ICRF 50th Anniversary Timeline
Celebrating 50 years of impact in cancer research.
1975–1985 | The Beginning
1975 – Israel Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) is founded.
1977 – First research grants awarded to Israeli scientists.
1980 – Scientific Advisory Board and Review Panels established.
1982 – ICRF funds research on the p53 gene — now one of the most studied in cancer biology.
1986–1995 | Discovery and Growth
1988 – ICRF passes $5 million in research funding.
1991 – Over $10 million raised. Grants extended to support émigré scientists from the Soviet Union.
1995 – ICRF-funded Dr. Alberto Gabizon develops Doxil®, a breakthrough cancer drug.
1996–2005 | Global Recognition
1999 – Drs. Yair Reisner and Tsvee Lapidot advance bone marrow transplantation techniques.
2001 – Research leads to the development of Gleevec®, a life-saving leukemia drug.
2004 – Drs. Avram Hershko and Aaron Ciechanover win Israel’s first Nobel Prize in science, for work funded by ICRF.
2006–2015 | Expanding Impact
2007–2013 – ICRF awards a record number of Professorships across Israel.
2011 – Dr. Yosef Shiloh and Dr. Howard Cedar receive top international scientific honors.
2014 – ICRF surpasses 2,000 funded grants and $50 million in total support.
2015 – ICRF earns a 4-Star rating from Charity Navigator for transparency and fiscal responsibility.
Montreal Milestones
1975 – ICRF Montreal chapter is founded by Nettie and Sidney Weinstein.
1994 – ICRF Montreal becomes an independent nonprofit, launching its own Scientific Advisory Board.
Today – Montreal has funded over 30 Israeli post-docs in local hospitals, supporting research both in Canada and Israel.
50 Years of Progress
2025 – ICRF celebrates half a century of breakthroughs, collaboration, and hope.