The government is to increase financial aid for a scheme that has enhanced links between British and Israeli academics.

Foreign Office Minister Ivan Lewis said that an extra £29,000 will be given to the British Israel Research and Academic Exchange partnership (BIRAX), which was set up as a bulwark against a threatened academic boycott of Israel.

The partnership, now in its second year, has given support to 15 innovative scientific research projects ranging from galaxy clusters to motor neuron degeneration and involving 17 different universities in Britain and Israel.

Mr Lewis said: “We hope the extra money we are investing will boost BIRAX in its second year and help extend the scheme more widely.”

The scheme is also supported by the Israeli government, the Pears Foundation, UJIA, Universities UK, the British Council and Israel’s University Presidents’ Association.