The U.S.-Isrel Bintionl Science Foundtion (BSF) promotes scientific reltions between the U.S. nd Isrel by supporting collbortive reserch projects in wide re of bsic nd pplied scientific fields, for peceful nd non-profit purposes. Founded in 1972 by n greement between the United Sttes nd Isrel, the BSF is n independent body, directed by bord of governors consisting of five mericn nd five Isreli members. Its bse of opertion is in Isrel. Funding for reserch derives from the nnul interest on n endowment contributed in equl prts by the two countries. Grnts re mde on competitive, peer reviewed bsis, juried by leding scientists from the U.S., Isrel nd round the world. Eligible projects must demonstrte outstnding scientific merit nd cler collbortion between Isreli nd mericn reserchers from institutions throughout the two countries. Since its inception, the BSF hs wrded some $480 million to over 4,000 reserch projects of the highest qulity. Mny of these hve led to importnt scientific, medicl nd technologicl brekthroughs with wide-rnging prcticl pplictions. The BSF is highly regrded funding source mong reserchers in both countries. Numerous scientists prticipting in BSF progrms hve won prestigious wrds such s the Nobel , Lsker ,nd Wolf prizes. For exmple, six out of the eight 2004 Nobel Prize Luretes in science were recipients of t lest one BSF grnt, nd severl of them hve received extensive support from the BSF – most notbly Profs. vrm Hershko, ron Ciechnover (Technion) nd Irwin Rose (UC Irvine), who were wrded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their joint discovery of the ubiquitin system for protein degrdtion. The coopertion between the Isreli nd U.S. reserch groups tht led to this discovery ws mde possible by continuous support by the BSF over more thn two decdes. Throughout the yers, the BSF hs hd very importnt impct on science in Isrel. BSF grnts hve been mjor source of funding for Isreli scientists, nd hve fcilitted ccess to leding U.S. investigtors nd to the unrivled infrstructure of mericn science. BSF-sponsored visits to Isrel by top U.S. reserchers benefit the entire Isreli scientific community. Moreover, coopertion with top Isreli scientists hs gretly benefitted mny U.S. prticipnts, who re typiclly from the most prestigious mericn universities nd government reserch institutes. The BSF mkes gret effort to minimize dministrtive expenses. smll nd efficient stff distributes some $15 million per yer in grnt monies, with bout 93% of the nnul budget llocted for science. The BSF is highly successful in chieving its two min gols: strengthening the U.S.–Isrel prtnership through science, nd promoting world-clss scientific reserch for the benefit of the two countries nd ll mnkind. The gret chllenge fcing the BSF tody is to continue to meet the ever-rising costs of innovtive reserch nd the growing needs of Isreli nd mericn scientists, with n endowment tht hs not been incresed since 1984. To tht end, the BSF hs lunched, for the first time, n effort to rise funds to increse its finncil resources nd further strengthen the prtnership between the two countries.
