In recent international publications, it has been noted that the “brain-drain” in Israel has reached the highest echelons of Israeli scientific research and higher education. Unless funding is increased, there is no doubt that Israel stands to lose its “next generation” of scientists and researchers—its future “Nobel Laureates.”
The Israel Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) was created over 30 years ago, to address just such a crisis in basic science and cancer research. As a result of budget cutbacks by the government, ICRF grants have become one of the most important sources of funding outside of the diminishing support provided by universities and the Israel Science Foundation.
ICRF has the infrastructure, the prestige and reputation among the Israeli scientific community and the track record of “investing” in some of the best and brightest young minds—scientists and researchers who are the foundation of Israel’s future medical research community.
Facts for Consideration
• Every Israeli scientist that remains in Israel helps to create intellectual property that provides economic benefit to universities, medical centers, the healthcare system and the economy overall. For example, Drs. Ciechanover and Hershko winning the Nobel Prize resulted in $250 million of investment in their home institution, Technion.
• Some of the strongest competitors for Israeli scientific brainpower are European and US pharmaceutical companies. A major loss resulting from brilliant scientists working for some of these drug companies occur when they have to subjugate their scientific and intellectual curiosity and passion, to the economic and research needs of the for-profit sector.
Why ICRF?
• ICRF directly funds individual scientists, so the money goes directly to research.
• ICRF is “institution-neutral.” Its funding goes to scientists at all of Israel’s top biomedical research centers.
• ICRF awards are made without deduction of institutional overhead. One hundred percent of awarded funds go to scientists in Israel.
• ICRF awards are made solely on the basis of scientific merit and the ability of the individual scientist to make a significant impact in his/her field.
• ICRF awards are often the first grants that young Israeli scientists receive following completion of their academic training, and have a life-long impact on the ability of young Israeli scientists to begin their professional careers in Israel.
• ICRF awards are among the largest available to Israeli cancer researchers, who must often compete against better-funded US and European scientists.
• ICRF awards enable many post-doctoral fellows to return from overseas fellowships, start careers, establish laboratories and build families in Israel, rather than being lost forever to foreign academic institutions or companies.
ICRF Makes a Difference
• ICRF funds basic and clinical research that can have dramatic, global impact. ICRF-funded scientists have won Israel’s first two Nobel Prizes in the sciences (2005 Nobel Laureates in Chemistry, Prof. Avram Hershko and Prof. Aaron Ciechanover).
They have demonstrated that the p53 gene acts as a tumor suppressor—one of the hallmark discoveries in cancer in the 20th century.
They have identified the structure of the Philadelphia Chromosome, the first genetic linkage identified in leukemia, leading to the development of Gleevec, one of the first targeted cancer therapies.
They have also developed the cancer drug Doxil, for ovarian, breast and AIDS-related cancers
They have made discoveries leading to the life-saving cancer drug Velcade, for multiple myeloma, and they provide impressive economic leverage, leading from scientific discoveries, to new drugs and therapies, new sources of royalty revenue for Israeli research institutions, new start-up companies in Israel, new jobs for graduates with life science degrees in Israel, and new funding from global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and from venture capital investors. They help Israel’s best scientists to maintain their rightful place on the world stage, bringing recognition, praise and pride to the State of Israel.
