The Israeli Ministry of Health

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The State of Israel Ministry of Health
The Israeli Ministry of Health Chief Scientist
Office
Chief Scientist Office
Dr. Benny Leshem, Director The Medical Research
Administration
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The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Chief Scientist Office
RESEARCHER
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Medical Research in Israel
The State of Israel Ministry of Health

• Who are the major players in the
• Israeli research funding arena?

Chief Scientist Office

• Where in Israel medical research
• is done?

• CSO-MOH, funding Program

• Numbers and Facts on funding of
• medical research in Israel

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Medical Research in Israel
The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Chief Scientist Office
Public Research Funds in Israel (2003)
International Funds (NIH, EC) 12.9 M
Charity Based Funds 2.1 M
Bi-national Funds (BSF, GIF) 6.1 M
Government Funds (MOE, MOST, MOCIL, MOH)
11.5 M
32.6 M
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Medical Research in Israel
The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Who are the major players in the Israeli research
funding arena?
Chief Scientist Office
Where in Israel Medical Research is done?
CSO-MOH, funding Program
Numbers and Facts on funding of Medical Research
in Israel
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Medical Research in Israel
The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Major Academic Institutes Hebrew University,
Jerusalem Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv Ben
Burion University, Beer Sheba Technion,
Haifa Haifa Universiry, Haifa The Bar Ilan
University, Ramat Gan The Wiezmann Institute,
Rehovot ------------------------------------------
------- Include Medical Schools
Chief Scientist Office
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Medical Research in Israel
The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Major Medical Centers Hadassah,
Jerusalem Sheba, Tel Aviv Soraski, Tel
Aviv Rabin, Petah Tikva Soroka, Beer
Sheba Rambam, Haifa -----------------------------
-------------------- Affiliated to Medical
Schools
Chief Scientist Office
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Medical Research in Israel
The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Who are the major players in the Israeli research
funding arena?
Chief Scientist Office
Where in Israel Medical Research is done?
CSO-MOH, funding Program
Numbers and Facts on funding of Medical Research
in Israel
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Medical Research in Israel
The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Chief Scientist Office
CSO-MOH Chief Scientist Office, Ministry of
Health
Scope Medical Research (health and disease
linked)
0.85 M in 2003
3 of all the support to medical research in
Israel
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Funding of Medical Research CSO-MOH
The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Raison dêtre
Chief Scientist Office
To fills in the niche between

• Foundations supporting basic science

• Bio-hitech enterprises supporting applied RD

and by that bridge on the gap and process the
basic finding to be attractive to the Bio-hitech
To foster and support medical research in
hospitals
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Funding of Medical Research CSO-MOH
The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Funding method
Chief Scientist Office
Investigator-initiated (Bottom-up)
Review method
Study Sections (Review committees)
(NIH model)
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Funding of Medical Research CSO-MOH
The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Annual Call for Applications (Depending on
budget)
Chief Scientist Office
Research Projects
Feasibility studies
Fellowships to research-clinicians
Stipends to Investigators-physicians (Research
Protected Time)
Grants do not cover salaries to PI and CI,
allow 10 overhead
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Funding of Medical Research CSO-MOH
The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Eligibility
Chief Scientist Office
All researchers with Ph.D., M.D. or equivalent
degrees
From any recognized research institute in Israel
On any field of medical (Health- and
Disease-related) research
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Funding of Medical Research CSO-MOH
The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Submission of Applications
Chief Scientist Office
Application forms are submitted on-line
Applications are submitted by Email
Printed applications are mailed to CSO-MOH
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Funding of Medical Research CSO-MOH
The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Admission of Applications
Chief Scientist Office
On-line submitted data are automatically
integrated into CSO-MOH database
Emailed files of applications are installed in a
protected site in CSO-MOH server for on-line
review
Printed applications are also available for
reviewers
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Funding of Medical Research CSO-MOH
The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Handling of applications
Chief Scientist Office
Applications are checked for
Eligibility
Relevance to CSO-MOH scope of funding
Required data on applicants, budget,
Required Bio-ethical (Helsinki, Animal
experimentation) and biohazard documentations
Applications are allocated to study sections by
field of research
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Funding of Medical Research CSO-MOH
The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Review Committees (Study Sections)
Chief Scientist Office
Assigned Ad-hoc
Nominated chairpersons
Field expert reviewers (10 new reviewers)
Volunteers
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The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Chief Scientist Office
We have read your proposal and are giving it
serious consideration
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Funding of Medical Research CSO-MOH
The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Review Criteria
Chief Scientist Office

