BGU | Fundraising Handbook

capabilities, all of which are top priorities. BGU climbed approximately 200 places in this ranking compared to the previous year and is now placed among the top 301-400 universities worldwide. BGU has also earned an increase in its share of Israel’s national research funding model for universities, where we are now ranked fourth nationally in total research output and funding, surpassing the Weizmann Institute. These successes are the result of strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing research, improving infrastructure, and fostering a vibrant intellectual environment. The University’s ability to ensure that this positive trend continues will rely on the implementation of new strategic initiatives and targeted investment aimed at building the University’s research capacity and capabilities. strategic plan, and reverse the disturbing downward trend identified in 2020, in which research output was decreasing, along with the University’s international rankings and research funding. However, our donors also drive BGU’s advancement, providing the necessary funding to build the University’s research capacity, fuel expansion, develop its research infrastructure, purchase specialized equipment, and create a culture of research excellence. In fact, our donors and researchers are partners, each with a major role to play in BGU’s progress in the coming years. Donor investment in building BGU’s research capacity and capabilities will enable our researchers to perform state-of-the-art research in state of-the-art facilities, and together, working hand-in-hand, our donors and researchers will generate the forward momentum needed to ensure the continuation of the current positive research trend and establish a trajectory of growth and expansion, positioning BGU as a leading university locally and internationally. Enlisting Support to Build BGU’s Research Capacity There are numerous funding opportunities associated with building BGU’s research capacity. Donors can support major capital projects like the new Civil and Environmental Engineering Building, which is still available for naming, along with the facilities inside named buildings being built on the North Campus. There are also ample opportunities to name research labs and centers on our other campuses and support the establishment of new centers and labs there. Existing facilities need renovation and upgrading. Research equipment is needed across a wide range of price points. There is also a need for specialized BGU’s researchers play an important role in the University’s ability to achieve its goals, fulfill its

equipment for individual labs and shared equipment used by multiple researchers. The researchers of tomorrow are being taught in our classrooms and teaching laboratories and performing research alongside our faculty members in labs across BGU; investment in scholarships and fellowships fuels their education and professional development and creates new generations of researchers. New and existing classrooms and teaching facilities are available for naming. Academic departments can also be named. Professorial Chairs and Career Development Chairs also provide an opportunity to build research capacity. There are also opportunities to support individual research projects, research performed by specific researchers or centers, thematic research, research programs, etc. Donors can also support prizes, recognizing and inspiring research excellence; calls for proposals, fostering collaboration and research centered on a specific topic; and conferences and workshops, offering an opportunity to showcase the work of BGU’s researchers, disseminate research findings, and bring leaders in diverse fields to the University. With researchers studying a wide range of topics across the University, there is an area of research that is certain to interest every donor. Reporting Reporting varies depending on the project supported. For example, donors supporting the purchase of equipment will receive a one-time report on how the equipment is advancing research at BGU. An annual report on activities and programs receiving donor support will be provided for the funding period. In the case in which labs are established or supported with donor funding, the donor will receive an annual report on their activities and accomplishments. Donors supporting undergraduate scholarships will receive an annual report, representative in nature and reflecting the students awarded scholarships by a given donor (the report can be in written or video form, as per the donor’s request), and donors supporting postgraduate fellowships will receive an annual report highlighting the research and activities performed by the fellowship recipient. Dedication Ceremony Gifts to support significant named entities, including research programs, will be recognized at a dedication ceremony held in the presence of the donor and senior administration.

ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH EXCELLENCE

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RESEARCH CAPACITY AND EXPANSION