Exchange Program with Israel

Israel and the Helmholtz Association offer exciting research in the field of Big Data and AI. Get to know the vibrant research environment of Israeli universities and scientific institutions or host talented data scientists at your Helmholtz Center.

In the trilateral exchange program between Israel and the Helmholtz Association, young, talented data scientists from the respective countries are given the opportunity to come to a Helmholtz Association center. Helmholtz doctoral researchers and postdocs on the other hand are given the opportunity to work with an experienced data scientist from Israel on an exciting project.

Information on the next application rounds will be published on this website.

Israel Data Science and AI Initiative

IDSAI brings together and coordinates activities of the data science research centers throughout Israel’s universities. It serves as a representative for all matters of data science for both industry and public entities and leverages international collaborations for its members.

The main activities of IDSAI are related to Research, Education and Outreach to both government and industrial sectors. For Research, IDSAI acts as a bridge between the local DS research centers and research organizations around the world which are focused on developing data science methodology and practice.

For Education, IDSAI will facilitate the development of DS academic courses, with particular emphasis on collaboration among the universities, as well as promoting online courses for wider consumption. For Outreach, the IDSAI will work with governmental agencies, such as the Central Bureau of Statistics, in order to expand the access to survey and administrative data, and will work with industry both to provide a resource for DS expertise, as well as to facilitate training programs.

Learn more

Renowned partner institutions

We are pleased to collaborate with the Israel Data Science and AI Initiative (IDSAI) on this exchange. IDSAI coordinates data science activities at the country’s research universities.

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Technion - Israel Institute of Technology
Tel Aviv University
Bar Ilan University
University of Haifa
Weizmann Institute of Science
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Field trips with colleagues included: Exchange researcher Roey (third from left) at DLR in Jena. (Photo: privat)

For Helmholtz PhDs and Postdocs

Work on exciting 6-week-long research projects.

Learn new methods and their application from experts in your or other fields.

Kick start international collaborations.

What does the exchange program involve?

You’ll get to collaborate with a senior data scientist from Israel on a project of your choice. You will be able to visit the Israeli lab for six weeks and get to work with a team onsite. Travel expenses and accommodation for your visit are covered by the Helmholtz Information & Data Science Academy.

Why should I take part in this exchange program?

This program is an opportunity to get international collaborations started with the possibility of publishing together

Learn new skills from senior data scientists working on interesting research problems.

Tel Aviv Coast — Tel Aviv is home to Tel Aviv University and Bar-Ilan University. (Photo: Shai-Pal/Unsplash)

The Tel Aviv University campus: research under the sun. (Photo: Jaime Silva)

The Technion in Haifa is Israel's oldest university. (Photo: Aris Gionis)

Ben Gurion University is located in the Negev, in Be'er Sheva. (Photo: David Saranga)

I highly recommend this exchange. The project “pushed” me beyond my normal duties, but it was absolutely worth it. What I appreciate most is the opportunity for professional international collaboration.

Dr. Jedrzej Rybicki,

worked with Rami Puzis from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev on a novel approach to malware application classification. Check out their code here

Conditions of Participation

Please note that the program is open to PhDs and postdocs with an employment contract at the Helmholtz Centers. If you work at a Helmholtz Center, but are employed elsewhere, please be in touch before you apply. Within the framework of this exchange, HIDA mediates between hosts and participants and finances the travel and material costs of the Helmholtz participants. Please talk to the center where the exchange takes place about the specific contract and working conditions
(contact persons).

For more information on how to participate, please refer to our FAQ document. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.