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.
Professional
What are my rights and obligations regarding intellectual property or patents resulting from my work or from collaboration with other Weizmann scientists?
Staff scientists, and other researchers in the Weizmann Institute, are bound by the same rules of intellectual property.
A Staff Scientist working as part of a research group shall not be considered to be the “Chief Investigator,” and thus he may only obtain the role of “inventor” or “contributor” to a patent invention and his share (%) in the patent royalties will be determined by the Chief Investigator(s).
If a Staff Scientist feels that his contribution has not been properly attributed on the patent application is advised to contact their sectorial representative from the staff scientists council on how best to proceed with the matter.
What are my rights to authorship of scientific journal articles?
Staff Scientists, both in research groups and in service units, who contribute scientifically to a research project should be included in the list of authors on any publication resulting from said research. This is both the policy of the Weizmann Institute and of most academic journals. If a Staff Scientist feels that his contribution has not been properly acknowledged is advised to contact their sectorial representative from the staff scientists council on how to best proceed with the matter.
Can a Staff Scientist submit a grant proposal?
A Staff Scientist may apply for external grants as a co-PI with his/her group leader or head of department (in the case of a Staff Scientist in a services unit). A list of grants that permit staff scientists to be included as a co-PI is available here (correct as of 23/12/2021, will be updated as needed).
A Staff Scientist may exceptionally apply for a grant by himself or with other Staff Scientists or with a faculty member from another institution. In this case, written approval must be given ahead of time by his/her group leader or head of department and the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Permission in such a case will be given only in the most exceptional circumstances; see letter from Vice President for Academic Affairs (login required).
There is an internal grant available for Staff Scientists in service units; for details see the grant page on the Research Grants and Projects Office site.
See also:
Is there an internal grant for staff scientists?
Yes, there is an internal grant only for Staff Scientists in service units. This grant is aimed at providing staff scientists an oppotunity to carry out small, independent research projects that will improve research tools available in their unit. Applications are due in mid-April each year and are judged by a committee headed by the Vice President for Academic Affairs. For details, see: Weizmann - Staff Scientists Internal Grant Program.
Can a Staff Scientist teach a course in the Graduate School?
Staff Scientists may teach courses and labs in the Feinberg Graduate School. If you would like to teach, consult with the Chair of the Board of Studies of your faculty, who decides which courses are offered and who teaches them. Staff scientists receive additional salary for teaching; for details contact the FGS.
Can a Staff Scientist officially supervise a student?
Staff scientists on their own are not allowed to supervise masters (M.Sc.) or doctoral (Ph.D.) graduate students. However, Senior Staff Scientists and Senior Research Fellows are allowed to co-supervise students, together with a professor. Each case must be approved by the Dean of the Feinberg Graduate School. In any case, staff scientists are encouraged to include in their C.V. a section listing all students whom they have "unofficially supervised," as well as in their work plan when applying for a promotion and tenure.
For which prizes are Staff Scientists eligible?
There are two prizes for outstanding Staff Scientists
- Maxine Singer Prize for Outstanding Staff Scientists (two recipients each year)
- Scientific Council Prize for Outstanding Staff Scientists (two recipients each year)
Any professor or senior scientist may nominate a Staff Scientist for a prize. A list of recipients is available on the Academic Affairs site.
Can a Staff Scientist Get a Sabbatical
No. Sabbatical leave is not part of the staff scientist's terms of employment.
That being said, starting in 2022, the Research Grants & Projects Office started a new initiative whereby staff scientists can apply for a long-term (up to 3 months) travel grant to “to explore collaborations and acquire expertise in cutting edge technologies” (per the grant description). Application deadlines are Feb. 1, 2022, and Aug. 1, 2022 (two submissions). For details, see the RGP call here.
How do I have official Weizmann visiting cards (כרטיסי ביקור) prepared?
Your department secretary can order them for you from the Publishing Department.
How do I make an official web page for myself or my group?
The Division of Information Services supplies templates and support for building your own website.
Do Staff Scientists participate in any Institute committees?
Currently, Staff Scientists sit on the following committees:
- the Executive Committee of the Staff Scientists Council sit as observers on the Scientific Council of Professors
- we have two representatives on the Va'ad Mad'anim
- one representative on the Services Committee
- one representative on the Food and Restaurant Services Committee
Benefits
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).
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.
Health and Safety
Will the Institute pay for a periodic general health check?
Yes. For more information, about see the Human Resources Division page Periodic Medical Examinations and the "Relevant forms" link on the sidebar for full details.
I work regularly with hazardous materials or noise. Do I need regular medical checks?
Yes, please contact with the Occupational Health Coordinator from the Safety Unit.
Are there any social services (social workers) available at the Weizmann Institute?
The short answer is: yes.
The Weizmann Institute offers professional and discrete social services to its staff, both during the current stressful situation and once things return to normal. The purpose of this vital service is to provide support during times of change or stress and to improve the individual’s wellbeing and professional capabilities. The services provided include:
- Assistance is times of high stress resulting from personal or professional crises, such as health issues, loss, divorce, birth, parenting,
- immigration, retirement, etc.
- Assistance in caring for a family member with special needs.
- Assistance caring for a child with special needs.
- Consultation and guidance on person and professional issues.
- Coordination with the Weizmann Occupational Health Clinic.
- Mediation between employees and their managers on work-related issues.
- Assistance and support in cases of sexual harassment.
- Assistance in coordination with the various community (external) social services.
- Psychosocial treatment in cases of a national state of emergency, terrorist attack or a mass disaster event.
If you think you may need any assistance, please do not hesitate to call Dr. Stavit Cochva, Head of the Social Services Section, by email (stavit.cochva@weizmann.ac.il) or by telephone (08-934-4507 or 054-476-3827). All enquiries will be held in the strictest of confidence.
