Dr. Tali Gottfried from Herzog Academic College has been recognized with an ISERD Director Award for her European Union-funded research into using music therapy to treat recovering addicts.
Dr. Tali Gottfried is academic coordinator of Herzog College’s Special Education MA program and lecturer in music therapy, plus Israel’s representative at the European Music Therapy Confederation since 2014. In September 2024, her FALCO research project was awarded a prestigious five-year research grant by the European Union through the Horizon Europe Fund.
The FALCO study, examining music therapy as a rehabilitative tool for drug and alcohol addiction recovery, spans 14 centers across 8 countries, with Dr. Gottfried leading the Israeli arm. The research examines the impact of a listening group and an active music-playing group as part of the rehabilitation process.
The Israeli National Contact Point for European R&D (ISERD), operating under the Israel Innovation Authority, usually awards Israeli researchers from major research universities, but this year they also included researchers from Herzog Academic College and Sapir Academic College, recognizing Herzog’s contribution to internationally-funded academic research for the first time. In recent years, Israeli researchers have faced difficulties obtaining research international grants, making this award all the more significant and important.
Dr. Gottfried says: “I am excited to receive this recognition for my research work in the field of music therapy and addiction. I am proud to be establishing the value of music therapy as a serious and regulated field, and using it to help people who need support. The number of people addicted to drugs and alcohol in Israel has risen dramatically over the past three years. According to the latest ICA report, one in four adults uses mind-altering substances to cope with their mental state. A research project like FALCO offers a non-invasive, non-harmful therapeutic path for the wellbeing of those who need it.”
The President of Herzog Academic College, Prof. Avishalom Westreich, congratulated Dr. Gottfried on the impressive achievement, adding: “This is research of the utmost social importance, built on the highest academic quality. Herzog Academic College has been blessed with outstanding teachers and researchers, working together to fulfill the social, educational, and values-based mission that they impart to students, to academia, and to society in Israel and around the world.”