NEW YORK, NY—November 5, 2008—The Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel was ranked the best international academic institution for which to work by The Scientist magazine. Participants in the magazine’s annual survey of “Best Places to Work in Academia” cited Weizmann’s research resources, infrastructure, and work environment as particular strengths.

The survey, published in The Scientist’s November issue, reviewed entries from over 2,300 qualified respondents. These respondents represented a total of 73 institutions: 54 from the U.S. and 19 from abroad. Survey respondents were asked to assess their work environments by indicating their level of agreement with 41 criteria, in eight different areas. Categories included the quality of mentoring, infrastructure and environment, pay, research resources, and tenure.

An analysis by the magazine determined that Australia is the best country overall in which to conduct scientific research. Runners-up were Israel, Belgium, the United States, and Canada. Readers ranked J. David Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco as the best academic environment in the United States.

Prof. Haim Garty, a Vice President of the Weizmann Institute, said in an interview with The Scientist, “What’s unique to us … is that the red tape is minimal. The Institute’s role is to provide the resources and stay out of the way.”

The Scientist, the magazine of life sciences, has been published for over 20 years. Details on the survey can be viewed at www.the-scientist.com.

The American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science (ACWIS), founded in 1944, develops philanthropic support for the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, one of the world's premier scientific research institutions. The Weizmann Institute is a center of multidisciplinary scientific research and graduate study, addressing crucial problems in medicine and health, technology, energy, agriculture, and the environment. For additional information, please visit www.weizmann-usa.org.