General Rules and Obligations of the Grantee
The Grantee is obliged to perform the research as detailed in the GIF research proposal and to ensure that the Grant budget shall be used solely for the purpose of the GIF Grant project and in accordance with the provisions of the Grant agreement.
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Any funds used for tasks not included in the appropriate plan will be reimbursed to GIF upon demand. The Grantee is obliged to return to GIF any funds which were not used during the Grant period or were not used in accordance with GIF Guidelines.
In case the Grantee/s receives DIP funding for the same or a similar (overlapping) project, GIF support will be stopped automatically.
If a Grantee/s fail/s to disclose funds they have received or are receiving from other sources for a similar/overlapping/identical project, GIF support will be stopped automatically and request that any funds already paid will be returned to GIF. This applies to both Collaborative and Solo tracks, referring to some or all of the GIF Grant partners’. If the Grantee/s receive/s during the GIF Grant period additional support for their joint research from other sources, this must be reported (in advance) to GIF and approved in writing.
The Grantee must keep complete records of expenditures relating to the GIF Grant in a separate bookkeeping account. These records must be preserved for 5 years after completion of the GIF Grant. GIF reserves the right to examine all books, original documents, records and accounts relating to the GIF Grant while it is in progress and for 5 years after its completion; make inspections at all locations where the GIF Grant is conducted, and receive full information regarding these activities.
The Grantee is obliged to acknowledge GIF funding in any publication based on the GIF Grant (please see chapter “Publications and Acknowledgements”).
The Grantee is obliged to comply with GIF intellectual property right (IPR) regulations as stated in the GIF Grant Agreement and in this document of Grantees’ Guidelines.
To encourage cooperation, the Grantees in a GIF Nexus Collaborative Grant (or their team members) are obligated to meet for several days annually, with one meeting taking place at the GIF Grant partner’s institution. Non-compliance with this requirement is considered a breach of contract, for which GIF will be entitled to terminate the GIF Grant.
The current GIF Guidelines may be updated by the GIF Board of Governors from time to time. GIF will notify the Grantees should such an update occur and from that point onward, the updated guidelines should be considered as the “Current GIF Guidelines”.
Payments
All payments are transferred directly to the Grantee’s institutions. Payments are made only if all conditions are met.
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Below is the payment schedule for a two-year Nexus grant:
| | % of Grant Budget | Payment Conditions: |
1st payment | 80% | - Grant agreement duly signed by all grantees and institutions.
- All required Grant documents received.
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2nd payment | 10% | - At the beginning of year 2, after submitting an annual individual financial report and joint scientific report.
- Grantee/s or team members met during this grant year.
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Final payment | 10% | - After approval of the final individual financial report and final joint scientific report.
- Grantee/s or team members met during this grant year.
- Grantee/s or team members met at the GIF grant partner’s institution at least once during the GIF grant.
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Below is the payment schedule for a four-year Nexus grant:
| | % of Grant Budget | Payment Conditions: |
1st payment | 30% | - Grant agreement duly signed by all grantees and institutions.
- All required Grant documents received.
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2nd payment | 30% | - At the beginning of year 2, after submitting an annual individual financial report and joint scientific report.
- Grantee/s or team members met during this grant year.
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3rd payment | 20% | - At the beginning of year 3, after submitting an annual individual financial report and joint scientific report.
- Grantee/s or team members met during this grant year.
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4th payment | 10% | - At the beginning of year 4, after submitting an annual individual financial report and joint scientific report.
- Grantee/s or team members met during this grant year.
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Final payment | 10% | - After approval of the final individual financial report and final joint scientific report.
- Grantee/s or team members met during this grant year.
- Grantee/s or team members met at the GIF grant partner’s institution at least once during the GIF grant.
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GIF transfers payments four times a year (January, April, July, October).
GIF requires 30 days processing time for financial and scientific reports before the next payment.
Payments to German Grantees are to be confirmed to GIF on the GIF payment receipt form (link).
Changes during the Grant Period
The following section provides instructions on what should be done if changes occur during the grant period.
