CALL FOR PROPOSALS 2022

Call for Proposals Grade Student and Post-Doctoral

Call for Proposal - Seeding Grant for University of Haifa Faculty Members

The Center for Cyber, Law and Policy (CCLP) invites scholars, researchers, young scientists, graduate and post-doctoral students, and experts in law policy and technology, in cyber with an emphasis on issues related to biometrics, to apply for research grants in the tracks described below. Applications must be submitted no later than 14 October 2022

 

DISCLAIMER: Approval of the proposals is subject to final budget approval.

The CCLP was established by the University of Haifa in collaboration with the Israeli National Cyber Directorate. The purpose of the CCLP is to develop the academic capacity necessary to advance cutting-edge research with theoretical and practical implications and to inform public policy in Israel and around the globe on cyber law and policy issues. Within the CCLP, a sub-center for the study of the technology, law and policy related to biometrics has been established, and this calls for proposals is for the sub-center as well. The CCLP takes an interdisciplinary approach, which integrates legal analysis, social sciences, and research related to innovative technologies, in order to develop a deeper understanding of challenges and opportunities cyber, including biometrics and AI, present. Within this sphere, the center covers questions related to regulatory “toolkits” for addressing governance, national security, innovation, competition and civil rights in the trans-jurisdictional (and international) digital ecosystem.

Research proposals should therefore be informed by the research mission of the CCLP as described above and follow the instructions listed on page 5 under “application submission.” Please relate to the themes (described under “themes” below) and be sure to specify the track for consideration (and matching funds, if applicable; while matching funds are not a pre-condition, proposals offering such funds will be preferred – see ANNEX).

 

  1. Research Track

Eligibility: Faculty members of any accredited academic institution in Israel and prominent academics or professional experts working in collaboration with a faculty member as Co-PIs on a joint proposal. A single researcher can submit applications.

Funding: up to NIS 200,000 (approx. USD 58,000) for up to 3 years. Proposals addressing aspects prominently related to biometrics (on its own or in relation to cyber questions) may receive up to 300,000 NIS.

* Applicants who are not faculty members at the University of Haifa shall be required to register as adjunct researchers.

  1. Group Track

To further encourage researchers to approach their research in an interdisciplinary manner, we allow Research Track proposals to collaborate as a research group. A group proposal will be based on at least three (but possibly more) Research Track proposals, together with an additional proposal to form a group emphasizing the expected synergy that the group offers (e.g., how one research track proposal would fit or support the other). A group proposal will aim at forming a group based on distinct research projects on closely related subjects from different perspectives.

Eligibility: Faculty members of any accredited academic institution in Israel and prominent academics or professional experts working in collaboration with a faculty member as Co-PIs on a joint proposal. The proposal must feature at least three Research Track proposals (please see above) and a group proposal for a related integrating project

Funding: up to NIS 400,000 (approx. USD 133,000) for up to 3 years, which includes the funding allocated to each Research Track proposal. Funding may exceed this sum at the discretion of CCLP based on the quality of the proposed group and its related Research Track proposals, the interdisciplinary quality of the group, and available resources.

* up to NIS 400,000 (approx. USD 133,000) for up to 3 years, which includes the funding allocated to each Research Track proposal. Funding may exceed this sum at the discretion of CCLP based on the quality of the proposed group and its related Research Track proposals, the interdisciplinary quality of the group, and available resources.

  1. Fellows Track

Eligibility: Graduate students of any accredited academic institution in Israel interested in pursuing a research project towards an academic publication (e.g., peer review journal, book, patent).

Funding: up to NIS 60,000 (approx. USD 17,500) for up to 3 years.

* Fellows will be required to attend a bi-weekly seminar at the University of Haifa and to register as CCLP Research Fellows. Attendance may be performed online, subject to COVID19 policies and regulations in force or adopted by the CCLP

  1. Visiting Researchers Track

Eligibility: Faculty, fellows and doctoral students of any accredited foreign academic institution interested in visiting CCLP for two weeks or more towards an academic publication (e.g., peer review journal, book, patent).

