Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University (CFHU)

Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University (CFHU) is a national charitable foundation, founded in 1944 by philanthropist Allan Bronfman, whose core mandate is to generate financial support for the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. From its Canadian donor base, CFHU channels funds into scholarships for students, research projects, academic exchanges and strategic partnerships, helping Hebrew University remain one of the world’s leading centres of research and higher education.

Through thematic campaigns such as the Walk in Their Shoes 4 Change initiative for Israelis of Ethiopian descent, CFHU helps create dedicated scholarship funds that cover tuition, living costs and academic guidance for under‑represented students. Other funds target specific research areas, including the Alex U. Soyka Pancreatic Cancer Research Project at IMRIC and international collaborations in fields such as medicine, law, autism research and urban studies.

CFHU’s funding primarily benefits students, researchers and faculty connected to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, while also engaging partner universities and institutes across Canada. Priority sectors evidenced on the site include computational medicine, cancer research, entrepreneurship and innovation, social sciences, humanities, law, exact sciences and medicine. The organization also supports faculty and student exchanges, short-term courses like the Asper International Program on Israeli Law and Society, and professorial exchange programs that broaden access to international teaching and research opportunities.

A large part of CFHU’s mission is to foster international partnerships. The foundation helps structure and support collaborations such as the University of Toronto–Hebrew University of Jerusalem Research & Innovation Alliance, multi-institutional cancer research initiatives with the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research and Sheba Medical Center, and autism research collaborations involving Canadian hospitals and universities. By mobilizing Canadian philanthropy for these initiatives, CFHU underwrites joint projects that can lead to scientific breakthroughs and social impact well beyond Israel and Canada.

CFHU describes an impact that extends beyond simple fundraising, emphasizing its role in sustaining long-term academic excellence at Hebrew University and strengthening ties with Canada’s research ecosystem. While the website focuses more on impact stories and campaigns than on formal application procedures, it clearly positions CFHU as a funding conduit, using donor contributions to support multiple scholarship, research and exchange programs aligned with its mission of advancing knowledge for the benefit of society.