About BIDR

Some information about us

Message from BIDR Director

The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research (BIDR) were established in Midreshet Ben-Gurion in 1974, following a 1972 recommendation of the council for higher education and a 1973 decision of the Israeli government. In 1974, the Ben-Gurion University (BGU) nominated Prof. Amos Richmond to be the founder and first director of the institutes. In 1980, The Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation made a generous contribution to BGU, and the institutes were named The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research (BIDR). Under the BIDR umbrella, three research institutes are operated: The French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands (FAAB), The Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research (ZIWR), and The Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental & Energy Research (SIDEER).

Also, the Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies is the home of our graduate students, coming from 20 different countries, which offers M.Sc./M.A. and Ph.D. study programs in 'Desert Studies', 'Ecology, Conservation, and Management' and 'Hydrology and water quality'.

The Blaustein Center for Scientific Cooperation (BCSC) promotes exchange programs, postdoctoral training, workshops, and joint research programs with other academic institutions worldwide.

A balanced professional blend of 90 scientists, 60 technical and administrative staff members, and over 220 Israeli and foreign research (graduate) students, can perform basic and applied research related to the future and sustainability of our globe in times of enhanced natural and artificial changes. Our field of study includes water, energy, environmental physics, ecology, biotechnology, and agriculture.

Our diverse multidisciplinary research and advanced teaching activities are carried out in the laboratories, classes and other facilities on the Sde-Boker Campus, and in research stations and field research sites scattered over the Negev Desert.

The goal of the BIDR is to research the desert environment required for promoting sustainable uses of the Negev Desert and other drylands throughout the world.
Deserts and other drylands constitute more than 40% of the global land area. Global environmental changes such as global warming and further desertification of drylands threaten 1,300 million people in more than 100 countries. Nevertheless, our activities are not limited to drylands only. Our researchers deal with various water, energy, food, and ecological problems under different environmental conditions.

Besides the traditional structure of research groups operating in the framework of departments, the institutes conduct the 'Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies'. The school is responsible for all training and teaching activities at the Institutes and offers M.Sc./M.A. and Ph.D. study programs in 'Desert Studies'. For more details, see the school website

Prof. Noam Weisbrod
BIDR Director

Organizational Structure

BIDR Organizational Structure

BIDR Institutes

The FAAB sees the increasingly multidisciplinary nature of plant sciences as pivot for its future success. The recruitment of exceptional young scientists with backgrounds in holistic systems approaches will act as an anchor around which FAAB scientists can continue to develop dynamic and synergistic research programs at the cutting edge of life sciences.

The integration of the diverse range of biological disciplines within the FAAB will strengthen the already widespread collaborations between its various biologists and between the FAAB and the academic and industrial communities both in Israel and worldwide. Moreover, the FAAB will remain at the forefront in the training the next generation of scientists as it expands its exciting multidisciplinary educational program at the Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies. In addition, FAAB scientists will continue to mentor M.Sc. and Ph.D. research students, and post-doctoral fellows from Israel and abroad.

Department of Environmental Hydrology and Microbiology (EHM)

The Department of Environmental Hydrology & Microbiology promotes the advancement of research into the identification, quantification and improvement of water quality in arid zones.

Activities within the department are aimed at studying and developing water resources in desert basins with scarce hydro-geological information, with particular emphasis on developing methods for the treatment, reclamation and remediation of water in arid regions.

The Department of Desalination & Water Treatment (DWT)

When dryland population increases, expanding local water supplies is essential. Scientists and Technicians at the Department of Desalination and water Treatment are studying hight-tech desalination for providing water for drinking, agriculture and industry.

The Department of Desalination & Water Treatment investigates various aspects of desalination and treatment of different kinds of water for recycling.

The mission of the SIDEER is to foster integrated, interdisciplinary approaches to the study of the environment in the dryland of Israel and of the world.

The SIDEER strives to develop, implement and disseminate scientific knowledge and environmental technologies through interactions between the biological, physical, social, and planning disciplines.

The SIDEER endeavors to improve human well-being in natural and man-made environments in dryland by promoting conservation of the environment and sustainable development.

Alexandre Yersin Department of Solar Energy and Environmental Physics (YDSEEP)

The Department of Solar Energy and Environmental Physics is an interdisciplinary research group. It includes scientists with training in geography, meteorology, mechanical engineering, applied mathematics, physics and chemistry.

Research work at the department covers various aspects of the physical environment. These include solar energy utilization and applied optics, the desert climate, remote sensing, vegetation pattern formation and modeling of desertification, and basic aspects of nonlinear dynamics and thermodynamics as related to the environment. The department provides consultation services to government agencies and to municipalities with regard to the optimal utilization of solar energy in specific projects, and to industry - on the development of novel solar devices.

Marco and Louise Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology (MDDE)

Research at the MDDE has two main goals:

The first is to study deserts as model ecosystems for advancing ecological knowledge. MDDE faculty members conduct ecological research at different levels of integration including physiological, behavioral, population, community and landscape levels.
The second goal is to better understand the ecology of deserts in Israel and to make this knowledge available to the scientific community as well as to government and industry. This information can be used for the conservation and prudent, sustainable development of desert regions.

Join us

Why BIDR?

Location

Unique Research Environment in a safe, secure location

Nestled in the desert, the BIDR serves as a living laboratory where researchers tackle critical issues such as food, water, and energy scarcity and ecosystem conservation

Diverse Team

Multi and Interdisciplinary Approach

Engage with a diverse team of 70 scientists, 100 staff, and over 250 graduate students from 20 countries around the world