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No-cost extension of grant period
If needed, the Grantees may request a no-cost extension of their GIF grant. In this case, GIF may approve a one-time extension without an additional budget for a maximum of 12 months. The following conditions must be met:
- Submission of all Grantees’ annual scientific reports and financial reports up to the year prior to the end of the grant, e.g. end of third year for a four year grant.
- Submission of a request form digitally signed by all Grantees, to be sent to finance@gif.org.il no later than 2 months before the end of the original grant period.
Grantee affiliation changes during the GIF Grant
In case that a Grantee changes their institutional affiliation during the Grant period, they should follow this procedure:
- Notify GIF as soon as possible about the affiliation change. Please note that continuing the GIF Grant is possible only if the new institution is a GIF eligible one and it is in the same country.
- Submit a financial report within 30 days after leaving the institution, the report must be signed by the financial department. Any surplus must be transmitted to the new institution within 60 days, and be confirmed to GIF by the new institution on the payment receipt form.
- The new institution is requested to digitally countersign a copy of the Grant agreement within 90 days from the date of changing affiliation.
- The Grantee must inform GIF of the bank details of the new institution (form available for download here).
- If part of the GIF Grant continues at the Grantee’s previous institution, it will be up to that institution to make the necessary arrangements, e.g. for payments due to employees remaining behind. After a Grantee has changed institutions, GIF will only transfer payments to the new institution.
- The Grantee ensures that any non-expendable equipment and/or instruments acquired with the support of GIF funds accompany them to the new (receiving) institution.
Sabbatical leave
In case that a Grantee plans a sabbatical leave, a request should be submitted to science@gif.org.il.
If preferred by the Grantees, the GIF Grant may be suspended during a Grantee‘s sabbatical, in which case expenses cannot be charged to the GIF Grant by any Grantee during that period.
GIF encourages the Grantees to start/continue the GIF Grant during a sabbatical leave.
Grantees are encouraged to spend sabbatical leave at their GIF Grant partners’ institutions with a view to furthering the joint GIF Grant.
PI withdrawal from the GIF Grant due to moving to a country other than Germany or Israel
The following describes what should be done in case that a Grantee changes their institutional affiliation to outside of Germany or Israel and is therefore unable to continue the GIF Grant. One of the original Grantees should submit an official request to GIF (science@gif.org.il); recommending an investigator to replace the original Grantee.
This candidate should have a contract with his/hers institution that covers the full duration of the GIF Grant. The request should include the curriculum vitae of the candidate as well as a list of relevant publications, signed by the candidate and the authorized official of his/hers institution.
The request should be accompanied by a letter of agreement from all the Grantees, and an explanation and justification as to their contribution to the GIF Grant and a request for an amended budget distribution. GIF is not obliged to approve the candidate investigator. This request should be sent to science@gif.org.il.
Withdrawing from the GIF Grant
In the case that a Grantee withdraws from the GIF Grant, the other Grantees should recommend a replacement investigator and submit the information to science@gif.org.il, with the curriculum vitae as well as a list of relevant publications for approval by the relevant GIF scientific advisor. This candidate should have a contract with his/hers institution that covers the full duration of the GIF Grant.
GIF is not obliged to approve the suggested candidate. If the former Grantee withdraws from the GIF Grant before the candidate has been approved by GIF, the Grant will be suspended for the transition period.
Death of one of the Grantees
In the case that a Grantee passes away, both the institutions of the deceased Grantee and the remaining Grantee/s, in consultation with the GIF Office, will recommend a replacement investigator. The recommended investigator should submit a curriculum vitae as well as a list of relevant publications to science@gif.org.il. This candidate should have a contract with his/hers institution that covers the full duration of the GIF Grant.
While finding a suitable replacement and obtaining approval for their appointment, the academic head of the deceased Grantee should supervise the GIF Grant. The head of the department will be entitled to engage a salaried employee, who will be paid from the Grant funds, to assist with the most urgent duties of the research until the replacement investigator commences.
