Israel, US seek to fund joint projects in energy cybersecurity
Companies, research institutes, and universities are called to apply for funding to develop tools and tech in the field of cybersecurity for critical energy infrastructure
Shoshanna Solomon was The Times of Israel's Startups and Business reporter
The US Department of Energy (DOE), the Israel Ministry of Energy, and the Israel Innovation Authority are calling on companies, research institutes, and universities to apply for funding for projects developing tools and technology in the field of cyber security for critical energy and physical infrastructure.
The funding is part of the US-Israel Center of Excellence in Energy, Engineering and Water Technology initiative for cooperation in finding tech solutions to challenges facing the energy, water, cybersecurity and fossil fuel sectors.
As part of the latest initiative, companies and research institutions in Israel and the US are encouraged to form consortia of at least two entities from each country and apply for awards.
The maximum award for a winning consortium is $6 million for a period of 3 years, with participants taking on 50 percent of the cost of their project. The program may be extended for up to two additional years, for a total of five years, with a maximum total award of $10 million, the BIRD Israel-US Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation said in a statement. The BIRD Foundation is running the project.
The goal of the joint US-Israel Energy Center is to promote energy security and economic development through the research and development of innovative energy technologies, while facilitating cooperation among consortia of US and Israeli companies, research institutes, and universities.
The establishment of a joint US-Israel Energy Center was first authorized by Congress in the US-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014. The US DOE and Israel’s Ministry of Energy signed an Implementation Agreement on June 25, 2018, setting up the center. In February 2019, DOE said the BIRD Foundation will operate the US-Israel Energy Center.
The BIRD Foundation will host an informational webinar to provide an overview of the program guidelines and requirements on September 10, 2020. The submission deadline for proposals is October 29, 2020, the statement said.
