BSF Research Grants

The BSF Research Grants program is the main program of the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF), funding collaborative research projects between U.S. and Israeli scientists in basic science. Applications are made jointly by U.S. and Israeli researchers who demonstrate scientific excellence and clear synergy in their collaboration. Submissions are accepted once annually in mid-November, with results announced in early July. The program receives approximately 400 applications annually and approves about 100 grants, with a recent success rate of 35%. At any given time, there are around 450 active grants with total annual expenditures of approximately $16 million. Since its founding in 1972, the BSF has awarded over $1 billion to more than 6,500 joint U.S.-Israel research programs. The Foundation evaluates not only scientific excellence but also genuine collaboration between principal investigators from both countries, with joint publications being a key indicator of successful collaboration.