Publications and Acknowledgements
In each publication (including books, book’s chapter/s, magazines and online publications) based on a GIF Grant (even partially), the investigator must acknowledge the support of GIF with the following statement:
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“This research was supported by a Grant from the German-Israeli Foundation for Scientific Research and Development (GIF, Grant number #####).”
All publications arising from a GIF Grant must be authored either in English (preferably, in order to equally serve the scientific communities of both countries), in Hebrew or in German.
A PDF file and/or a link to an online file of each (joint or personal) publication should be sent to science@gif.org.il as soon as it becomes available.
If the research results are published in a book, the investigator is requested to provide the Foundation with one copy free of charge. GIF shall be entitled to purchase additional copies and distribute them at its discretion.
In electronic presentations, posters etc. in which research supported by GIF is presented, the support should be acknowledged by displaying the GIF logo, available for download here.
Patents and Copyrights
According to the GIF Grant agreement, Grantees shall be required to provide the level of IPR protection and enforcement which meets the IPR protection regulations and guidelines of their respective academic institutions.
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Grantees will have to guarantee an equitable and fair treatment regarding the ownership of and access to intellectual property generated to the mutual benefit of all parties involved.
The GIF Grant Partners in a GIF Nexus Collaborative Grant will also make sure the ownership as well as intellectual property rights are agreed upon by clear rules, which together with any national regulations which may affect the transfer of knowledge, are made easily available to all partners in a way which facilitates cooperation and knowledge transfer.
Scientific and technological information of a non-proprietary nature arising from the cooperative activities may be made available to the public through customary channels.
Grant Close-Out
After receipt and approval of the final financial and scientific reports and fulfillment of the travel condition, GIF will inform the Grantee of the final budget balance or refund owing to GIF.
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Unspent funds must be returned to GIF no later than 60 days after the date of the letter informing the Grantee of the final balance.
A formal letter notifying the Grantee that both sides (GIF and the Grantee) have fulfilled their obligations from the Grant will be sent by GIF to the Grantee and their institution, after receipt and approval of all final reports (financial and scientific) and balancing of the Grant account by final payment / refund to GIF.
Starting your Grant
Shortly after the funding notification, following the GIF Board meeting, the Grantees will receive a detailed letter with the conditions, terms and required budget adjustments.
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Documents required before Grant start |
| Research Grant Agreement | The Grantees and their affiliated institutions must sign the Research Grant Agreement by which they and/or their institutions assume primary responsibility for the general supervision of the GIF Grant in accordance with the GIF research proposal and its budget, any changes stipulated in GIF’s letter of approval, and these regulations. The following are deemed incorporated into the Research Grant agreement and constitute an integral and inseparable part thereof: a) The agreement between the two ministers establishing the GIF b) The document of Nexus Grantee guidelines which can also be accessed via our GIF website. c) The GIF research proposal and its budget as approved by the GIF Board of Governors. d) The parallel funding declaration as indicated on the GIF research proposal. The Research Grant Agreement becomes valid upon being signed by one of the Chairpersons of GIF’s Board of Governors, the GIF Director and all Grantees and their institutions. |
| Budget distribution | A final budget distribution form (link) signed by the Grantees and their institutions should be submitted (even if there are no changes compared to the GIF research proposal). Please take into account any budget adjustments requested by GIF in the letter following the funding notification. |
| GIF Grant time schedule | An updated GIF Grant time schedule signed by the Grantees and their institutions should be submitted (even if there are no changes compared to the GIF research proposal). The starting date for all Grants will be as informed in the award email and indicated on the Grant Agreement. Delays to the starting date are only possible for well justified reasons. If any ethical approvals are required for (parts of) the research, the tasks concerned should be marked in the GIF Grant time schedule accordingly. |
| Bank details | Required only for German Grantees. |
| Ethical approvals | All ethical approvals must be submitted to GIF prior the starting date of the task for which the approval is required (as stated in the updated GIF Grant time schedule). Should there be any change in the date of the task for which the approval is required, it is the responsibility of the Grantees to inform GIF accordingly. In case no ethical approval is submitted by the stipulated date, the Grant will be suspended (i.e. no expenditures can be charged to the Grant budget by any of the PIs in the Grant) until the ethical approval has been submitted. |
All required documents can be provided with digital signatures and returned to GIF by email to finance@gif.org.il. Hardcopies with original signatures are not required.
