Page 6 - BARD

5 YEARS OF IMPACT

Expanding BARD’s Portfolio and Activities:

BARD has engaged in a range of activities to renew, extend and strengthen partnerships, collaborations,
funding tracks and award mechanisms in order to enhance its portfolio. The Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) with the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), which serves as the framework
for collaboration between Israeli and U.S. scientists, has been renewed for three years. Additionally, BARD
has signed a new and important MOU with the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA). The agreement provides
a mechanism for enhancing cooperation between academia and industry. Responding to the Board of
Directors’ recommendation, BARD launched the “Pioneer” funding track to attract more experienced
scientists to submit proposals with higher potential for innovation and practical impact. This track supports
more comprehensive research objectives and invites unique proposals, with an award level of up to $600,000
per project (for a ‘3-year period’). In addition, BARD has established several other award mechanisms.
Launched several years ago, the B-Lever program supports academia-to-industry collaboration through
partnership with IIA and USDA-NIFA. More recently, two new tracks were opened to address increasingly
pressing priorities - the Food and Nutrition track, launched with new funding from Israel’s Ministry of
Finance and the IIA ($12M for 5 years), and the Aquaculture and Desert Farming track, with an additional
funding of $10M over 5 years in partnership with the Chief Scientist’s Office at Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture
and Rural Development – to be matched by U.S. funding.

BARD at work

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