Israeli Researchers See Sharp Decline in Prestigious EU Grants

Israeli researchers have experienced a significant drop in prestigious European Research Council (ERC) grants for early-career scientists under the Horizon program, with only 11 recipients in the latest cycle compared to 30 in 2024 and 10 in 2025. This decline marks a reversal from previous years when Israel consistently secured around 30 such grants, reflecting strong global recognition of its academic sector. The number of grants awarded to Israelis has fallen by 67% from 2024 to 2025, causing Israel to slip from sixth to a mid-table position within the European Union.

While academic officials are uncertain whether the decrease is due to a "quiet academic boycott" against Israel or increased competition and program changes, a combination of factors is considered likely. Technical reasons include Switzerland's return to the ERC program after a hiatus, which may have slightly impacted Israel's standing. Additionally, changes to the grant evaluation criteria, such as increased weighting for interviews and reduced emphasis on CVs, could play a role, particularly as Israeli researchers often complete postdoctoral work at top U.S. universities, which previously boosted their CV scores.

However, these technical explanations do not fully account for the decline. Among Israeli institutions, Tel Aviv University received five grants, an increase from last year but down from 11 in 2024. The Hebrew University received no grants, compared to three last year and ten in 2023, while the Weizmann Institute received one, the same as last year but significantly fewer than its eight in 2024. Other Israeli universities receiving grants were the Technion (2), Bar-Ilan University (2), and Ben-Gurion University (1).

Winning an ERC grant is considered equivalent to receiving a major international award, and this downturn is seen as a severe blow to Israeli academia. The Horizon program, with a budget of approximately 95.5 billion euros over seven years, is the world's largest research and development program for scientific and industrial cooperation. Israel has participated in Horizon Europe for 25 years through association agreements, allowing its researchers to compete on equal footing with European counterparts.

Concerns about academic boycotts have previously surfaced, with attempts to suspend Israel from Horizon failing. A senior official from the Council for Higher Education warned that expulsion from Horizon would be akin to removing Israeli sports from the Olympics. Prof. Michal Bar Asher, Vice President for International Relations at Ben-Gurion University, described Horizon as the "oxygen pipeline" for academia, vital for its survival. However, upcoming negotiations in 2027 for the next association agreement could see Israel facing renewed pressure to restrict its participation, especially if the war in Gaza and events in the territories continue.