Contributions to the post were provided by Yair Rotstein, head of the US-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF).

The US National Science Foundation (NSF) and the US-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Research Cooperation, which provides an overarching framework to encourage collaboration between US and Israeli research communities and sets out the principles by which jointly supported activities might be developed. The MOU provides for an international collaboration arrangement whereby US researchers may receive funding from the NSF and Israeli researchers may receive funding from the BSF.

This is part of a larger program; see the NSF Dear Colleague Letter from last summer here.

The goal of this US-Israel collaborative research opportunity is to help reduce some of the current barriers to working internationally. Through a lead agency model, NSF and BSF will address these issues by allowing US and Israeli researchers to submit a single collaborative proposal that will undergo a single review process at NSF.

This program encompasses the NSF Computer & Information Science & Engineering (CISE) core programs and Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace (SaTC) (all for the Small size – up to $500K over 3 years for the NSF-funded portion). Proposals are expected to adhere to the areas of science, funding limits, and grant durations for the NSF and BSF program from which the funding is sought. Proposals must represent an integrated collaborative effort.

Collaborative research proposals will be accepted to the NSF programs listed on the NSF-BSF Participating NSF Programs webpage.