GIF requires 30 days for processing the documents before the Grant can start. Grants will always commence on the 1st day of a month.
Budget Codes
The use of GIF grant budget is limited to the budget codes listed in the table below:
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1 Personnel 1.1 Salaries 1.2 Scholarships / fellowships | - Grantees may not receive any salary from the Grant budget.
- Research assistants may receive a salary based on the local regulations of each country, or a scholarship according to national tax law.
- The total work time of researchers employed part-time on a GIF Grant as well as by their institution may not exceed 100%.
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2 Travel 2.1 Foreign 2.2 Domestic | - Foreign travel is restricted to travel between Europe and Israel. Grantees (or the students actively involved in the GIF project) are obligated to meet for several days annually, with one meeting taking place at the GIF Grant partner’s institution during the Grant period.
- Joint research in other countries as part of the GIF Grant, e.g. CERN, or MPIs located outside of Germany may be approved if justified in the GIF research proposal.
- The maximum travel budget per year for all Grantees together is EUR 5,000.
- GIF approves travel in economy class only.
- Hotel rates and per diem are calculated according to the Grantees’ national and institutional regulations.
- Financial reports need to include receipts for all travel expenses (air fare, hotel, etc.).
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3 Equipment | - Permanent equipment may be purchased up to completion of the first half of the grant period.
- Personal computers and laptops (and associative equipment) are eligible items.
- The maximum number of computers shall not exceed the number of research staff positions (not necessarily personal names) specifically mentioned in the GIF research proposal.
- Financial reports need to include receipts for equipment.
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4 Supplies, Materials | - Disposable materials and equipment.
- Optical and electronic supplies.
- Purchase of animals and plants.
- In financial reports, an explanation is to be included for disposable equipment purchased above EUR 1,000 (per single article).
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5 Internal Services | - Animals and maintenance.
- Machine shops and Repair facilities.
- Internal IT, lab services, translations.
- Internal maintenance for non-expendable equipment.
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6 External Services | - Services provided by external sub-contractors.
- Financial reports need to include receipts for all external services.
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7 Conferences/Workshops 7.1 Conferences/Workshops organized by the Grantees (Israel/Germany) 7.2 Participation in conferences by organizers other than the Grantees (Israel/Europe) | - The topic of conferences/workshops organized or attended by Grantees must be directly related to the GIF Grant.
- Recreation expenses (sightseeing tours etc.) will not be covered by GIF.
7.1 Conferences/workshops organized by the Grantees:
- The event must take place in Israel or Germany.
- Expenditures are reimbursed only for participants from Israel/ Germany.
- GIF approves travel in economy class only.
- Hotel rates and per diem are calculated according to the Grantee’s national and institutional regulations.
- GIF will reimburse only expenses in line with GIF guidelines.
7.2 Conferences/workshops not organized by the Grantees:
- The conference/workshop must take place in Europe or Israel.
- A presentation must be given by at least one of the Grantees.
- For calculation and reporting requirements of travel expenses, see budget code 2 Travel.
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8 Literature and Publications | - Purchase of professional literature.
- Fees for publications resulting from the GIF Grant.
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9 Miscellaneous | - Expenditures which are Grant related direct expenses but outside the other GIF budget categories.
- Max. 5% total of the Grant budget.
- Budget for Miscellaneous expenses exceeding 5% requires approval by GIF in advance.
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10 Overhead | - The GIF system will automatically add 10% of the total research costs as overhead.
- The Grant total budget of direct research costs plus overhead may not exceed EUR 150,000 per year for all Grantees together.
- The budget for overhead is distributed between all Grantees proportionately to their share in the overall budget.
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GIF does NOT reimburse | - Membership fees for any kind of professional association.
- Registration fees for conferences/workshops.
