UC Berkeley Joins California-Israel Natural Science Grant Program

UC Berkeley has partnered with the nonprofit organization California-Israel Collaborations in Research to expand research seed grant funding to the Berkeley campus, with four to five research project grants and one to two mobility awards expected to be selected by the end of the year, according to The Daily Californian.

Modeled after the France-Berkeley Fund—which supports academic collaborations between UC Berkeley and research institutions in France—the California-Israel program first launched at UC Davis in 2017.

Focus on Mathematical, Physical, Biological, Engineering, and Medical Sciences

Campus spokesperson Dan Mogulof told The Daily Californian in an email that the program funds will support natural science collaborations between UC Berkeley faculty and researchers in Israel, with the goal of generating joint publications, research proposals, and partnerships between research centers.

According to the organization’s website and co-director Jay Rosenheim, a UC Davis professor emeritus, the initiative focuses on mathematical and physical sciences, biological sciences, engineering, agriculture, and medicine. At UC Davis, where the program received 55 applications in its most recent cycle according to distinguished professor of geometry and topology Joel Hass, grants have supported work on semiconductors, head and neck cancer treatment, and sustainable barley breeding.

Foundation Backing and Donor Filings

The California-Israel program is funded by two Northern California philanthropic foundations—the Koum Family Foundation and the Koret Foundation—with the Koum Family Foundation funding the expansion to UC Berkeley.

Formed in 2015 by WhatsApp cofounder Jan Koum, the Koum Family Foundation holds more than $3 billion in net assets according to tax data compiled by ProPublica. The Daily Californian reported that tax filings show the Koum Family Foundation donated $200,000 in 2024 to Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, $1 million to Friends of Ir David Inc., and $700,000 to the American Israel Education Foundation, while the Koret Foundation donated $1.5 million to the American Israel Education Foundation in 2024 and $1 million to the Shalem Foundation in 2023.

Mogulof stated that the Berkeley program’s application review and award selection process is currently underway, with initial awards anticipated before the end of 2026.