BIRD Foundation - Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial R&D

25/08/2026

REMINDER: Our Colorado–Israel life sciences webinar is coming up this Monday, August 31.

Companies interested in U.S.-Israel collaboration will learn:

➤ How BIRD can support joint R&D with up to $1.5 million in non-dilutive funding
➤ How to identify and connect with potential partners
➤ What past grantees have learned from working with BIRD

Presented with Colorado-Israel Chamber of Commerce (COIL) and Colorado BioScience Association, the webinar will highlight opportunities for Colorado-Israel collaboration, but life sciences companies and other stakeholders from across the U.S. and Israel are welcome to join.

🗓️ Monday, August 31
⏰ 9:00–10:00 a.m. MDT | 18:00–19:00 IDT

🔗 Register: https://www.birdf.com/event/webinar-bird-colorado-israel/

For questions about the webinar or BIRD funding, contact Anat Ben Yosef at [email protected].

Colorado and Israeli biotech companies: join the BIRD Foundation on August 31 for a webinar on funding opportunities for joint Colorado–Israel life sciences R&D.

Hosted in partnership with the Colorado-Israel Chamber of Commerce and the Colorado BioScience Association, the session will bring together BIRD leadership, Colorado ecosystem partners, and past grantees to discuss:

➤ Up to $1.5 million in non-dilutive funding for joint U.S.-Israel R&D projects
➤ Opportunities to connect with potential strategic partners
➤ Practical insights from past BIRD grantees

🗓️ Monday, August 31, 2026
⏰ 9:00–10:00 a.m. MDT | 18:00–19:00 IDT
🔗 Register: https://www.birdf.com/event/webinar-bird-colorado-israel/

We hope you’ll join us!

For questions about the webinar or BIRD funding, contact Anat Ben Yosef at [email protected].

14/08/2026

Better battery research starts with better data.

Congratulations to Prof. Paul Albertus, U.S. lead of the U.S.-Israel Solid Energy Consortium (UISEC), and his University of Maryland team on this important contribution to solid-state battery research.

Their new open-access database addresses critical gaps in how battery data are reported, organized and analyzed - helping researchers compare results, design better experiments and apply AI-driven tools to accelerate discovery.

By making solid-state battery data easier to compare and build upon, this work complements UISEC’s efforts to bring U.S. and Israeli academic and industry partners together to advance lithium- and sodium-metal battery technologies.

UISEC is part of the U.S.-Israel Energy Center, a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of Energy, Israel’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, and the Israel Innovation Authority that promotes energy security and economic development through collaborative research and development.

For the BIRD Foundation, which manages the Energy Center, this work highlights the potential of better shared data to advance energy-storage research and strengthen collaboration and discovery.

🔗

Paul Albertus is leveling the playing field for battery research and exposing the critical gaps in reporting that need to be addressed. Dr. Albertus, associate professor of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering - University of Maryland and associate director of the Maryland Energy....

03/08/2026

Colorado and Israeli biotech companies: join the BIRD Foundation on August 31 for a webinar on funding opportunities for joint Colorado–Israel life sciences R&D.

Hosted in partnership with the Colorado-Israel Chamber of Commerce and the Colorado BioScience Association, the session will bring together BIRD leadership, Colorado ecosystem partners, and past grantees to discuss:

➤ Up to $1.5 million in non-dilutive funding for joint U.S.-Israel R&D projects
➤ Opportunities to connect with potential strategic partners
➤ Practical insights from past BIRD grantees

🗓️ Monday, August 31, 2026
⏰ 9:00–10:00 a.m. MDT | 18:00–19:00 IDT
🔗 Register: https://www.birdf.com/event/webinar-bird-colorado-israel/

We hope you’ll join us!

For questions about the webinar or BIRD funding, contact Anat Ben Yosef at [email protected].

20/07/2026

Artificial intelligence is changing more than technology - it is changing the sources of national competitive advantage.

In a new TechTime column, Limor Nakar-Vincent, Deputy Executive Director of Business Development & BIRD Energy at the BIRD Foundation, argues that Israel's future competitiveness will depend not only on developing breakthrough technologies, but on becoming an indispensable partner within the global AI ecosystem.

For decades, Israel has built its innovation economy on talent, entrepreneurship, and scientific excellence. But in the AI era, success increasingly depends on access to computing power, data, advanced semiconductors, energy, capital - and, perhaps most importantly, strong international partnerships.

The article highlights how collaborations between Israeli innovators and leading U.S. companies have helped shape today's AI infrastructure - from NVIDIA's acquisition of Mellanox to Intel's long-standing R&D presence in Israel, and the continued investment of global technology leaders. These examples demonstrate that Israel's greatest strength lies not in competing alone, but in creating technologies that become integral to global innovation.

It also explains why institutional collaboration frameworks such as the BIRD Foundation are becoming increasingly important. Beyond funding, they help connect complementary capabilities, reduce development risk, and accelerate the commercialization of jointly developed technologies.

As the world enters a new era of technological competition, one message stands out: innovation remains essential, but strategic partnerships will increasingly determine which countries lead.

🔗 Read Limor's full article (Hebrew): https://techtime.co.il/2026/07/09/bird-foundation-17/

13/07/2026

It was a pleasure to welcome a delegation of Indiana business leaders to the BIRD Foundation during their visit to Israel last week.

The visit provided an excellent opportunity to introduce the delegation to BIRD's mission and discuss how we can further promote and expand U.S.-Israel innovation partnerships with Indiana-based companies.

During the meeting, Limor Nakar Vincent shared insights into the BIRD model and highlighted successful collaborations supported by BIRD Energy, including the partnership between Apollo (through its subsidiary SolarPaint) and Indiana-based Lippert. Together, the companies developed an innovative flexible solar awning for off-grid RV applications.