• Scientific Merit (Hypothesis, Scientific
  Approach, Innovation)

• Significance and potential contribution to
  medicine (relevance to medicine in Israel - extra)

• The methods and their relevance to the aims,
  adequate biostatistics

• The applicants and available facilities

• Application organization, personnel, budget

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Funding of Medical Research CSO-MOH
The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Additional Criteria
Chief Scientist Office

• Encouraging investigators at the beginning of
  their scientific career

• Encouraging research done by clinicians

• Encouraging research done in peripheral hospitals

• Encouraging multi-center (Academia-Hospital)
  collaboration

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The State of Israel Ministry of Health
ENDANGERED SPECIES
Chief Scientist Office
MD-RESEARCHERS
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Funding of Medical Research CSO-MOH
The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Review Process
Chief Scientist Office
Fifteen-twenty applications/committee
Ten-fifteen reviewers/committee
Each reviewer is assigned as a primary reviewer
of 2-4 applications Prepares written reviews.
Presentation of each application to the panel,
10-15 minutes discussion followed by scoring
(0-100) and voting at a secret ballot
Applications are reviewed as written
Some applications may be sent to additional
external reviewers, when special expertise is
needed
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Funding of Medical Research CSO-MOH
The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Special Review Process
Chief Scientist Office
Applies for research areas to which less than 9
applications were received
For those the procedure is a combination of
external reviews and a study section
The review committee consists of the members of
CSO-MOH advisory board together with Field
Coordinators
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Funding of Medical Research CSO-MOH
The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Funding Decisions
Chief Scientist Office
Final decisions, based on scores and Chairs
recommendations, are made by the Funds board.
No appeals on final decisions
Applicants may receive (by request) the written
reviews
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Funding of Medical Research CSO-MOH
The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Reports
Chief Scientist Office
Financial reports Semi-annually
Progress (final) Reports Annually
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Funding of Medical Research CSO-MOH
The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Funding from Other Sources
Chief Scientist Office
CSO-MOH review and scientific follow-up mechanism
is also provided to other funding organizations
supporting medical research
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Medical Research in Israel
The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Who are the major players in the Israeli research
funding arena?
Chief Scientist Office
Where in Israel Medical Research is done?
CSO-MOH, funding Program
Numbers and Facts on funding of Medical Research
in Israel
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CHIEF SCIENTIST
The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Chief Scientist Office
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Funding of Medical Research CSO-MOH
The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Funding 2001-2003
Chief Scientist Office
Average grant 15,000 p.a. for 2 years (not
including salaries, allowing 10 overhead)
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Funding of Medical Research CSO-MOH
The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Funding 2002-2003 (PathoGenoMics-related)
Chief Scientist Office
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Funding of Medical Research CSO-MOH
The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Research Projects Pathgenomics-related
Chief Scientist Office

• The role of human metapneumovirus in community-
  acquired respiratory tract infections in young
  children in Israel

• Virulence determinants of group G streptococcus
  and emm typing of a collection of strains
  obtained from one hundred patients with
  bacteremia.

• The potential use of newly isolated attenuated
  mutants of vaccinia virus as vaccine against
  smallpox

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Funding of Medical Research CSO-MOH
The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Research Projects
Chief Scientist Office

• Virulence strategies of Salmonella enterica
  serotype Virchow from the gene to the plate

• Comparison of the virulence system required for
  intracellular multiplication by different
  pathogenic Legionella species

• Proteomic assessment of genes involved in the
  development of the human pathogen Leishmania

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The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Chief Scientist Office
Benny.leshem_at_moh.health.gov.il
Tel [phone], Cell 972-50-624-2187 Fax
972-672-5833
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The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Chief Scientist Office
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Hospitals
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Industry
(Clinical Research)
(Development Production)
Academia
(Basic Research)
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The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Better Medicine
Chief Scientist Office
Better Health
Longer and Healthier life
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The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Chief Scientist Office
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Funding of Medical Research CSO-MOH
The State of Israel Ministry of Health
After the Meetings
Chief Scientist Office
Scores are averaged. (Significantly deviated
scores - ignored)
A cut-off score is proposed, based on available
budget.
Applications scored below 90 are not funded.
Applications scored above cut-off score are
recommended for funding.
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Funding of Medical Research CSO-MOH
The State of Israel Ministry of Health
Funding Activation
Chief Scientist Office
Approval and rejection letters are sent to all
applicants
Highly scored but not funded letters to
applications scored between 90 and cut-off.
A legal contract is signed between CSO-MOH,
institutions research authority and PI
May be beneficial for the applicants for
promotion and institutional support