WASHINGTON D.C. — The Israel – U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation announced it is seeking proposals for collaborative projects to develop advanced technologies for the homeland security mission. The BIRD Homeland Security (HLS) program is a joint initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and the Israel Ministry of Public Security (MOPS).
“This is an important collaboration that enables both the U.S. and our Israeli colleagues to benefit from innovative new technologies that can address our common security needs,” said DHS Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Under Secretary for Science and Technology William N. Bryan. “We are excited to renew this partnership for the fifth year and address the toughest challenges facing our missions today.”
This year’s call for proposals includes six areas for U.S. and Israeli collaboration:
- Technologies to support law enforcement in combatting cyber crime
- Technologies and methods to secure critical infrastructure and public facilities
- Technologies focused on safe and secure cities
- Border protection, including maritime security
- Unmanned aerial systems
- Advanced first responder technologies
“We are pleased to announce the new BIRD HLS Call for Proposals that supports projects in areas related to homeland security,” said Dr. Eitan Yudilevich, BIRD Foundation Executive Director. “This is the fifth year of the program, established by DHS S&T and MOPS, supporting cooperation between U.S. and Israeli companies to provide innovative solutions and fulfill critical homeland security needs in both countries.”
The deadline to submit HLS Program executive summaries is August 13, 2020, and final proposals are due September 23, 2020. Projects will be awarded in December 2020. A full description of submission requirements can be found on the BIRD Foundation website.
The BIRD Foundation is a unique U.S.-Israeli partnership that accelerates cooperation between U.S. and Israeli companies, academia and other research institutions in a wide range of technology sectors and fosters strategic partnerships between partners in both countries for the benefit of joint research and development. The program funds up to 50 percent of the combined project budget, up to $1 million per project, and works with awardees to identify and facilitate introductions to potential strategic partners.
S&T’s mission is to enable effective, efficient, and secure operations across all homeland security missions by applying scientific, engineering, analytic, and innovative approaches to deliver timely solutions and support departmental acquisitions. Created by Congress in 2003, S&T conducts basic and applied research, development, demonstration, testing and evaluation activities relevant to DHS. For more information about S&T, visit scitech.dhs.gov.
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