# Zuckerman Travel and Research STEM Fund ## Zuckerman Travel and Research STEM Fund FORA-Managed Grants ![A gloved hand holds an Erlenmeyer flask](/sites/g/files/omnuum5536/files/styles/hwp_28_10__1920x685/public/2025-08/AdobeStock_246772962.jpeg?itok=LgRhDHAZ) ## expand\_more ## 2026 Zuckerman Travel and Research STEM Fund at Harvard University ***The application deadline has passed. The 2026 guidelines and FAQs remain for informational purposes and are subject to change.*** ### **Program Description:** The Zuckerman Travel and Research STEM Fund at Harvard University aims to support the development of new research collaborations in STEM fields between faculty members and researchers in Harvard’s Faculty of Arts & Sciences (FAS) and John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and their counterparts at research institutions in Israel, including but not limited to: Bar Ilan, Ben Gurion, Haifa University, Hebrew University, Technion, Tel Aviv University, and the Weizmann Institute of Science. The intent of this Fund is to support travel and meeting expenses to catalyze new collaborations rather than provide support for the conduct of a research project, the exchange of data or materials, or the generation of intellectual property or confidential information. Visits funded by these awards may not exceed 30 days. The Israeli researcher must be identified in the proposal. Proposals involving Ph.D. student participation are encouraged. Harvard faculty members and researchers who would like assistance identifying an Israeli research collaborator may contact [Boaz Golany](https://il.linkedin.com/in/boaz-golany-5710aa81), Zuckerman STEM Leadership Program Academic Advisor and Emeritus Professor at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, at . ### **Award Information:** Proposers may request up to $30,000 in direct costs. Indirect costs, or school assessments, should not be included in the budget request, as they will be accounted for at the time of award. Awards from this fund may be used to support travel and meeting costs (i.e., airfare, hotels, per diem) to allow Harvard and Israeli scientists to explore common research interests and consider new international projects and collaborations. These funds can support travel and meeting costs for either team to locations in the U.S., Israel, or another destination. Awards cannot be used to cover other expenses like salary, materials, equipment, tuition, etc. Awards will have a start date of July 1, 2026, with a project period of two years. Funds may not be used retroactively. All of the expenses must be managed through the Harvard applicant’s research account by their department. All spending must comply with and be within the guidelines set by the [Harvard Travel Policy](https://policies.fad.harvard.edu/pages/travel-0) and [Harvard Business Expense Reimbursements Policy](https://policies.fad.harvard.edu/pages/business_expense_reimbursements). ### **Eligibility Requirements:** FAS and SEAS faculty members and researchers in STEM fields (defined for the purposes of this program as basic and applied research in the physical sciences, engineering, and life sciences, including psychology) who hold Principal Investigator (PI) rights on a continuous basis as listed on the [FAS PI Eligibility webpage](https://research.fas.harvard.edu/policies/principal-investigator-eligibility), are eligible to apply. ### **Application Guidelines:** Applications must be submitted through this program’s online [application portal](https://harvard-zuckermanfund-26spring.hotcrp.com/). To apply, please submit: - A ***proposal narrative*** (up to 2 pages, one-inch margins, 11-point font or larger, PDF format) that briefly describes who will be involved in the proposed collaboration, information about the participants’ shared research interests, and the activities an award would support. - A ***biosketch*** for the applicant and for the collaborating Israeli researcher(s) (up to 2 pages per person, PDF format). There is no prescribed format for presenting this information. In addition, applicants may submit a two-page biosketch for any other collaborators involved in the proposal. - A ***detailed budget*** (PDF format). There is no prescribed format for presenting this information. Applicants are encouraged to work closely with their grant/financial administrators to develop a budget. School assessments and/or indirect costs should not be included in the budget request (these will be accounted for at the time of award). ### **Evaluation Criteria:** A small committee of senior faculty members from FAS and SEAS will select projects for funding on the basis of: the potential impact of the proposed collaboration, the scientific value of the research area, the ability of the applicants to successfully carry out a joint project, and the suitability of the budget request. Priority will be given to projects that: - propose a balanced exchange between the Harvard and Israeli participants - demonstrate complementarity between the Harvard and Israeli teams - include Harvard Ph.D. students ### **2026 Review Committee:** - **Daniel Needleman (committee chair),** Gordon McKay Professor of Applied Physics and Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology - **Haim Sompolinsky,** Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology and of Physics in Residence - **Eli Tziperman,** Pamela and Vaco McCoy, Jr. Professor of Oceanography and Applied Physics; Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering ### **Reporting Expectations**: While these awards do not have formal reporting requirements, recipients may occasionally be requested to provide an update on their research collaboration or to present a summary of their funded activities at a future event with the Fund’s sponsor. Though the award is intended to fund travel and meeting expenses, and not direct research expenses, if any resulting publications can be attributed to the award, recipients should acknowledge this with the following statement, “Research reported in this publication was supported by an award from the Zuckerman Travel and Research STEM Fund at Harvard University”. ## Zuckerman Travel and Research STEM Fund at Harvard University Frequently Asked Questions Open all sections Close all sections ### How will successful applicants receive their awards from the Zuckerman Travel and Research STEM Fund at Harvard University? expand\_more Awards will be transferred to the successful applicant's research account and managed by their department. Awards will have a start date of July 1, 2026, with a project period of two years. ### What types of collaborations will this program support? expand\_more The goal of this program is to allow Harvard and Israeli scientists to explore common research interests and consider new international projects and collaborations. These awards are not meant to support ongoing collaborations or projects that are already underway. ### Can these awards cover travel to the U.S. by Israeli participants in addition to travel to Israel by the U.S. researchers? expand\_more Yes, these funds can support travel and meeting costs for either team to locations in the U.S., Israel, or another destination; however, all of the expenses must be managed through the Harvard applicant’s research account by their department. All spending must comply with and be within the guidelines set by the [Harvard Travel Policy](https://policies.fad.harvard.edu/pages/travel-0) and [Harvard Business Expense Reimbursements Policy](https://policies.fad.harvard.edu/pages/business_expense_reimbursements). ### Can an eligible applicant submit more than one proposal? expand\_more Yes, an eligible Harvard faculty member or researcher can submit more than one proposal per competition provided that each proposal involves a different Israeli research collaborator. There are no restrictions on how often one may apply. ### Can applicants include letters of support as supplementary documents? expand\_more No, please do not include any application materials other than those specifically requested. ### Should Zuckerman Fund awards be listed on a PI’s Current & Pending (Other) Support form? expand\_more Yes. Since these awards are made via a competitive process in support of the PI’s research efforts, the total amount requested and/or awarded should be reported as Current & Pending (Other) Support. The Zuckerman Fund project start date is July 1. While exact project dates are not required in Zuckerman Fund applications, PIs should estimate the project period and list an appropriate end date on their Current & Pending (Other) Support form. In most cases, these awards support projects for one to two years. ### Who can answer other questions about the Zuckerman Travel and Research STEM Fund at Harvard University? expand\_more Please contact [Jennifer Corby](mailto:jcorby@fas.harvard.edu), Senior Research Development Officer, for more information about this program. ## Previous Award Recipients ### **2023 Awardees** **Anurag Anshu, Assistant Professor of Computer Science** Israeli Collaborator: Thomas Vidick, Professor, Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, Weizmann Institute of Science (updated October 2023) “Verification of quantum many-body localization” **Sascha Feldmann, Rowland Fellow** Israeli Collaborator: Ron Naaman, Professor of Physics, Weizmann Institute of Science “Understanding and using chiral-induced spin-selectivity for nanoscale spintronics” **Stephanie Gil, Assistant Professor of Computer Science** Israeli Collaborator: Michal Yemini, Assistant Professor, Bar-Ilan University “Trust and Resilience in Distributed Cyberphysical Networks” **Matteo Mitrano, Assistant Professor of Physics** Israeli Collaborator: Dominik Juraschek, Senior Lecturer (Assistant Professor), Tel Aviv University “Nonlinear lattice dynamics and light-driven superconductivity in ladder cuprates” **Daniel Needleman, Gordon McKay Professor of Applied Physics and Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology** Israeli Collaborator: Ariel Amir, Professor (Full), Weizmann Institute of Science “Weizmann/Harvard connection for the biophysics of chromosome segregation errors **Karin Öberg, Professor of Astronomy** Israeli Collaborator: Tamar Stein, Assistant Professor (Senior Lecturer), Hebrew University in Jerusalem “A Harvard-Hebrew University Astrochemistry Collaboration”