Funding: CCLP will cover travel and accommodation expenses throughout the visit. A modest honorarium, scholarship or grant may also be provided.

* Visiting researchers will be expected to attend a bi-weekly seminar at the University of Haifa and register as CCLP Research Fellows.

RESEARCH THEMES

CCLP will support selected proposals related to biometrics or cyber or the interrelation of cyber and biometrics, covering different angles (legal, ethical, or technological), including the following themes (listed alphabetically):

  • Accountability and risk management in data protection and cyber security; Cyber and or biometric surveillance, and the monitoring (legal, ethical, technological) thereof.

  • Artificial Intelligence, Algorithmic decision-making, Machine Learning; AI in public utilities (transportation, cities, education, medicine, agriculture, environment, etc).

  • AI and its interface with biometrics: biometric data collection, retention, protection, use – including use of biometric data in the public sphere (by public authorities, utilities, or the private market), fusion with other data, storage, and future use.

  • Blockchain (in general, or as applied in cryptocurrency); Blockchain, Multi-Party Computing, and biometric data.

  • Adversarial attacks on algorithms based on AI (detection, response, prevention); Attacks (detection, including detection of morphing attacks, response, prevention) on the biometric data-production and AI implementation chains.

  • Biometric identification/verification systems – technological research, regulatory research, the impact of the technologies on the promotion of public interests such as national security and innovation as well as on fundamental rights, the trans-jurisdictional dimension of biometric systems; the economy of biometric products; risks analysis of biometric devices, datagathering, data-sharing, analysis and storage;

  • Biometric Systems and Presentation Attack Detection (including deep fake, morphing etc.)

  • Biometrics and Terrorism

  • Cloud computing: storage, fundamental rights and security challenges ; Cloud computing in the context of biometric data: storage, fundamental rights and security challenges.

  • Cyber attacks: legal regimes, ethical considerations and policy implications; Tactics and strategies; Attribution; Counter-attacks; The economic, social and transnational ecosystem of attacks; Crises management (including in ransom attacks); Recovery.

  • Cyber defence: legal regimes and regulation, liabilities, economic incentives, information sharing, trans-jurisdictional and international norm-setting, enforcement and technical cooperation; Protection of critical infrastructure and the relationship between CI and other infrastructure.

  • Cyber and/or Biometrics (defence, surveillance, offence) during extreme conditions, emergencies, pandemics and other natural disasters: legal, ethical and policy analysis.

  • Cyber and/or Biometrics - ethics and social norms

  • Cyber, Biometric and human enhancement: legal, ethical and policy implications

  • Cyber and/or Biometrics - implications to International Humanitarian Law

  • Cyber insurance - international efforts for promoting, different attitudes towards government role, different approaches to insurance policies, the Israeli case

  • Cyber and terrorism.

  • Cyber and/or Biometric regulation: Processes, modalities, policy packages, institutional design, sandboxes methodologies.

  • Cyberspace, biometric and national security strategies (e.g., Cyber-deterrence and role of cyber in conventional deterrence; Cyberspace effects on geopolitical interaction; Arms race and offence-defence balance; Cyber and cross-domain campaign planning; National level crisismanagement and decision-making process in the cyber context)

  • Digital evidence, cybernetic and/or biometric forensics and attribution of criminal/civil wrongdoing; Cyber and/or biometrics as law & order tools.

  • Economic implications of cyber and/or biometric technologies (innovation, market regulation)

  • Facial recognition (and other biometric modalities) in public spaces.

  • Encryption: technology, regulation and standard setting; Pseudonimization.

  • Impact and measurement of cyber and/or biometric security regulation effectiveness

  • Information and communication technology multi-national corporations and their influence on cyber and/or biometric-security and risks (e.g., roles, duties, corporate responsibility, effects on the democratic regime; relations with government; platforms regulation; legal implications of cross-border activities).

