BARD, the US-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund
עריכהBARD- the U.S-Israel Bi national Agricultural Research and Development Fund, established in 1979, is a competitive funding program that supports collaborative agricultural research in areas of mutual interest to the US and Israel. BARD has funded outstanding agricultural science activities by leading researchers from the two countries. Its projects cover all phases of agricultural research and development, including integrated projects and strategic and applied research.
Over the years, BARD has funded research projects that dealt with creating an efficient and sustainable agricultural production system, protecting crops and livestock against diseases and environmental stresses, improving food quality, safety, and security and developing methods for efficient use and reuse of water for agriculture. It has also worked to automate farming and food-manufacturing processes.
Early History
עריכהThe Bi-national Agricultural Research and Development Fund (BARD) was established in 1979 as a nonprofit organization by T.W Edminster of the USDA and Prof. Yoash Vaadia. T.W Edminster served as an administrator for research service at the United States Department of Agriculture and president of the American society of agriculture engineers. Prof. Yoash Vaadia served as the head of the institute of Arid zone research and vice president of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Leadership
עריכה| Name | Term |
| Yair Guron | 1979-1991 |
| Prof. Yoash Vaadia | 1991-1996 |
| Dr. Edo Chalutz | 1996-2017 |
| Prof. Yoram Kapulnik | 2017- to date |
Programs
עריכהBARD Research Grant Program:
During its 40 years of operation, BARD has funded over 1300 research projects with a total investment of more than $300 million. The Bard Research Grant program funds projects conducted cooperatively by US and Israeli scientists. It covers all phases of agricultural R&D including strategic or applied research and its duration is three years. The Postdoctoral Fellowship Program funds postdoctoral fellowships for citizens from one country (US or Israel) to perform agricultural research with established scientists in the other country. Its duration is from one to two years.
The Senior Research Fellowship Program promotes joint agricultural research between established scientists from the US and their Israeli hosts. Its duration is two to twelve months. The Graduate Fellowship Student Program enables Ph.D. students in one country (US or Israel) to travel to the other country to acquire new skills and techniques in their field of study. Its duration is three to six months. Bard also funds workshops whose purpose is to identify research needs and to promote increased contact between scientists throughout the world in areas related to the binational and agricultural interests of the US and Israel.
In 2005 BARD established the MARD program to promote cooperative agricultural research and development activities between scientists in Israel, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and the United States. During its five years of operation, MARD has funded numerous successful regional workshops, mutual visits, training seminars and similar activities that have enhanced the spirit of collaboration between Palestinian, Jordanian, Israeli and US investigators. MARD now offers Facilitating grants to enable small multinational research groups to jointly prepare a detailed research proposal which will be submitted to other international granting organizations.
External links
עריכהBARD website http://www.bard-isus.com/
About Yair Guron (Heb)http://agri.arava.co.il/about/yair-station/yair-guron
About Yoash Vaadia (Heb)https://www.agri.gov.il/he/pages/422.aspx
Agricultural research in Israel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agricultural_research_in_Israel