Israel hails grant achievements
Israel has highlighted its success in EU research funding by topping an evaluation of grants awarded.
The survey, which uses data from the European Research Council, centres on the per capita number of research grants given to young people and covers prizes awarded in 2015 in 23 European countries. Israel’s Science, Technology and Space Ministry says the result highlights the country’s success in R&I.
In comments carried by the Jerusalem Post, Ophir Akunis, Israel’s Science and Technology Minister, outlined how the country had secured 24 grants from the European Research Council, from a total of 291 on offer. The minister said: “This is additional proof of our contribution to research and innovation.”
The Israeli winners comprised 20 men and four females, with the most grants going to Tel Aviv University, which obtained the eight grants, followed by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem with five and the Weizmann Institute and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology both receiving four. Almost all drawn from the domain of physics, engineering and life sciences.
The country became associated to the EU’s research and innovation framework programme, Horizon 2020, in June 2014.
