Indian and US institutions working together on critical minerals and quantum technology can now seek grant support of up to Rs 1.5 crore under the United States–India Science & Technology Endowment Fund (USISTEF).
The funding will be available for up to 24 months to Indian and US academic institutions and enterprises that form formal bilateral partnerships to develop and commercialise transformative technologies and solutions in these areas. The extended deadline for submitting proposals is August 31.
USISTEF’s call for proposals, titled “Building U.S.–India Partnerships to Drive Innovation in Critical Minerals and Quantum Technology”, aims to accelerate bilateral innovation with significant economic and societal impact.
The programme identifies critical minerals and supply chain resilience as strategic priorities. Critical minerals are important for advanced manufacturing, clean energy technologies, semiconductor production and resilient supply chains, making them key to economic security and the global energy transition.
Quantum technology is another focus area, with applications across computing, communications, sensing and cybersecurity. The technology is expected to create opportunities across industries while strengthening technological leadership and national competitiveness.
“By fostering bilateral collaboration in these domains, the United States and India aim to advance breakthrough innovations, build trusted technology ecosystems, and contribute to long-term economic growth and global resilience”, USISTEF says.
Projects must include at least 1 Indian and 1 US partner for the entire duration of the proposed project. Both primary partners must have significant and complementary roles in developing and commercialising the proposed technology.
At least 1 partner must be an entrepreneurial entity, preferably a small or medium-scale enterprise. Eligible applicants can include incorporated companies and start-ups, non-incorporated entities, academic institutions, government and non-government research organisations, or their consortia.
As USISTEF operates under the mandate of “Commercializing Technologies for Societal Impact”, preference will be given to projects with advanced innovation, strong commercialisation potential, higher technology readiness levels (TRL), and breakthrough solutions addressing critical societal challenges.
Subsidiaries or spin-offs of a partner established in the other country are not eligible to apply.
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