Grants to USA and Israel Scientists for Collaborative Physics Research Projects
NSF-BSF Program in Physics
Agency
Federal
GrantWatch ID#
166923
Funding Source
Geographic Focus
All USA
Israel.
Israel.
Important Dates
Deadline: 11/16/26 5:00 PM IT - Plasma Physics deadline
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Grant Description
Grants to USA and Israel scientists affiliated with nonprofit organizations, IHEs, and government agencies for collaborative physics research projects. Funding is intended to support partnerships between Israeli and American scientists covering a wide range of physics disciplines.
The Division of Physics (PHY) supports physics research and the preparation of future scientists in the nation's colleges and universities across a broad range of physics disciplines that span scales of space and time from the largest to the smallest and the oldest to the youngest. The Division is comprised of disciplinary programs covering experimental and theoretical research in the following major subfields of physics: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics; Elementary Particle Physics; Gravitational Physics; Integrative Activities in Physics; Nuclear Physics; Particle Astrophysics; Physics at the Information Frontier; Physics of Living Systems; Plasma Physics; and Quantum Information Science. Principal Investigators (PIs) are encouraged to consider including specific efforts to increase diversity of the physics community and broaden participation of under-represented groups in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
Collaborative research is a fundamental requirement for the BSF and is viewed by the Foundation as active collaboration between Israeli and American scientists. A joint research program must be presented in the form of a single, coordinated application, in which the roles and tasks of the respective partners are clearly defined. Each application should have at least two principal investigators (but not more than six), one from an Israeli institution and one from a U.S. institution.
Collaboration should involve joint planning of research and evaluation of results, and may take the form of:
- Joint research activities where interdependent projects of a single program are conducted in different laboratories and may involve shared funding or different sources of funding.
- Provision of research facilities, materials, equipment and/or services to collaborating scientists.
- Exchange of personnel.
Although not mandatory, the BSF expects that if the research leads to publications, they will be authored jointly by the Israeli and U.S. PIs, expressing the collaborative nature of the work.
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Additional Eligibility Criteria
The NSF accepts applications only from U.S. scientists and submission to the NSF-BSF program should be made only by the U.S. applicant. The proposal is recognized as an NSF-BSF application by adding the prefixed “NSF-BSF:” to the proposal title. Furthermore, it should be clearly explained why the contribution of the Israeli PI is critical to the success of the proposed study.
Eligibility:
1. For the BSF submission: Israeli principal investigators must have obtained a PhD, MD or an equivalent degree, and must be faculty members or the equivalent of the submitting institutions.
2. Scientists who wish to apply for grants must submit their applications through a legal entity. The BSF accepts research applications from non-profit organizations only, including institutions of higher learning, government research institutions and hospitals. Although applications cannot be submitted by for-profit or industrial organizations, one of the principal investigators may be affiliated with such an organization. However, the research performed by the investigator affiliated with a for-profit organization will not be funded by the BSF, unless specified differently.
3. In keeping with an amendment, signed on 28 October 2020, to the original agreement between the U.S. and Israeli governments, the Foundation sponsors US-Israel collaborative research with participation of all Israeli academic institutions, including research carried out in geographic areas that came under the administration of the Government of Israel after June 5, 1967.
4. It is noted here that the BSF does not invite applications involving, directly or indirectly, the Arab-Israeli conflict. Any application that is related to any aspect of the Arab-Israeli conflict should be discussed with the BSF staff before submission. The Foundation reserves the right to reject such applications, if in its sole discretion, it deems these not consistent with its mission.
Eligibility:
1. For the BSF submission: Israeli principal investigators must have obtained a PhD, MD or an equivalent degree, and must be faculty members or the equivalent of the submitting institutions.
2. Scientists who wish to apply for grants must submit their applications through a legal entity. The BSF accepts research applications from non-profit organizations only, including institutions of higher learning, government research institutions and hospitals. Although applications cannot be submitted by for-profit or industrial organizations, one of the principal investigators may be affiliated with such an organization. However, the research performed by the investigator affiliated with a for-profit organization will not be funded by the BSF, unless specified differently.
