I believe BIRAX has been very helpful in promoting relations between UK and Israeli scientists. I also think it has had a cascade effect beyond the initial projects and main collaborators which has led to wider scientific interaction. It is without doubt that since BIRAX exists it has increased collaboration between the two countries.
Professor Ruth Arnon, Weizmann Institute of Science and Co-Chair of the UK-Israel Science Council
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Life cycle
2011-present
County/Region
Israel, UK
Vision
To establish the UK and Israel as each other’s leading partners for scientific research and collaboration, in partnership with the British Embassy and Pears Foundation.
Client/Partner
British Council, British Embassy in Israel, UK Science and Innovation Network, Pears Foundation
Situation
The Britain Israel Research and Academic Exchange Partnership (BIRAX) creates new UK-Israel research communities that are better able to tackle key global challenges through reaching a wide set of potential participants. These include both individuals and institutions in Israel and the UK, with the ultimate goal of making a significant contribution to global medical research through cutting-edge scientific collaboration. Since its inception in 2011, £8 million has been invested in 19 projects that tackle some of the world’s most challenging conditions and diseases, including cardiovascular and liver disease, diabetes and Parkinson’s.
Implementation
BIRAX operates across three levels:
- Funding cutting-edge research collaboration led by British and Israeli scientists
- Creating engagement opportunities through a network of British and Israeli scientists, who attend ample engagement opportunities including conferences, workshops, social and promotional events
- Providing researcher mobility grants for early career and senior researchers to take up fellowships, lectureships and conferences.
Impact
BIRAX projects are at the forefront of scientific innovation. In 2019, BIRAX-supported science was presented at the Karolinska Institute’s Nobel Forum, published in the prestigious British academic journal Nature, and was part of the research that was awarded the EU’s scientific innovation award. Seventy-seven publications featuring BIRAX-supported research have been published since the start of the programme, whilst five patent applications have been made and BIRAX-supported research has been presented in around 96 conferences around the world.
BIRAX Principal Investigators report that BIRAX has allowed them to carry out international research they could not otherwise have done, with 16 out of 19 of those interviewed saying it had allowed them to generate new international collaboration opportunities. Data on scientific publication impact factors shows that when Israeli and British scientists work together, their research is much more impactful than had they published separately.
In 2019, BIRAX committed a further £2.8 million to seven projects researching ageing and its impact on human health.
Mutual benefit
BIRAX is our flagship programme in Israel and is the largest grant scheme for UK-Israel scientific research. The collaboration brings together the two scientific superpowers’ complementary skills and knowledge, and has been proven to generate more impactful research. BIRAX meets the aims of both the Israeli and British Governments to internationalise their academic sectors and create more impactful research.