$200,000 funding offered by UAE-Israel joint initiative for research based on space data

Dubai: The UAE Space Agency, Israeli Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology and the Israel Space Agency are inviting universities and research institutes in the UAE and Israel to submit joint environmental research proposals based on space satellite data to bag a funding amount of $200,000 (Dh735,600).

The research proposal has to be based on data collected from the Israeli Vegetation and Environment Monitoring New Micro Satellite (VENµS), which monitors the environment and vegetation on earth.

This joint call for proposals is an outcome of the memorandum of understanding signed by the governments of the UAE and Israel in October 2021, in Dubai. The proposals will form part of the Environment Monitoring Joint Research Project, an earth observation programme that collects data using space-based remote sensing, which plays a crucial role in valuable scientific research about our planet. Using various sensors, the method enables monitoring and exploration of different phenomena and fosters better water resources monitoring, precision agriculture, vegetation exploration, land mapping and more.

Successful proposals will be selected by a joint UAE-Israel committee, who will choose one project to be funded. The selected research project will receive $200,000 of funding from the UAE Space Agency and Israel Space Agency. It will leverage big data analytics, informatics and related techniques to expand humanity’s collective scientific knowledge about earth and how we can live more sustainably.

“Global collaboration is the key to leveraging space to protect our planet. By partnering alongside other leading nations in the space sector, we are contributing to expanding the global base of scientific knowledge to help humanity develop solutions to its greatest challenges,” said Sarah bint Yousif Al Amiri, UAE Minister of State for Advanced Technology and Chairwoman of the UAE Space Agency.

“On the occasion of the UAE Innovation Month 2022, we draw upon homegrown talent, by inviting local researchers to submit joint project proposals. In doing so, we are contributing to a more robust space economy and driving even greater collaboration in the space sector. We are also supporting global effort to leverage science and technology to solve environmental and climate challenges.”

Orit Farkash-Hacohen, Israel’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, said: “The important space cooperation between Israel and the UAE shows how technology connects nations. The VENµS satellite is helping find solutions to deal with climate change.‏The joint research will help advance shared issues between the UAE and Israel, including those in the field of agri-tech, climate change and others. I would like to express my gratitude to Minister Al Amiri for the cooperation and shared vision.”

The proposals must be based on data from the VENµS satellite, Environment Monitoring Joint Research Project, a joint programme between the Israel Space Agency and CNES, the French Space Agency, monitoring vegetation and the environment on earth from a micro satellite. Proposals must be in the field of earth observation with focus on agriculture and water research.

Proposals must be jointly submitted by the UAE and Israeli research groups and should utilise Environment Monitoring Joint Research Project data. The proposed project must not exceed two years. Proposals should be submitted by the UAE and Israeli team to their respective authorities. Research groups and universities based in the UAE should submit through Apps@space.gov.ae, while participants in Israel should use the online system via the following link https://kf.most.gov.il. The final submission deadline is March 16.

Full information on the submission requirements, proposals guidelines, and potential Israeli partners can be found at: https://space.gov.ae/Page/20121/20272/Environmental-Monitoring