Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology
Australia and India continue to strengthen our relationship by working together to help shape a global technology environment that meets our shared vision of an open, inclusive, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific, where the rules-based international order is upheld.
Australia and India's bilateral cyber and critical technology cooperation is underpinned by the Australia-India Framework Arrangement on Cyber and Cyber Enabled Critical Technologies Cooperation (Framework Arrangement), agreed by Foreign Ministers under the 2020 Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The Australia-India Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership (AICCTP), established in 2020, commits $12.7 million over four years to support Australia-India collaborations on cyber and critical technology issues, and deepen institutional, research, business, and government linkages. Initiatives include research grants, policy exchanges, information sharing and awareness raising activities.
The AICCTP grants program supports Australia-India collaborative research projects to advance our shared understanding of ethical frameworks, best practice and technical standards for cyber and critical technology to boost the responsible development and use of emerging technologies between our countries and in our region.
The AICCTP is an important component of Australia's broader efforts to uplift cyber security and resilience through collaborating with international stakeholders.
About the AICCTP Partnership
The AICCTP's 2023-24 grant opportunity (Round 4) of A$1.6 million will consider proposals for collaboration on cyber and critical technology, which will help shape a global technology environment that meets our shared vision of an open, inclusive, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific, where the rules-based international order is upheld.
The AICCTP 2023-24 grant opportunity (Round 4) will support a collaborative model where Australian and Indian stakeholders combine knowledge and resources to advance and protect our collective interests in cyberspace and critical technology. Proposals can involve multistakeholder and cross-disciplinary partnership, which utilise Indian and Australian expertise. Proposals may engage institutions in other Indo-Pacific countries or be designed to be scalable and replicable in India and elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific.
Priority areas
Round 4 grant funding will prioritise emerging and critical technology-related proposals that focus primarily on the following areas:
- Initiatives that develop standards and ethical frameworks to address risks to international peace and stability arising from critical technology design, development and use.
- Activities that promote diversity and inclusivity in the design, development and implementation of critical technology standards and ethical frameworks.
- Activities that examine best practice in translating critical technology ethical frameworks and principles into policies and practical action.
- Initiatives that explore how critical technology standards, ethical frameworks and principles can facilitate bilateral and regional trade (including digital trade) and economic opportunities in critical technologies.
Who can apply?
To be eligible the lead partner must be a research institution located in Australia and have a partner institution that is located in India for the purposes of the activity or located in India and have a partner institution that is located in Australia for the purposes of the activity and be one of the following entity types:
- a company incorporated in Australia or India;
- a company incorporated by guarantee;
- an incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust;
- an incorporated association;
- a partnership;
- a joint (consortia) application with a lead organisation;
- a think tank or research organisation;
- an Indian or Australian sub-national government body.
Available funding
For any single grant proposal, the minimum grant funding considered is $150,000 and the maximum is $250,000.
DFAT anticipates that a total of up to A$1.6 million in funding would be available for AICCTP Grant Round 4.
Prospective grantees cannot use funding from other Commonwealth, state, territory or local government sources to fund your share of eligible expenditure. DFAT reserves the right to offer less funding than that requested by the applicant.
How to apply?
All AICCTP grant applications must be submitted through our online grants management system SmartyGrants.
Before applying, you must read and understand the AICCTP Grant Round 4 guidelines and the application form available at SmartyGrants and through GrantConnect. Any alterations and addenda to the guidelines will be published on GrantConnect and by registering on this website, you will be automatically notified on any changes. GrantConnect is the authoritative source for grants information.
To apply you must:
- complete the online application form on DFAT's online grant application system SmartyGrants and provide all the required information
- address eligibility criteria and assessment criteria
- include all necessary attachments (see 7.1 below)
- submit your application/s no later than 24 May 2024 (no extensions will be granted) by 17:00 Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) (UTC +10:00)/ 12:30pm India Standard Time (IST) (UTC +05:30).
About previous grant rounds
Examples of previous collaborative projects funded by the program include developing governance frameworks and best practices for emerging quantum technologies; operationalising ethical frameworks in the critical technology supply chains of global companies; and addressing privacy and security challenges in next generation telecommunications networks.
Key reference documents and links
- AICCTP Grand Round 4 Questions and Answers (FAQs) [DOCX 24 KB]
- AICCTP Grand Round 4 Questions and Answers (FAQs) [PDF 105 KB]
- AICCTP Grant Round 4 – Applicant Questions and Answers [PDF 165 KB]
- AICCTP Grant Round 4 – Applicant Questions and Answers [DOCX 21 KB]
Previous recipients and projects
Grant Round 3
| Grant Recipient Partners | Grant Project |
|---|---|
University of Wollongong Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur) | Standardisation and development of practical privacy enhancing cryptographic techniques for cloud computing |
The University of Sydney Observer Research Foundation (ORF) | Critical Quantum Technology: Creating Scientific Fluency, Ethical Awareness and Policy Options for a Quantum Future |
The University of Western Australia IT for Change | Effective Ethical Frameworks for the State as an Enabler of Innovation |
Swinburne University Indian Institute of Technology Palakkad (IIT Palakkad) Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) | Responsible Al for Net Zero – An Australian and India Collaborative Approach |
The Australian National University InKlude Labs | New ethical frameworks for synthetic biology in the Indo-Pacific |
National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) University of Law, India University of Melbourne Ikigai Law | 101:BUILD: Building IncLusivity by Design in AI/ML Powered Healthtech: an Indo-Australian Partnership for International Policy Making |
Grant Round 2
| Grant Recipient Partners | Grant Project |
|---|---|
The Australian National University (ANU) – The Tech Policy Design Centre and College of Law National Law University Delhi | Shaping blockchain technical standards consistent with Australia and India's shared vision of an open, free, rules-based Indo-Pacific |
Victoria University Gujarat National Law University | Cross Border Data Flows Between Australia and India: Understanding the legal, policy and ethical standards for data, cyber security, AI, quantum and new technologies |
Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) The Centre for the Internet and Society India | A techdiplomacy and negotiation guide on technical standards for Artificial Intelligence in the Indo-Pacific |
Consumer Unity and Trust Society of India Australian Risk Policy Institute International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIITB) | Ethical 6G - Identifying Elements of Ethical Framework for 6G and Creating Opportunities for India and Australia |
Grant Round 1
All Grant Round 1 projects are completed.
| Grant Recipient Partners | Grant Project |
|---|---|
The University of Sydney School of Computer Science University of New South Wales Orbit Australia Reliance Jio Indian Institute of Technology Madras Calligo Technologies | Next Generation Telecommunications Networks: Privacy and Security Challenges, Regulatory Interventions and Policy Framework Project |
The University of Sydney Centre for International Security Studies Observer Research Foundation (ORF) | Quantum Meta-ethics: A Project to Develop Normative Frameworks, Best Practices and Effective Accords for Emerging Quantum Technologies |
La Trobe University Indian Institute of Gandhingar Indian Institute of Kanpur | Operationalising Ethical Frameworks in the critical technologies industries operating in India and Australia |
The Australia-India Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership (AICCTP) Round 4 is now open for applications until Friday 24 May 2024 (5pm AEST/ 12:30pm India Standard Time).