Advancing Women in Science: About the program

Women comprise half of all the science students in Israeli universities, but a fraction of those women go onto academic careers in science. The falling-off usually occurs at the critical juncture when women complete their PhD studies and must choose where to perform their postdoctoral training, an essential step in the career of any scientist. Reflecting a widely held belief in Israel, the Weizmann Institute strongly believes that postdoctoral training abroad is of vital importance for individual careers and the quality of Israeli science.  

Because of Israel’s geographic distance from key scientific centers, exposure to the international scientific community in these early years in a scientist’s career is particularly important for budding Israeli scientists. That’s because it is during this postdoctoral period that they are developing the ideas and goals that will shape their future research directions, and establishing an international professional network that will help propel their careers for years to come.

However, most women graduates in the exact and natural sciences forgo this essential part of their career development for social, cultural, and financial reasons, usually because it requires their husbands to leave their jobs and it also often means extracting themselves from their family support system at a time when they are starting to have children. In short, it’s a large financial risk for many women to undertake a foreign postdoctoral position. This is precisely the stage at which most Israeli women decide to abandon their academic careers.

In response to this situation, in 2007 the Weizmann Institute launched the Israel National Postdoctoral Program for Advancing Women in Science to offer promising female PhD graduates merit-based scholarships, for the purpose of boosting the ranks of Israeli women in research and industry. Its current head is Prof. Varda Rotter of the Department of Molecular Cell Biology.

Funding Sources and Awards

The Weizmann Institute has raised funds from philanthropic sources to provide support that is awarded in addition to the regular fellowships that each of the awardees must obtain from her host institution or another external agency. These additional awards are meant to alleviate the financial hardships involved in relocating a family abroad. At the same time, the awards are entirely merit-based, which means that unmarried women are not excluded from the competition.

Each award is given for a period of two years. During this period and following it, the program head keeps in touch with the recipients, monitors their advancement and attempts to facilitate their eventual successful absorption in Israeli institutions of research and higher education.

More than 50 women scientists have been funded to date, with approximately 11 women selected for awards each year. The award amount range from $15,000 to $25,000, depending on the candidate’s family circumstances. In total, approximately $200,000 is awarded per year for each cycle of awards, or a total of $400,000 per year.

The program is already evidencing success. Visit our testimonials to see how.