  • Information warfare in cyber (e.g., as a tool of national power, attacks on democracy).

  • Law and policy implications of Big Data.  National and transnational aspects of cyber and/or biometric regulation.

  • Privacy and other rights (due process, equality, liberties) in cyber and/or biometrics – legal, policy and technological aspects.

  • Profiling – technological, legal and ethical implications; Biometric profiling (voice, picture, biologic data or other) – technological, ethical and legal implications

  • Recovering biometric data from templates – detection and prevention: technological and/or regulatory implications.  Security, Cyber and/or Biometric protection by Design

APPLICATION SUBMISSION

All applications must be completed in English and submitted electronically, clearly stating the submission track.

Applications should include:

  1. A Research Proposal: up to a three-page description of the proposed research and its relevance to the current call (plus one page for references). Additional supporting material may be submitted and read at the reviewers' discretion.
    The research proposal should include:
    1. A clear presentation of the research questions, their relevance to a specific theme, state of the art, the proposed solutions, methodologies or technical approaches the research intends to set forth, and their novelty.
    2. The qualification of the research team to perform the proposed research.
    3. A research plan and timetable demonstrating the feasibility of conducting the proposed research within the time and funding limitations.
    4. A Research Budget: please see Annex for guidelines. Where applicable, indicate whether other sources provide additional support. More specifically, if you have non-Israeli-government funds which may be, or are, allocated to support the proposed research or components thereof, please be sure to state the sum and source, as this increases the chances of funding.
  2. Curriculum Vitae of PIs, including a list of publications.

 

REVIEW PROCESS

All proposals will be peer-reviewed. Selection for funding will be determined by CCLP's Scientific Committee on the bases of academic excellence and the availability of resources. All funding decisions are subject to approval by the CCLP Steering Committee (and where relevant, the steering committee of the Biometrics’ sub-center). CCLP reserves complete discretion regarding awarding grants, including the option of not awarding any grant under this CFP. As noted, funding decisions are subject to signing the renewal agreement between the Israeli Government and the University of Haifa (currently pending) and to the subsequent allocation of budgets.

Decisions on funding are expected in early October.

 

GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Grant recipients will be expected to:

  1. Lead their research agenda, as well as collaborate with the CCLP faculty and fellows, and contribute to the building of its academic community and reputation.
  2. Participate in a bi-weekly research seminar (for fellows and visitors) and present their work at a CCLP conference/workshop.
  3. Submit a final research report describing the outcome of the research,
  4. Submit a paper for publication resulting from the research. Each publication supported by the grant will include an acknowledgment of CCLP.

DEADLINE

Completed applications must be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and received by 14 October 2022.

If you have any additional questions, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Annex

The research budget should be formulated subject to the following limitations:

  1. 1. Stipends/Scholarships:
    1. Scholarships to graduate students (including post-doctoral): up to 100%.
    2. Salaries for researchers in a scientific research team: up to 40%.
    3. Technical personnel: up to 10%.
  2. 2. Travel expenses (in Israel and abroad): up to 10%.
  3. 3. Hosting foreign researchers in Israel: up to 10%.
  4. 4. Equipment and computation power: up to 10%.
  5. 5. Miscellaneous: up to 5%.
  6. 6. Teaching: up to 25% and not exceeding four teaching units altogether for a year and all researchers taking part in the research.
  7. 7. Proposals with an additional source not the Israeli government (i.e., not the ISF, Israel's MOST, etc.) will be preferred. The proposed budget should detail the outside support and the requested matching from the CCLP. The total sum should not exceed the cap relevant to the chosen track.

THE ALLOCATION OF ANY FUNDS ACCORDING TO THIS CALL IS SUBJECT TO THE ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE RENEWAL AGREEMENT, EXTENDING THE OPERATION OF THE CCLP.