Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research

The Institutes for Desert Research were established in Sede-Boqer in 1974 and renamed the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research (BIDR) in 1980. The Institutes conduct interdisciplinary, cutting-edge research and graduate education in water sciences. Their work is aimed at improving human life in the drylands through technologies and policies for the sustainable use of water resources.
 
A balanced professional blend of 90 scientists, 60 technical and administrative staff members, and more than 150 Israeli and foreign research students perform basic and applied research related to drylands, including environmental physics, water and sciences technology, ecology, plant and animal physiology, cellular and molecular biology, and social science research. Diverse research and teaching activities take place in the laboratories, classes, and other facilities on the Sede-Boqer Campus, as well as in research stations and field research sites scattered over the Negev Desert.