Frequently Asked Questions by Staff Scientists
Staff Scientists should be knowledgeable about the following topics that affect them. Many of the answers to the questions below link to documents in the Academic Secretary web site. Access to these documents may be accessible only within the institute network (Your login account and password is required).
To ask more questions whose answers would be of interest here, or to notify errors, please send mail to: Lorne.Levinson@weizmann.ac.il.
Benefits
Can staff scientists buy a house on campus?
- Senior Staff Scientists and Senior Research Fellows are entitled, upon availability, to buy on-campus dwelling. The unit will be priced according to the market value of an equivalent dwelling and will be determined by a professional assessor. It is also possible to buy an on-campus dwelling unit from someone who already owns one.
- See the Academic Affairs Office site for details (login required).
- Tenured Staff Scientists are eligible for loans; see the FAQ.
How can I get a low interest loan guaranteed by the Institute?
The Institute guarantees short term loans with very low interest from Bank Leumi to Institute employees. Contact Human Resources or the Rehovot branch of Bank Leumi for details.
How much is my annual travel grant (קק"מ) and what are the rules for using it?
- The annual allowances of the Kakam (termed in the Institute official letters as “International Scientific Ties Fund”) as of 10/2016 are as follows:
- Assistant Staff Scientist - $4,428
- Associate Staff Scientist - $5,626
- Senior Staff Scientist - $7,328
- Senior Research Fellow - $10,979
- The annual allowance is updated and becomes available at the start of the academic year.
- The Kakam can be used for the purpose of attending conferences or for work related visits to Institutions abroad, and can be used with the approval of the direct PI, the head of Department, and Dean of the faculty. Also included are professional courses, books, journal subscriptions, and membership in professional organizations.
- See Keren Kishrey Mada for regulations (Hebrew).
- The Kakam funds can be also used to buy a computer (once every four years) for the work related use of the Staff Scientist. (After four years the computer can be purchased for 10% of its original cost.) See Section 6.5 of the regulations.
- Mobile phones and their monthly charges can also be paid from Kakam.
How can my family members have their university or college tuition paid by the Institute?
Institute workers are entitled to funding of tuition of an academic degree for family members (spouse and children) at universities and colleges in Israel, provided that the degree is recognized by the Council for Higher Education.
The amount of funding is up to the value of the tuition fees. The amount of these fees is considered as income and is subject to income tax.
See Human Resources for details.
How can my children be admitted to the WIS Early Childhood Center (גן ויצו)?
The Anixter Family Foundation Early Childhood Village is available for children of Weizmann employees. For more details, see the Gan site.
Can a staff scientist get housing assistance?
In some instances, housing assistance may be granted to scientists on the Staff Scientists Track Under the following conditions:
- that it is the staff scientist's first job in Israel, or,
- that he is returning from abroad after at least a 2 year stay there.
The assistance is in the sum of up to 2,000 NIS per month (In addition to this sum, there will be costs to the employer of 14.75%), for a maximum period of 3 years from the date of recruitment to WIS.
For more details, see the Housing Assistance for Academic Staff page on the Academic Affairs Office site (login required).