Rank
What do I need to do in order to get tenure?
A Staff Scientist can only be employed by the Weizmann Institute on a temporary (i.e., non-tenured) basis for a period not exceeding seven years. During this time, he/she must be promoted to the Associate Staff Scientist rank in order to be considered for tenure.
- Staff Scientists in service units shall be granted tenure based on their work and achievements and also on the Weizmann Institute's need for the service unit in the long term.
- For Staff Scientists in research groups, in addition to the above, other factors considered include the retirement date of the group PI and the prospects of transfering the staff scientist to another group when the PI retires.
More details are available in Appendix 1 Section 5 in the Introductory Information subsection of the Staff Sceintist Track section on the Academic Affairs site (login required).
What is the difference between the Staff Scientist track and the Senior Intern positions?
Unlike Staff Scientists, the Senior Intern position is not eligible for tenure and is limited in time.
More details are available on the Academic Affairs website.
What do I need to do in order to advance to my next Staff Scientist rank?
In order to obtain a promotion, the staff scientist is expected to demonstate excellence and a leading role in his/her research. This includes letters of recommendation from researchers in his/her field both from Israel and abroad, participation in conferences and publishing articles. For Staff Scientists in service units, the satisfaction of the research groups with whom he/she works, and the potential to add new groups and new technologies, is also a consideration.
For a more detailed description by rank, see the criteria for promotion subsection of the "Staff Scientists Track" section on the Academic Affairs Office site (login required).
Salary, pension, etc
Is LinkedIn Learning available to staff scientists?
LinkedIn Learning is an excellent source of self-taught courses on a variety of professional, management and personal development subjects. The Weizmann Institute has a subscription covering the cost of these courses. Once you have found a one you are interested in, you can submit a request to the HR through their HRONE portal. Directions on setting up a LinkedIn account (needed to take any of the courses offered) and submitting a request are available in the attached PDF file (from HR in Hebrew).
For more details, please contact Oshrat Horowitz from the HR department.
What are תוספת מחקר "א" ו-"ב" and how can I get these research supplements?
Researchers who are listed as PI or co-PIs on a research grant is entitled to a supplement to their salary. Note that Staff Scientists, per Weizmann regulations, may only be listed as co-PIs on the grant, and that not all grants permit more than one PI.
- Research Supplement A (תוספת מחקר א) is an addition to one’s salary paid from a research grant that allows for such, up to 50% of the scientist’s salary.
- Research Supplement B (תוספת מחקר ב) is an addition paid by the Weizmann Institute to a PI or co-PI on a grant that does not allow for a Research Supplement A. The supplement may not exceed 25% of the scientist’s salary and the amount, which is based on the value of the grant, is divided amongst all the PIs and co-PIs listed on the grant; two or more such grants allows the scientist to an addition 5% supplement.
- The total supplement allowed (A+B) shall not exceed 55% of the salary.
- It should be noted that with regards to ISF grants, assistant staff scientists can only be listed as team members while the three higher ranks can only be co-PIs (i.e., not budgeted as a team member).
The supplements, as of October 1, 2017, are:
Research Supplement A |
Research Supplement B |
||
budget allocation |
max supplement |
value of grant |
supplement |
< $6,360 |
none |
< $6,360 |
none |
$6,361-$50,880 |
30% of salary |
$6,361-$12,720 |
6% of salary |
$50,881-$79,500 |
40% of salary |
$12,721-$21,200 |
12% of salary |
> $79,501 |
50% of salary |
$21,201-$47,700 |
20% of salary |
|
|
> $47,701 |
25% of salary |
For full details, see the Scientists Union site (login required). The Research Grants Office (RGP) is available to answer any questions regarding grants.
The list of grants that that allow staff scientists to be a co-PI (thanks to the RGP Office) is available here.
Where do I obtain information about my salary, pension, income tax, קרן השתלמות, sick days, vacation days, etc.?
Full details are available from the HR department and on the Academic Affairs office websites (login required for both). However, a summary is available here (login required).
Salary tables are available on the Council for Higher Education (MALAG) website.
What are the rules for the declaration pertaining to devoting full time to the Institute (הקדשת זמן מלא)?
Staff Scientists twice a year must declare that they in the previous 5-7 months whether they were enganged in any external professional manner (such as research, planning, consulting, etc.) for financial renumeration (excluding author fees for scientific books or patents within the Staff Scientist's field of expertese) exceeding a prescribed amount. Staff Scientists who meet these criteria are elligible, upon declaration, of receiving a Full-Time Employment supplement, paid once every three months.
It should be noted that payment in the following cases is exempt:
-
Teaching in pre-academic preparatory programs, courses for foreign students, courses for youth science students and academic programs intended for the defense forces.
-
Being employed by one of the universities in Israel as an external teacher with a special permit given by the rectors of two institutions, excluding teaching in regional colleges.
-
Teaching at the Feinberg Graduate School.
For more details, including the current exempted sums, see the Academic Affairs Office site (login required).
What are the rules for absence with and without pay?
Absence with pay
- A Staff Scientist may be absent on duty from the Weizmann Institute (e.g., external conference, testing / learning new technologies, courses, lecture at another university) for a period not exceeding 60 days (gross, including nonworking days) per academic year.
- A Staff Scientist is entitled to 22 days of vacation per academic year (gross 30 days), with a maximum of 44 accumulated days over 2 academic years (Oct. 1 - Sept. 30).
- A Staff Scientist is entitled to sick leave according to state regulations.
Absence without pay
- A Staff Scientist may request a leave of absence without pay (CHALAT, חופשה ללא תשלום), which must be apporved by your direct supervisor, Head of Department, Dean and The Academic Secretary. For more details, see the Academic Affairs office (login required). Application forms are available online on the HR website (login required).