The Israel Science Foundation (ISF) is Israel’s leading organization that provides public support for basic research in Israel. The ISF was established in 1972 by the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities as the 'Branch for Basic Research'. In 1995 it became an independent non-profit organization, funded primarily by the Council of Higher Education (CHE), through its financial arm, namely, the Planning and Budgeting Committee (PBC or “Vatat”). The ISF's support is provided to a broad range of research topics within the institutions of higher education, research institutes and hospitals in Israel, including the exact sciences and technology, life sciences and medicine, humanities and social sciences.

Basic research aims at the expansion and deepening of scientific knowledge.  Basic research is conducted in the spirit of free, original and imaginative inquiry, driven mainly by human curiosity, scientific excellence and striving for breakthrough discoveries. Furthermore, basic research often becomes a powerful driver of useful applications that contribute to economic growth, to social development and to coping with future challenges. The importance of basic research is broadly recognized, world-wide, and its contributions are particularly vital to small countries with limited natural resources, such as Israel.