Advancing fundamental AI research and discovery
This effort is focused on driving scientific discovery and empowering the next generation of AI researchers. In collaboration with TAD, we aim to support front-line research through grants and joint projects that push the latest. Funding targets critical areas that will help researchers tackle some of the most fundamental challenges in artificial intelligence, focusing on goals with far-reaching potential:
- Making AI more effective and sustainable: Developing algorithmic innovations that drive more efficiency in Machine Learning models and systems.
- Building multilingual, multimodal and multicultural artificial intelligence: To create better ways to evaluate how generative models understand text and images across different languages.
- Exploring the Next Frontier of Computing: Investigating new quantum algorithms for real-world applications.
- Advancing secure and privacy-preserving AI: Investigating new techniques for better privacy and security.
At the same time, we are launching collaborative projects between Google Research teams and TAU researchers on current topics such as Evaluations for GenAI and AI for Climate & Weather Research. These joint efforts will be focused on exciting fields of research, such as using ML to create the first-ever global map of flower color for conservation efforts and developing generative navigation methods for embodied agents.
To further enable these and other discoveries, we provide Google Cloud Platform (GCP) credits. We hope that this infrastructure will help ensure that researchers can tackle the most ambitious, resource-intensive projects and explore the possibilities of Google’s latest open models, such as Gemma, directly in their research.
Empowering the next generation of AI researchers
We actively support the TAU research community through the integration of specialized AI and Data Science courses across traditionally non-computational fields—from law and humanities to life sciences—and equip students with advanced tools to tackle complex research questions in ways that were previously impossible. This effort supports the expansion of critical early education initiatives, such as the BITS of AI program, designed to cultivate the next generation of AI researchers.
The funding from this collaboration will directly support PhD students through scholarships and travel awards to help researchers present their findings globally. In addition, this year we were able to award scholarships to two PhD students at TAU ​​through our Google PhD Fellowship program. And to further expand students’ access to Google AI tools, we also offer students at Israeli universities a one-year free Google AI Pro plan.
Advancing AI research through collaboration
The partnership between Google and Tel Aviv University is based on a shared belief that the biggest challenges can only be solved when we work together. By combining TAU’s academic excellence and pioneering spirit with Google’s cutting-edge engineering and AI research capabilities, we can help accelerate the next wave of scientific breakthroughs.