BARD, a funding initiative that supports research and development in joint U.S.-Israel agricultural projects, has awarded a total of $12.5 million in research and fellowship grants for the next year. The grants will support projects that are aimed at furthering remote research in sustainable food and nutrition sciences and applications.
The projects that were awarded grants cover a wide range of topics, including developing new methods for growing crops in arid climates, improving the nutritional value of food and reducing food waste.
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Some also deal with the development new food processing technologies and the promotion of healthy eating habits.
The funding from BARD will help these projects to make significant progress in the development of sustainable food and nutrition solutions. These solutions are urgently needed to address the challenges of food security and nutrition in the 21st century.
The Binational Agriculture Research & Development Foundation (BARD) was established in 1977. BARD is a competitive funding program that supports collaborative agricultural research in areas of mutual interest to the U.S. and Israel. The primary mission of BARD is to bring together U.S. and Israeli scientists to jointly address key agricultural and food production challenges that concern both countries.
BARD also supports international workshops and offers fellowships for postdoctoral research, senior research scientists and graduate students. Over 40 years, BARD approved more than 1,300 research projects with total investment of $315 million.
BARD-funded research outputs led to new agriculture practices, commercial engagements, patents and breeding rights licenses, which serve as a growth engine to both US and Israeli economies. An independent external review showed at least $16 gained for every $1 spent in the program since its inception.
“This year our portfolio has grown by more than 35%. Our funding will help both nations’ efforts to focus on more science-based solutions for many of the challenges facing agriculture,” said Prof. Yoram Kapulnik, BARD’s executive director. “Our external and internal surveys consistently show that our funding opportunities have delivered long-term value and impact to the agriculture research community, the farmer and consumers in general both in the U.S. and in Israel.
