The University of Illinois System and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem recently awarded a total of $200,000 to four new interdisciplinary research teams that will drive innovations and advance collaboration between the universities. The projects are the fourth round of a joint research and innovation seed grant program that began in 2019.

The initiative seeks to accelerate economic development through the development of innovative technologies, building on talent, innovations and resources from the two universities. Funding for the program comes from the Hebrew University`s International Office and its Authority for R&D, and the University of Illinois System’s Office of the President and Office of the Vice President for Economic Development and Innovation.

The newly funded projects will focus on the limiting factors and efficiency of carbon sequestration; developing flexible batteries for wearable electronics; enabling long-context reasoning in large language models; and visually augmented language models.

"We are excited to launch the fourth round of joint research projects with the University of Illinois System,” said Prof. Oron Shagrir, HUJI’s Vice President for International Affairs. “The four new collaborative projects constitute a significant diversification of our joint endeavor to combine innovative and groundbreaking research in all STEM and life sciences topics with a strong potential for technology development and commercialization, thus also making an important contribution to the economic development of both ecosystems. We are very much looking forward to further expanding and deepening our collaboration with the University of Illinois System.”

"The four new collaborative projects constitute a significant diversification of our joint endeavor to combine innovative and groundbreaking research in all STEM and life sciences topics with a strong potential for technology development and commercialization (...)” -  Prof. Oron Shagrir, the Hebrew University

The partnership between the two universities also includes the Hebrew University as a founding academic partner of the Discovery Partners Institute, a U of I System initiative designed to train people for high-demand tech jobs, conduct applied R&D and help build businesses to grow Chicago’s tech ecosystem.

Project teams were required to have participation from the Hebrew University and from one of the three U of I System universities. Proposals also had to focus on agriculture, artificial intelligence, data science, medicine, STEM or life sciences – key areas of strength for both institutions.

“The proposals we receive for this seed grant program are truly innovative,” said Prof. Jay Walsh, the U of I System’s Vice President for Economic Development and Innovation. “I am impressed by the new knowledge that previous research projects have developed and the significant impact each could have. We expect that these newly funded projects will lead to breakthrough discoveries. This seed grant program is a cornerstone in the partnership we continue to build with Hebrew University, its faculty and its students."

“I am impressed by the new knowledge that previous research projects have developed and the significant impact each could have. We expect that these newly funded projects will lead to breakthrough discoveries. This seed grant program is a cornerstone in the partnership we continue to build with Hebrew University, its faculty and its students." - Prof. Jay Walsh, the U of I System

The projects receiving grants are:

•    Understanding limiting factors influencing the efficiency of atmospheric CO2 sequestration by basalt amendments in soils. Co-principal investigators: Maya Engel, Faculty of Soil and Water Sciences, Hebrew University, and Yuji Aral, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

•    Reinvention of the electrochemical interface enabling flexible batteries for wearable electronics. Co-principal investigators: Daniel Mandler, Faculty of Chemistry, Hebrew University, and Theresa Schoetz, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

•    Enabling long-context reasoning in LLMs through modular merging. Co-principal investigators: Roy Schwartz, Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering, Hebrew University, and Hao Peng, Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

•    Visually augmented language models. Co-principal investigators: Yossi Adi, Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering, Hebrew University, and Alex Schwing, Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

For a century, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has been a beacon for visionary minds who challenge norms and shape the future. Founded by luminaries like Albert Einstein, who entrusted his intellectual legacy to the University, it is dedicated to advancing knowledge, fostering leadership, and promoting diversity. Home to over 23,000 students from 90 countries, the Hebrew University drives much of Israel’s civilian scientific research, with over 11,000 patents and groundbreaking contributions recognized by nine Nobel Prizes, two Turing Awards, and a Fields Medal. Ranked 81st globally by the Shanghai Ranking (2024), it celebrates a century of excellence in research, education, and innovation. To learn more about the University’s academic programs, research, and achievements, visit the official website at http://new.huji.ac.il/en.

The University of Illinois System is a world leader in research and discovery, and the largest educational institution in the state with more than 97,700 students, about 28,000 full-time equivalent faculty and staff, and universities in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield. The U of I System awards more than 27,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees annually. Learn more at https://www.uillinois.edu/.