- Fees for invited speakers outside of Israel and Europe.
- Research group social activities.
- Recreation expenses (sightseeing tours etc.).
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Budget Changes
Grantees have the flexibility to shift up to 50% of a budget code to another approved budget code without prior approval by GIF, with exceptions in the following budget codes:
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- Salaries: the limit for transfers to other budget codes is 20%.
- Equipment: Transfer from other budget codes may increase the budget for equipment by a maximum of 20%.
A GIF approval should be requested (sent to finance@gif.org.il) in advance by submitting the form (available here) for Budget Transfer for the following:
- Transfer budget over the above mentioned limits.
- Transfer budget to a new budget code which was not included in the originally approved budget.
- Transfer budget between the Grantees in the Nexus Collaborative Grant.
Financial & Scientific Reports – Reporting
The Grantees are obliged to submit financial reports as well as scientific reports in accordance with the GIF guidelines. All financial and scientific reports must be submitted on GIF forms. No other forms will be accepted.
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Financial reports must be filled in and submitted as individual, separate reports by each of the Grantees.
Scientific reports should be submitted and signed jointly by all Grantees.
Reporting requirements and due dates |
Annual | - Annual financial report by each Grantee.
- Annual scientific report submitted and signed jointly by all Grantees.
| No later than 2 months after the end of each Grant year |
Final | - Final financial report (including extension period, if any) by each Grantee.
- Final scientific report submitted and signed jointly by all Grantees.
| No later than 2 months after the end of the Grant |
Financial Reports
Financial reports, including copies and receipts where needed, should be emailed to finance@gif.org.il. Hardcopies are not required:
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Please submit receipts with your financial report for the following expenses:
- Code 2, Travel – copies of boarding passes, itineraries, receipts for airfares, accommodation and other expenses.
- Code 3, Equipment.
- Code 6, External Services.
For reporting due dates, please see tab “Reporting”.
Each Grantees’ budget is for use by the Grantee and their research team only.
Expenditures are to be reported according to GIF budget codes. Please observe the regulations specified for each budget code.
The budget codes relevant and chargeable to your GIF Grant are specified in the approved Grant budget. Budget changes are possible within the limits explained in GIF Guidelines.
Grant payments are conditional on the receipt and approval of all due financial and scientific reports.
Budget balances remaining at the end of each year during the Grant periods are automatically transferred to the following year and allocated to the same budget codes.
Unspent balances at the end of the Grant must be returned to GIF.
Documents required for the financial reports: |
Financial Report Part 1 (page 1 of the report)
Individual for each Grantee, sent by GIF office, after processing the yearly financial report or by request.
Overview of approved budget codes for the Grant period.
Please fill in the sum for each budget code in the column for the reporting period. Financial Report Part 2 (pages 2 and 3 of the report)
Page 2: Detailed breakdown of expenses for budget codes Salaries, Heavy Equipment, Travel, and External Services.
Page 3: Justification for travels and for supplies of >EUR 1,000 charged to the GIF Grant. Receipts for foreign travel, equipment, external services , workshops/conferences
Financial reports are not complete without receipts.
Please number the receipts and submit an excel table listing the receipts by reference number with a short description of the expense and amount (EURO only). Please ensure that the Grantee’s digital signature and digital stamp and signature of the financial department of the Grantee’s institution are introduced on page 2 (in Part 2) of the report
Unsigned reports cannot be processed. |
Scientific Reports
Annual and final scientific reports should be emailed to science@gif.org.il. Hardcopies are not required.
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Reports are due 2 months after the end of each Grant year (see also under “Reporting” tab).
The final Grant payment is conditional upon receiving and approving all due financial and scientific reports.
Documents required for scientific reports |
Annual scientific report | Statement of scientific progress form, signed by all Grantees, at the end of each Grant year (except the final year). Form available for download here. |
Final scientific report | Final scientific report, signed by all Grantees. Form available for download here. The project overview may appear on the GIF website for the benefit of the scientific community for further scientific ties. Interested parties may be directed to the Grantees for further details. |