3. In keeping with an amendment, signed on 28 October 2020, to the original agreement between the U.S. and Israeli governments, the Foundation sponsors US-Israel collaborative research with participation of all Israeli academic institutions, including research carried out in geographic areas that came under the administration of the Government of Israel after June 5, 1967.
4. It is noted here that the BSF does not invite applications involving, directly or indirectly, the Arab-Israeli conflict. Any application that is related to any aspect of the Arab-Israeli conflict should be discussed with the BSF staff before submission. The Foundation reserves the right to reject such applications, if in its sole discretion, it deems these not consistent with its mission.
Pre-Application Information
Full proposals should be submitted to the BSF according to the following deadlines:
• Plasma Physics – no later than 5 pm (Israel time) on Nov. 22, 2026 (NSF deadline is Nov. 16, 2026).
• Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics – Experiment and Theory; Gravitational Physics – Experiment and Theory; Integrative Activities in Physics; LIGO Research Support- no later than 5 pm (Israel time) on Dec. 1, 2026 (NSF deadline is Nov. 25, 2026).
• Elementary Particle Physics - Experiment; Particle Astrophysics - Experiment - no later than 5 pm (Israel time) on Dec. 7, 2026 (NSF deadline is Dec. 1, 2026)
• Nuclear Physics - Theory and Experiment; Elementary Particle Physics - Theory; Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology - Theory; Quantum Information Science; Physics of Living Systems - no later than 5 pm (Israel time) on Dec. 14, 2026 (NSF deadline is Dec. 8, 2026).
The full proposals will be submitted to the program twice:
• Step 1. The U.S. applicant will submit the NSF-BSF proposal following the NSF regulations and submission procedures (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappg22_1/index.jsp). The US applicant’s submission to the NSF must include the Biography (in NSF format) and Budget + Budget Justification (in BSF format) of the Israeli applicant under supplementary materials.
• Step 2. The Israeli applicant will submit the identical proposal as a pdf document to the BSF, including all information regarding the U.S. applicant(s), and adhere to relevant BSF regulations regarding proposal submission.
All inquiries regarding the suitability of the research topic must be made by the U.S. applicant(s) to the relevant program directors at NSF. BSF will not respond to any query regarding topic eligibility.
For technical reasons only, the Israeli applicant cannot appear on the cover page of an NSF proposal. The Israeli PI should be listed as a non-NSF funded collaborator, not as Senior Personnel. The Israeli applicant must provide a CV, a budget and budget justification and these will be added as supplementary documentation to the proposal.
FAQs: https://www.bsf.org.il/faq/#section--nsf-bsf-programs
Policies and procedures: https://www.nsf.gov/policies/document/proposal-award-policies-procedures-guide-pappg-24-1
Submission information: https://www.bsf.org.il/funding-opportunities/nsf-bsf-joint-research-grants/submission/
Proposal submission information: https://www.nsf.gov/funding/submitting-proposal
• Plasma Physics – no later than 5 pm (Israel time) on Nov. 22, 2026 (NSF deadline is Nov. 16, 2026).
• Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics – Experiment and Theory; Gravitational Physics – Experiment and Theory; Integrative Activities in Physics; LIGO Research Support- no later than 5 pm (Israel time) on Dec. 1, 2026 (NSF deadline is Nov. 25, 2026).
• Elementary Particle Physics - Experiment; Particle Astrophysics - Experiment - no later than 5 pm (Israel time) on Dec. 7, 2026 (NSF deadline is Dec. 1, 2026)
• Nuclear Physics - Theory and Experiment; Elementary Particle Physics - Theory; Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology - Theory; Quantum Information Science; Physics of Living Systems - no later than 5 pm (Israel time) on Dec. 14, 2026 (NSF deadline is Dec. 8, 2026).
