Homepage of the Minerva Stiftung

The Minerva Stiftung

The Minerva Stiftung is the flagship of German-Israeli scientific cooperation. It is financed by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, and works closely with leading universities and research facilities in Israel.

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Minerva Center Programme

Minerva Centers are scientific pioneer institutions in Israel with topics that are innovative and of special interest to the scientific community in Israel and Germany. The research at the Centers is carried out in cooperation with German partners and are funded by the Minerva Stiftung. Minerva Centers are located at the six Israeli universities and the Weizmann Institute of Science.

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The Minerva Fellowship Programme

Since 1973 the Minerva Fellowship Programme enables Israeli and German scientists to complete a research residency at institutions in the respective other country. Graduates and postdocs get the possibility to further their scientific background while conducting a research project at their host institution in Israel or Germany. They promote research and strengthen the cultural and scientific exchange between Germany and Israel. To date, more than 2000 Minerva Fellowships have been awarded to German and Israeli researchers.
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The Minerva Weizmann Programme

The Minerva Weizmann Programme was the first scientific Programme between Germany and Israel. For its implementation, the Minerva Stiftung was founded to maintain and cultivate the scientific exchange between the two countries. Since 1964 the agreement has been renewed every year and secured funding for roughly 2,000 projects in chemistry, physics, mathematics, and the biosciences. Today approximately eighty projects are supported with a total of € 3,580,000 annually.

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Former Minerva Fellow Noam Libeskind talked in a keynote speech about his research

“Building Bridges” - Meeting of Minerva and Max Planck Alumni in Berlin

July 08, 2025

Building bridges – that was an important message at this year's Max Planck Alumni Symposium at the Harnack House in Berlin from June 30^th to July 1st, which was open to Alumni of the Minerva Foundation for the first time.
In a keynote speech, Managing Director Ulman Lindenberger recounted the Minerva Foundation's beginnings in 1959, when a delegation from the Max Planck Society travelled to Israel, and described the development of a successful German-Israeli cooperation that is still supported by three pillars today: the Minerva Fellowship Programme, the Minerva Weizmann Programme and the Minerva Center Programme.

Offer for help and support - in Hebrew, Arabic, English and German!

June 20, 2025

Max Planck Society Middle East Crisis Minerva Fellowships

The Minerva Foundation and the Max Planck Society are watching with great concern as the conflict in the Middle East continues to escalate. Fellows from the Minerva Stiftung as well as employees of the Max Planck Society are also affected by the current escalation. The Max Planck Society is offering immediate psychological counselling through the EMAP - Employee and Manager Assistance Program, including in Hebrew, Arabic and Farsi.

Group Picture of the Minerva Fellowship Meeting in Spring 2025 in Berlin

Meeting of the Minerva Fellowship Committee and the current German and Israeli Minerva Fellows in Berlin in spring 2025

May 20, 2025

Minerva Committees Minerva Fellowships

On the occasion of the spring meeting of the Minerva Fellowship Committee, also the current German and Israeli Minerva Fellowship holders were invited to meet in Berlin at the Max Planck Society's conference centre, the Harnack House.

Statement on the terror attacks against Israel

October 11, 2023

Max Planck Society Middle East Crisis

We, the Max Planck Society and the Minerva Foundation, condemn the horrific attacks by Hamas against Israel in the strongest possible terms.

President Cramer during his solidarity trip to Israel in November 2023
Copyright: MPG / Minerva Stiftung

Interview with President Cramer

President Cramer gave an interview to the Israeli daily newspaper Times of Israel in the course of the solidarity trip to Israel at the end of November 2023 regarding German-Israeli research relations in view of the current Middle East crisis.

Solidarity trip to Israel

December 04, 2023

Max Planck Society Middle East Crisis

President Patrick Cramer and a small delegation from the Max Planck Society and the Minerva Stiftung traveled to Israel at the End of November 2023.

Team of the Minerva Stiftung

Minerva Team

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The Minerva Management

A joint team: Prof. Dr. Ulman Lindenberger and Maximilian Prugger

Delegation of the Max Planck Society at the airport in 1959
Copyright: MPG

History of the Minerva Stiftung

History Max Planck Society

Today, the Minerva Stiftung, founded in the 1960s as a subsidiary of the Max Planck Society, is the flagship of German-Israeli scientific cooperation. It is financed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, and works closely with leading universities and research facilities in Israel.