Israel Awards
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel?
Since 2007, the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists have been open to scientists in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. In 2014, the Blavatnik Family Foundation and the New York Academy of Sciences expanded the faculty awards to include young scientists across the US, and in the UK and Israel in 2018.
The Blavatnik Awards in Israel recognize excellence in three disciplinary categories: Life Sciences, Physical Sciences & Engineering, and Chemical Sciences. Every year, one Blavatnik Laureate in each category will receive US$100,000 in unrestricted funds. The prize money is given directly to the awardees.
2. Are Israel faculty members eligible for nomination for the US National Awards?
The Israel and US National Awards are independent competitions, with separate eligibility requirements for each. Nominees must be active researchers at institutions eligible to nominate them in the country of the appropriate awards program.
One Blavatnik Awards in Israel Laureate in each disciplinary category will receive US$100,000 in unrestricted funds. The prize money is given directly to the awardees. Indirect costs are not applied to the award.
Applicable US tax laws require any Award payments under this program to be subject to 30% federal tax withholding on the payment. Upon distribution of the Award, we will withhold 30% of the Award amount and distribute the net proceeds to the recipient. The amount we have withheld will be remitted to the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS). A reduced withholding rate may be available to recipients under an applicable income tax treaty between the US and Israel.
Award recipients should consult with their US tax advisor to determine their eligibility for reduced withholding benefits under an applicable income tax treaty between the US and Israel. Award recipients must provide the Academy with a fully completed Form W-8BEN to claim a reduced withholding rate under an applicable income tax treaty within twenty-one (21) days of being notified they have secured the Award. After twenty-one (21) days, we will withhold at the default 30% withholding rate. Further details regarding the secure submission of this information to the Academy will be provided to Awardees at the time of Award notification.
5. What are the evaluation criteria for the Blavatnik Awards in Israel?
Nominees and their work as independent investigators will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
Quality: The extent to which the work is reliable, valid, credible, and scientifically rigorous.
Impact: The extent to which the work addresses an important problem and is influential in the nominee’s field.
Novelty: The extent to which the work challenges existing paradigms, employs new methodologies or concepts, and/or pursues an original question.
Promise: Future prospects in the nominee’s field and potential for further significant contributions to science.
6. Which institutions may submit nominations for the Blavatnik Awards in Israel?
Please see our list of institutions eligible to nominate in Israel. If your institution does not appear on our list and would like to nominate, please submit a brief statement of interest to BlavatnikAwardsIsrael@nyas.org.
Each institution may submit up to nine nominations per year, three for each of the three disciplinary categories.
7. How many nominations may an institution submit each year?
Each Israeli institution may submit up to nine nominations per year, three for each of the three disciplinary categories.
8. Who is eligible for the 2024 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel?
Prospective nominees must be conducting research at one of the eligible institutions as principal investigators and in charge of their own research program, hold a doctoral degree, and be born in 1982 or later. There are no residency or citizenship requirements to be nominated for the Blavatnik Awards in Israel.
Age limit exceptions will be considered by the Blavatnik Family Foundation in exceptional circumstances upon a detailed written submission from the nominating institution received by the New York Academy of Sciences at BlavatnikAwardsIsrael@nyas.org no later than Wednesday, July 19, 2023.
9. Are researchers currently employed at multiple institutions eligible for nomination?
For nominees that hold a dual or joint appointment at more than one institution, the nominee must be employed by the nominating institution at least 50% full-time effort.
10. What is the nomination procedure for the Blavatnik Awards in Israel?
Self-nominations are not allowed. Nominations must be submitted by the institutional nominator. If you are a potential nominee who would like to be considered, please direct questions to your institutional nominator in the first instance. If you do not know who this is, please contact us at BlavatnikAwardsIsrael@nyas.org.
Institutional nominations must be submitted online by the President (or equivalent), Provost, or the official designee of the nominee’s host institution. Institutions must send a brief statement to BlavatnikAwardsIsrael@nyas.org naming the official designees as nominators before submitting nominations.
The nominators fill out the nomination form, upload all required materials, and provide the names of two letter writers. The letter writers then receive emails with instructions on uploading their letters. For more details, please refer to the nomination guidelines.
11. Where can the nominations for the Blavatnik Awards in Israel be submitted?
Nominations can be submitted through the online nomination system during the nomination period.
12. What materials are required to submit a nomination for the Blavatnik Awards in Israel?
The following documents and information are required to submit a nomination:
Nominee’s name, date of birth, title, contact information, and disciplinary category.
Nominator’s name, title, and contact information.
Nominator’s Rationale for Nomination (200-word maximum).
Nominee’s Curriculum Vitae (PDF).
Nominee’s Research Summary: summary of up to five significant scientific contributions and research accomplishments (1,000-word maximum not including references and figure caption, 1 figure; PDF).
Full-text publications and/or patents representing the nominee’s work (up to 4 publications, PDF).
Names and email addresses for two letter writers who will provide letters of support.
13. Is the nomination complete after the nomination form is submitted?
Once the nominator submits the nomination form, two letters of support are still necessary to complete the nomination. Letter writers will receive automatic emails with instructions on uploading their letters. The nomination is complete once both letters have been uploaded. The letters of support must be uploaded by August 15, 2023. Nominators may view the status of the letters of support by logging into their account.
We recommend that nominees petition Letters of Support from individuals who are experts in the nominee’s discipline, field, or sub-field and who are intimately familiar with the nominee’s most significant and important research contributions during their independent career.
15. What information should be included in a letter of support?
Letters of support should:
Be maximum of two pages, single-spaced, and uploaded as PDF files.
Describe the nominee’s most significant research contributions and explain their importance for the nominee’s research area.
Assess the nominee’s accomplishments in comparison with those of his or her peers at the same career stage.
Focus on the nominee’s scientific accomplishments during his/her independent career and omit details of the graduate and postdoctoral work or information typically included in the CV, such as positions and awards.
Include a brief statement explaining how the Letter Writer knows the nominee.
The nominator enters the names and email addresses into the nomination form, which triggers automatic emails to be sent to the letter writers with instructions on how to upload their letters. Letter writers are responsible for submitting letters online before August 15, 2023.
17. How will a nominee know if letters of support have been received?
Once both letters of support have been submitted, the nominator and nominee will receive automated notifications. Letters of support are confidential: neither the nominator nor the nominee will be able to view the contents of the letters. Nominators may view the status of the letters of support by logging into their account.
18. Will any evaluation information or feedback be made available to the nominee or their institution?
No. All evaluations are kept confidential and no feedback will be provided.
19. When will Blavatnik Awards Laureates and their institutions be notified?
The Laureates and Institutions will be notified in the Spring of 2024.
Please contact the Blavatnik Awards staff at BlavatnikAwardsIsrael@nyas.org or +1.212.298.8645 during regular business hours East Coast US time: Monday – Friday between 9:00AM and 5:00PM ET.
All nominations and supporting materials must be submitted in English.