The full proposals will be submitted to the program twice:
• Step 1. The U.S. applicant will submit the NSF-BSF proposal following the NSF regulations and submission procedures (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappg22_1/index.jsp). The US applicant’s submission to the NSF must include the Biography (in NSF format) and Budget + Budget Justification (in BSF format) of the Israeli applicant under supplementary materials.
• Step 2. The Israeli applicant will submit the identical proposal as a pdf document to the BSF, including all information regarding the U.S. applicant(s), and adhere to relevant BSF regulations regarding proposal submission.
All inquiries regarding the suitability of the research topic must be made by the U.S. applicant(s) to the relevant program directors at NSF. BSF will not respond to any query regarding topic eligibility.
For technical reasons only, the Israeli applicant cannot appear on the cover page of an NSF proposal. The Israeli PI should be listed as a non-NSF funded collaborator, not as Senior Personnel. The Israeli applicant must provide a CV, a budget and budget justification and these will be added as supplementary documentation to the proposal.
FAQs: https://www.bsf.org.il/faq/#section--nsf-bsf-programs
Policies and procedures: https://www.nsf.gov/policies/document/proposal-award-policies-procedures-guide-pappg-24-1
Submission information: https://www.bsf.org.il/funding-opportunities/nsf-bsf-joint-research-grants/submission/
Proposal submission information: https://www.nsf.gov/funding/submitting-proposal
Estimated Size of Grant
The award amount for the Israeli applicant is capped at a maximum of 400,000 NIS for experimental programs and up to 330,000 NIS for theoretical or computer-based research, subject to the availability of funds. If more than a single Israeli group is involved in the research, then the budget may be increased by up to 50%. Note that the BSF website works only in US currency and that they set the maximum budget for experimental work to $114,000/year and for theoretical/computer-based work to $94,000/year (exchange rates for the submission are fixed at $1=3.5NIS). Note that the award is distributed in Shekels.
Term of Contract
NSF-BSF projects are usually for three years, but occasionally extend to four and even to five years, particularly when the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is involved in the program. The BSF will approve for the Israeli scientist a grant for the same number of years as was approved for the U.S. partner.
Contact Information
Apply online (USA/NSF applicants only): https://www.research.gov/ or https://www.grants.gov/
Apply online (Israeli/BSF applicants only): https://login.bsf.org.il/login
Questions regarding the suitability of the proposed research for this program should be directed by the U.S. applicant(s) to program officer in the relevant programs at the NSF.
Other questions regarding this call for proposals can be discussed with the BSF staff by mail or by phone:
Dr. Rachel (Heni) Haring
heni@bsf.org.il
972-2-5828239 ext. 205
Ms. Yael Dressler
yael@bsf.org.il
972-2-5828239 ext. 203
Questions regarding the online application system should be directed to:
Ms. Orli Rozencwajg
orli@bsf.org.il
972-2-5828239 ext. 206
United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF)
RAD Tower
16 Hartum Street
Har Hotzvim
P.O. Box 45086
Jerusalem 91450
Israel
Tel: 972-2-5828239
Fax: 972-2-5828306
Email: bsf@bsf.org.il
Apply online (Israeli/BSF applicants only): https://login.bsf.org.il/login
Questions regarding the suitability of the proposed research for this program should be directed by the U.S. applicant(s) to program officer in the relevant programs at the NSF.
Other questions regarding this call for proposals can be discussed with the BSF staff by mail or by phone:
Dr. Rachel (Heni) Haring
heni@bsf.org.il
972-2-5828239 ext. 205
Ms. Yael Dressler
yael@bsf.org.il
972-2-5828239 ext. 203
Questions regarding the online application system should be directed to:
Ms. Orli Rozencwajg
orli@bsf.org.il
972-2-5828239 ext. 206
United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF)
RAD Tower
16 Hartum Street
Har Hotzvim
P.O. Box 45086
Jerusalem 91450
Israel
Tel: 972-2-5828239
Fax: 972-2-5828306
Email: bsf@bsf.org.il
RFP & Supporting Documents
Before starting your grant application, please review the funding source's website listed below for updates / changes / addendums / conferences / LOIs.
