Cyber Security Research and Innovation Contest

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• The U.S. Consulate General Chennai proposes to fund a Cybersecurity Research and Innovation Contest for young programmers and students of Information Technology (Age limit: 20-35 years only). The preliminary round of the contest will be conducted in six cities across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala, culminating in a grand finale in Chennai. While building general awareness about opportunities and challenges in the field of cybersecurity, this program will build interest in research and innovation in this field among young talents in India. Though thousands of students graduate with degrees in Information Technology across South India, only a small minority specialize in cybersecurity. The proposed program will help popularize research and training in Indian institutions and complement U.S.-India bilateral cooperation on cybersecurity. • The awardee, in close coordination with the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Consulate General Chennai, will plan and implement the preliminary rounds of the Cybersecurity Research and Innovation Contests in Bengaluru, Mysore (Karnataka), Chennai, Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), and Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi (Kerala). The final round of the contest and the prize distribution ceremony will take place in Chennai. • In consultation with the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Consulate General Chennai, the selected awardee will draft the overall program plan, contest criteria, judging parameters / scoring rubrics, etc. The awardee will also plan the contest details, announce the contest, spearhead a publicity campaign (in print, social media, broadcast, etc.) and invite registrations for the contest. They will work closely with educational institutions, IT businesses and business organizations to generate publicity for the contest. The awardee will have to identify suitable local partner organizations in each of the six centers and coordinate with them to plan and implement the preliminary rounds in those cities. Once the registration process is complete, the awardee will conduct introductory workshops focusing on cybersecurity research and innovation for registered participants in each of the six cities. Selected participants will be given two months from the day of the introductory workshop in their city to research and complete their project ideas/presentation. The preliminaries will be conducted two months from the introductory workshop in each city. The awardee must also organize and coordinate with judging panels for the contests in each of the six cities as well as the final round in Chennai. Possible judges include cybersecurity experts, scientists, academics, senior IT professionals, and industry/business representatives. If needed, the awardee can propose sub-awardees to be approved by the U.S. Consulate General, Chennai; but it is the awardee’s responsibility to ensure that sub-awardees meet all U.S. and Indian requirements (e.g., an FCRA for an Indian sub-grantee).• Proposals must include a budget reflecting all the expenses associated with administering such contests - from the development of the overall agenda and calendar, securing the participation of experts, venues, publicity, airfare, transportation, hotel logistics, printing costs, prizes and any other miscellaneous expenses. The proposal should include all relevant administrative and logistical costs for organizing this contest. A panel comprised of Consulate officers will review each complete proposal received before the application deadline. Please note that selected grantee will have to complete additional forms and registration documents within thirty days of selection notification in order to receive funding. (Please refer full announcement for more details)

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