Twelve researchers at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and Tel Aviv University (TAU) in Israel are poised to receive a combined $200,000 in seed grants to further joint projects across a broad spectrum of academic areas, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority Announced today.
The grants, which were awarded to six partnerships through the TAU – Rutgers University Research Collaboration Fund (the Fund), will support projects in such areas as genomics, agriculture, neurology, quantum computing, and computer science.
The Fund was established last year to foster international collaborative partnerships between faculty at TAU and Rutgers.
“Israel has always been a formidable partner in our efforts to reclaim New Jersey’s role as a leader in innovation and harnessing the synergy between the Garden State and the Startup Nation brings us closer to that goal,” Gov. Phil Murphy said. “The funding announced today will help us support academic researchers in high-wage, high-growth sectors as they bring their projects from infancy through commercialization.”
In August 2021, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) and Rutgers University signed an agreement to facilitate research by Rutgers University faculty and staff in conjunction with a leading Israeli university. Rutgers University and the NJEDA each agreed to contribute $50,000 to what would ultimately become the Fund. Rutgers University subsequently signed an agreement with TAU to establish the Fund, which included a $100,000 contribution from TAU.
Grants awarded through the fund can be used for research activities, travel expenses, per diem allowances for faculty or full-time enrolled students, and for scholarships for students.The awardees include:
- Gophna–Severinov: Assessing the True Ecological Roles of CRISPR-Cas Systems to Advance Gene Editing
- Friedman-van der Wel: Understanding Slow and Smooth Movements in Parkinson’s Disease
- Fridman-Burlion: Development of Time Delay Software Technology to Power Systems
- Goldstein-Andrei: Kondo Systems and Quantum Computing
- Ohad-Lawton: Study of innate immunity of plant pathogens: implications for agriculture
- Zimmerman-Kovacs: Metaphysics of Personhood
According to data released by the NJEDA earlier this year, annual New Jersey-Israel trade was valued at $1.55 billion in 2021 and Foreign Domestic Investments from Israel to New Jersey multiplied four times between 2018 and 2021, worth an estimated $347.1 million. This led to the creation of 1,120 jobs, including those resulting from Israeli companies new to the state.
