Israel National Postdoc Award for Advancing Women in Science

The Israel National Postdoc Award for Advancing Women in Science was established in 2007 by the Weizmann Institute of Science to support Israeli women scientists during the first two years of their postdoctoral work at institutions abroad. It was the first of its kind in Israel, and the award served as the inspiration for other organizations to launch prizes to support Israeli women pursuing a career in science. In the years since its establishment, nearly 65% of women scientists who completed postdoctoral work abroad have gone on to attain faculty-track positions at Israeli institutions. 

As there are other awards to support women scientists in their first or second year of their postdoctoral fellowship, the Weizmann Institute recognized a new need to support women in the later stages of their research abroad. As such, the Israel National Postdoc Award for Advancing Women in Science was phased out in 2021, and a new award was created: the Women’s Postdoctoral Career Development Award in Science, with an emphasis on helping women scientists return to Israel and pursue a career in Israeli academia.