Google awards grant to Tel Aviv University to help fight COVID-19
The Google Israel office has not only been a key contributor to the fight against the novel coronavirus, but also serves as a center that protects populations faced with natural disasters.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFAn illuminated Google logo is seen inside an office building in Zurich, Switzerland December 5, 2018.(photo credit: REUTERS/ARND WIEGMANN)
Google.org, a fund organized to support data-based solutions for "humanity’s greatest challenges," has awarded a competitive grant to Tel Aviv University for its research in employing Data Science and Artificial Intelligence to combat the novel coronavirus.Google has recently put forth efforts to contribute and do their part to combat the ongoing health crisis, while promoting its "AI for Social Good" research program - led by Vice President at Google and CEO of the Research and Development Center at Google Israel Prof. Yossi Matias.The Israel office has not only been a key contributor to the fight against the novel coronavirus, but also serves as a center that protects populations faced with natural disasters.The grant itself, will be awarded to the AI and Data Science Center at Tel Aviv University to go towards research employing AI solutions and advanced statistical methods to combat COVID-19. Many of their solutions work off data provided by government ministries, as well as the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, and helps them compile an accurate model of the coronavirus spread across the country."Tel Aviv University is proud that Google has chosen to award this significant grant to the AI and Data Science Center, in order to expand COVID-19 research in Israel. This grant will support the development of AI and Reinforcement Learning based tools for planning and examining the effects of different steps on the spread of the pandemic," said Head of the AI and Data Science Center at Tel Aviv University Prof. Meir Feder. "The research findings will be used by decision-makers in their efforts to establish policies for stopping the pandemic."
