In 1995, following the steady and substantial increase in the scope
of its activities over the years, the Israel Science Foundation (ISF) was established
as an independent non-profit organization, registered as such with the
Registrar of Associations, and drawing its authority from the scientific
community. The ISF is the major organization supporting basic research in
Israel on the basis of scientific excellence in the various fields of knowledge,
via a wide variety of support channels. It maintains a close relationship with
The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities. According to its bylaws, the President
of the Academy serves as the chairperson of the Foundation’s council.
The Israel Science Foundation website
The Foundation evaluates proposals for basic research in the fields
of the humanities, social sciences, life sciences, medicine, and the exact
sciences and technology and supports selected proposals via research grants. The
proposals are evaluated and selected in a competitive process, based on criteria
of scientific quality and excellence, most of them in a dual judging process
that includes professional committees and peer review. Approximately 97 percent
of the Foundation’s 2022 budget comes from the Planning and Budgeting
Committee. The remaining three percent comes from direct donations, awards, dedicated
foundations, and various funds managed by the Academy.
In 2025, the Foundation operated on a total budget of close to NIS 755 million in all grant pathways, including the following:
- Core programs: Programs that are funded each year from the core budget and that are open to submissions in all fields of knowledge, and do not focus on a specific topic
- Dedicated programs: Programs that are funded from a supplementary budget for a specific community of researchers or a specific topic, and are usually time-limited
As part of the core programs, the Foundation funds 2,330 individual research grants in universities and other research institutions. The Foundation also supports the acquisition of research equipment for the creation of laboratories for new academic staff members at universities, the acquisition of equipment for academic staff members in the middle of their careers, the publication of books on topics in the humanities, and the holding of international research workshops.
In addition to the core programs listed above, the Foundation operates the following programs:
- The MAPATS Breakthrough Research Program
- Research grants for physician-scientists in hospitals
- A scholarship program for post-doctoral courses in the humanities
- The MAVRI program, in three tracks: grants for biomedical research, grants for startups, and grants for post-doctoral study
- A program to support research in the field of quantum science and technology
- Support programs for making research infrastructure accessible, within the framework of the program for individual research grants
- A program to support the purchase of equipment for researchers in the middle of their careers
Two new programs have begun operation during this cycle:
- The Beresheet Program: The goal of this new program is to nurture and encourage universities to hire new researchers who have made aliya or are returning to Israel after having completed their post-doctoral work abroad. As part of the program, immigrating or returning researchers will be given large-scale research grants for five years as well as a respectable one-time grant for equipment for setting up a laboratory, which will contribute to their integration in the world of research and the job market in Israel.
- The OR (Outstanding Researchers) program: Aims to support researchers from abroad who wish to join the senior faculty (with tenure) in one of Israel’s research universities. The program is for senior researchers who have shown extraordinary scientific and leadership capabilities over the past decade in particularly high-quality original or creative research and have proven their deep and comprehensive commitment to their field, made scientific contributions of particular significance, demonstrated prominent leadership in training scientists and addressing substantial research questions that have a decisive influence on their field. The program will offer support to a small, select group of outstanding researchers at a large amount and over time.
International Activity
Several years ago, the Foundation expanded its international activity, and collaborates with various research foundations for the advancement of joint scientific activity between Israeli researchers and researchers from abroad. The foundations include the following: the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC); the Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHR); the International Development Research Center (IDRC) in Canada; and the Azrieli Foundation. The Foundation also collaborated in the past with the University Grant Council (UGC) in India, the National Research Foundation (NRF) in Singapore, and with the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).
The Foundation is a partner on the Global Research Council, and is active in the European regional leadership.
In recent cycles, the Foundation has begun collaborations with similar foundations in Europe as part of the Lead Agency process (LAP) model. In this cycle, two programs are operating according to this model: one with the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and one with the German Research Foundation (DFG).