Our program originated on the UC Davis campus, thanks to the generous donations of several campus faculty. The first round of research projects was awarded in 2017. In 2019, the program added mobility awards for travel, and in 2025, supplemental funding for participation of an undergraduate researcher. The UC Davis program has provided a model for expansion to other campuses statewide.
2025
Nine full awards, funded 2025-2027
| Project | UCD Researcher | Israeli Researcher |
|---|---|---|
| Development of tissue-engineered periosteum for critical-sized bone defects in the oral and maxillofacial region: a collaborative initiative | Boaz Arzi Surgical and Radiological Sciences | Ariel Hirschhorn Tel Aviv University |
| Novel wing flow sensing system to improve air mobility safety and performance | Camli Badrya Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering | Alexaner Liberzon Tel Aviv University |
| A rice model system to study immunity mediated by tandem kinase proteins | Gitta Coaker Plant Pathology | Tzion Fahima University of Haifa |
| Unraveling oxidative stress responses in the prevalent anaerobic parasite Giardia lamblia using integrated biochemical and genetic approaches | Scott Dawson Microbiology and Molecular Genetics | Elah Pick University of Haifa, Oranim |
| Opto-electronics of alloy layered semiconductors | Kristie Koski Chemistry | Doron Naveh Bar Ilan University |
| Salivary biomarkers of dysphagia following treatment for head and neck cancer | Maggie Kuhn Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery | Nogah Nativ Zeltzer Tel Aviv University |
| Nuclear and cytoplasmic crowding dynamics during leader cell migration and turning in C. elegans | GW Gant Luxton Molecular and Cellular Biology | Ronen Zaidel-Bar Tel Aviv University |
| The general m amplituhedron | Melissa Sherman-Bennett Mathematics | Chaim Even-Zohar Technion Israel Institute of Technology |
| Decoding social salience: molecular analyses of hypothalamic oxytocin neurons | Brian Trainor Psychology | Tali Kimchi Weizmann Institute of Science |
Travel awards
| Project | UCD Researcher | Israeli Researcher |
|---|---|---|
| Mother-infant co-regulation of sleep and arousal | Hibel, Leah Human Ecology | Liat Tikotzky Ben-Gurion University of the Negev |
| Bioengineering skin replacement for healing chronic wounds | Isseroff, Roslyn Dermatology | Shulamit Levenberg Technion – Israel Institute of Technology |
| Exploratory sodium-ion battery technologies | Kauzlarich, Susan Chemistry | David Zitoun Bar Ilan University |
| Novel synthetic cannabinoids for the effective control of metabolic syndrome | Mascal, Mark Chemistry | Joseph Tam The Hebrew University of Jerusalem |
2023
Six full awards, funded for 2023-25
| Project | UCD Researcher | Israeli Researcher |
|---|---|---|
| Identifying an eggplant immune receptor recognizing the bacterial pathogen Clavibacter michiganensis | Gitta Coaker Plant pathology | Doron Teper Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center |
| BarKayma: ARO-UCD educational and research corridor for sustainable barley breeding | Christine Diepenbrock Plant Sciences | Eyal Fridman Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center |
| Coupling biocrusts and vegetation dynamics to improve predictions of dryland change | Xialoi Dong Environmental Science and Policy | Moshe Herzberg Ben-Gurion University of the Negev |
| Developing a predictive approach to manipulating the performance of emulsion gels for food applications using inert fillers | Andrew Gravelle Food Science and Technology | Maya Davidovich-Pinhas Technion Israel Institute of Technology |
| Impact of climate warming on the survival and resistance of human pathogens on plant vectors | Maeli Melotto Plant Sciences | Sima Yaron Technion Israel Institute of Technology |
| Molecular mechanism of capsaicin receptor TRPV1 activation | Jie Zheng Neurological Surgery | Avi Priel Hebrew University of Jerusalem |
Travel awards
| Project | UCD Researcher | Israeli Researcher |
|---|---|---|
| Establishment of genetic material to study nutrient deficiency and steroid hormone interactions | Helen Dahlke Land, Air and Water Resources | Elad Levintal Ben-Gurion University of the Negev |
| Adaptations to climate change: how dormancy and urban heat affect tree growth? | Alessandro Ossola Plant Sciences | Rina Kamenetsky Goldstein Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center |
2019
Four full awards funded for 2020-2022
| Project | UCD PI | Israeli PI |
|---|---|---|
| Establishing a collaboration to improve integration of material science data into numerical simulations of the earth’s tectonic plates and mantle | Magali Billen Earth and Planetary Sciences | Yuval Boneh Ben-Gurion University of the Negev |
| Establishment of genetic material to study nutrient deficiency and steroid hormone interactions | Siobhan Brady Plant Biology | Sigal Savaldi-Goldstein Ben-Gurion University of the Negev |
| Experimental quantification of space charge by electron microscopy | Klaus van Benthem Materials Science and Engineering | Wayne D. Kaplan Technion Israel Institute of Technology |
| Deciphering the resistance-breaking mechanism of Tomato brown rugose fruit virus | SP Dinesh-Kumar Plant Biology | Ziv Spiegelman Technion Israel Institute of Technology |
Travel awards
| Individual-based microbial ecology of the phyllosphere | Johan Leveau Plant Pathology | Nadav Kashtan The Hebrew University of Jerusalem |
| Bridging computational and experimental analysis of cooperative hybrid catalytic materials | Ambarish Kulkarni Chemical Engineering | Oz M. Gazit Technion Israel Institute of Technology |
| A workshop on the ecological consequences of individual variation (animal personality) in space use | Kate Laskowski Evolution & Ecology | Orr Spiegel Tel Aviv University |
2018
Five full awards funded for 2018-2020
| Project | UCD Researcher | Israeli Researcher |
|---|---|---|
| Therapeutic cancer vaccines against Neu5Gc-containing tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens | Xi Chen Chemistry | Vered Padler-Karavani Tel Aviv University |
| Developing a Framework for Implementing Precision Deficit Irrigation Based On Crop Modeling, Optimization and Weather Forecasting | Isaya Kisekka Land Air & Water Resources | Raphael Linker Technion Israel Institute of Technology |
| Studying Structure-Activity Relations in Photocatalytic Metal-Organic Frameworks Using Surface-Photovoltage Spectroscopy | Frank Osterloh Chemistry | Idan Hod Ben-Gurion University of the Negev |
| Characterization of Bartonella species genomes from free-ranging mammals from California and Israel | Bruno Chomel School of Veterinary Medicine | Shimon Harrus Hebrew University – Koret School of Veterinary Medicine |
| Novel cell-generated force measurements with fluorescent responsive surfaces | Tonya Kuhl Chemical Engineering & Materials Science | Amir Berman Ben-Gurion University of the Negev |
2017
Four full awards funded for 2017-2019
| Project | UCD Researcher | Israeli Researcher |
|---|---|---|
| Increasing water availability through agricultural groundwater recharge | Helen Dahlke Land, Air, & Water Resources | Noam Weisbrod Technion Israel Institute of Technology Alex Furman Ben Gurion University of the Negev |
| A new theory of competition in markets for internet ads | Athanasios Geromichalos Economics | Ron Lavi Technion Israel Institute of Technology |
| Canine induced pluripotent stem cell pluripotency and epigenetic memory | Amir Kol Veterinary Medicine | Sharon Schlesinger Hebrew University of Jerusalem |
| Probing disorder and molecular diffusion in semicrystalline organic electronic films | Adam Moulé Chemical Engineering & Materials Science | Gitti Frey Technion Israel Institute of Technology |