Commercial companies, research institutes and universities from the U.S. and Israel are encouraged to form consortia of at least two entities from each country and apply for the award in the topic of Cybersecurity for Energy Infrastructure, for the development of tools and technology for energy cyber and cyber-physical security for critical infrastructure.
The maximum award for the winning consortium is $6 million for a period of 3 years, subject to appropriations/funding allocation and performance. A 50 percent cost-share is required from the awardees. The program may be extended for up to 2 additional years for a total of 5 years, with a maximum total award of $10 million.
The goal of the 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 U.S. and Israeli companies, research institutes, and universities.
The establishment of a joint U.S.-Israel Energy Center was first authorized by Congress in the U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014. The U.S. Department of Energy and the Israeli Ministry of Energy signed an Implementation Agreement in June 2018, establishing the Center. In February 2019, the department announced the Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation as the operating agent of the Energy Center.
The BIRD Foundation works to encourage and facilitate cooperation between U.S. and Israeli companies in a wide range of technology sectors and offers funding to selected projects.
The deadline for submission of proposals for the energy infrastructure cybersecurity project is October 29. Additional details can be found on the website of the Energy Center.