. The grants support collaborative research projects for 2-5 years, with a maximum annual grant amount of $114,000. With a success rate of 28% in 2023/24, this program provides substantial funding for collaborative research between U.S. and Israeli scientists across diverse scientific disciplines.
The Prof. Rahamimoff Travel Grants for Young Scientists
The Prof. Rahamimoff Travel Grants for Young Scientists is a travel grant program operated by the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF). Named in honor of Prof. Rami Rahamimoff (1937-2008), a world-renowned scientist who played a key role in BSF governance, this program supports Ph.D. students conducting research that requires facilities or expertise not available in their home country. The program is specifically designed for Ph.D. students who need to travel between the United States and Israel to access specialized research facilities or expertise. Israeli students can travel to the United States, while U.S. students can travel to Israel, with trips limited to higher education or research facilities in the destination country. Each trip has a maximum duration of 2 months, and the awards must be utilized within 1 year of BSF notification. The program operates through two annual calls, with each call supporting 10 awards of $6,000 each. Applications are submitted via email and ranked by a scientific panel, with notifications sent by email. The program specifically excludes support for conference participation and trips by very early or late-stage Ph.D. students. Applications for trips that have already occurred are not accepted. Prof. Rahamimoff was a professor of physiology at Hebrew University who earned the Israel Prize in Medicine in 1998 and won international recognition for his pioneering work on calcium regulation of synaptic transmission. The BSF honors his memory and contribution to science and the foundation through this travel grants program.
At a Glance
- Total Funding Opportunities
- 5
- Active Now
- 4
- Source Domain
- bsf.org.il
Catalog Data
This funder profile was automatically extracted from grant listings. Information may be incomplete.
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