The Israel Science Foundation (ISF) is Israel’s leading organization that provides public support for basic research in Israel. The ISF was established in 1972 by the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities as the 'Branch for Basic Research'. In 1995 it became an independent non-profit organization, funded primarily by the Council of Higher Education (CHE), through its financial arm, namely, the Planning and Budgeting Committee (PBC or “Vatat”).
The ISF's support is provided to a broad range of research topics within the institutions of higher education, research institutes and hospitals in Israel, including the exact sciences and technology, life sciences and medicine, humanities and social sciences.