The fully validated product is now commercially available in multiple sizes, enabling solar energy generation for RVs and other applications where traditional rooftop solar is not practical.

The discussion reinforced the importance of connecting innovative companies, creating new opportunities for collaboration, and supporting technologies that address real-world market needs.

A special thank you to Itai Biran from the Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest for organizing the visit and bringing the delegation to the BIRD Foundation.

Israel in Chicago

12/07/2026

Last call!

There’s just over a week left to submit your Executive Summary for the 2026 BIRD Energy Call for Proposals.

BIRD Energy provides up to $1.5 million in funding for joint U.S.-Israel R&D projects with strong commercialization potential across a broad range of energy technologies.

If you're still looking for a U.S. or Israeli partner, the BIRD team is happy to help make connections.

🗓️ Executive Summary deadline: July 22, 2026

See the original post below for additional details and the Call for Proposals. ⬇️

Deadline Extended: Executive Summaries for the 2026 BIRD Energy Call for Proposals

The deadline to submit Executive Summaries for the 2026 BIRD Energy Call for Proposals has been extended to **July 22, 2026**, providing additional time for companies and research institutions to prepare joint submissions. The Full Proposal deadline remains October 6, 2026.

The 2026 Call for Proposals offers up to $1.5 million in funding for joint U.S.-Israel R&D projects with strong commercialization potential in areas such as:

➤ Energy storage
➤ Grid modernization and resilience
➤ AI-enabled energy solutions
➤ Advanced manufacturing
➤ Cybersecurity for energy systems
➤ Critical minerals and materials supply chains
➤ Water-energy nexus

Still looking for a partner? The BIRD team can help connect U.S. and Israeli companies and research institutions with complementary technologies, expertise, and market opportunities. We encourage you to reach out to discuss your project with us.

🔗 More information: https://www.birdf.com/bird_programs/energy/

06/07/2026

Texas continues to strengthen its position as a hub for innovation and U.S.-Israel collaboration.

It’s a natural partnership between two entrepreneurial ecosystems known for thinking big – and delivering results.

BIRD took part in the recent Texas-Israel Alliance event at Meitar Law Offices, where founders, investors, executives, and innovation leaders came together to explore opportunities for doing business in Texas, and collaboration between Israeli and Texas companies.

Representing BIRD, Tal Kelem, Director of Business Development, spoke about BIRD's support for U.S.-Israel R&D partnerships and the growing opportunities for collaboration between Texas and Israeli companies.

With Anat Ben Yosef, our Southern U.S. Director, based in Austin, BIRD has a strong and growing presence across Texas – helping companies identify Israeli partners and support new cross-border R&D collaborations.

Thank you to Tal Shmueli, Executive Director of the Texas-Israel Alliance, and to Meitar for bringing together such a dynamic community and hosting an excellent event.

📩 Texas-based companies interested in U.S.-Israel R&D collaboration can connect with Anat Ben Yosef, BIRD’s Southern U.S. Director based in Austin, to learn more at: [email protected]

05/07/2026

The Fourth of July is a celebration of the spirit that has helped define the United States: optimism, entrepreneurship, a willingness to take risks, and the belief that the next great idea is always worth pursuing.

Those qualities have made the U.S. one of the world's great engines of innovation - and a natural match for Israel, a country with a remarkable innovation culture of its own.

For nearly 50 years, the BIRD Foundation has had the privilege of bringing U.S. and Israeli companies together to develop new technologies, build successful businesses, and deliver solutions that benefit people around the world.

Today, we celebrate the United States and the ingenuity and determination that continue to make it such an extraordinary place to innovate.

Wishing our colleagues, partners, and friends across the U.S., a wonderful Independence Day.

03/07/2026

Deadline Extended: Executive Summaries for the 2026 BIRD Energy Call for Proposals

The deadline to submit Executive Summaries for the 2026 BIRD Energy Call for Proposals has been extended to **July 22, 2026**, providing additional time for companies and research institutions to prepare joint submissions. The Full Proposal deadline remains October 6, 2026.

The 2026 Call for Proposals offers up to $1.5 million in funding for joint U.S.-Israel R&D projects with strong commercialization potential in areas such as:

➤ Energy storage
➤ Grid modernization and resilience
➤ AI-enabled energy solutions
➤ Advanced manufacturing
➤ Cybersecurity for energy systems
➤ Critical minerals and materials supply chains
➤ Water-energy nexus

Still looking for a partner? The BIRD team can help connect U.S. and Israeli companies and research institutions with complementary technologies, expertise, and market opportunities. We encourage you to reach out to discuss your project with us.

🔗 More information: https://www.birdf.com/bird_programs/energy/

08/06/2026

⏳ Last Call: U.S.-Israel Energy Center Proposals Due June 30

The deadline to submit Executive Summaries for the U.S.–Israel Energy Center is fast approaching.

Managed by the BIRD Foundation and supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Israel's Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, and the Israel Innovation Authority, the Energy Center funds large-scale collaborative R&D addressing critical energy challenges.

We are seeking proposals for two new U.S.–Israel consortia. Proposed projects should address one of the following areas.

🔹 Energy Storage
🔹 Energy-Water
🔹 Fossil Energy

Funding: up to $6M over three years per consortium, with a possible two-year extension of up to $3.2M in additional funding, subject to approval.

Selected consortia must include both academic and industry partners and provide at least 50% matching support.

If your team is developing innovative solutions to major energy challenges and is looking to build a large-scale binational collaboration, we encourage you to apply.

🗓️ Executive Summaries Due: June 30, 2026
🗓️ Full Proposals Due: September 15, 2026

🔗 Learn more: https://birdfoundation.activetrail.biz/EnergyCenter_CFP-2026