Jerusalem, Apr 15 (IANS): Israel and the US have launched a program aimed at fostering and supporting the joint development of advanced technologies for homeland security, Ministry of Public Security said in a statement.

This cooperative activity was established by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Israeli Ministry under an agreement between both governments on cooperation in science and technology for homeland security matters, Xinhua news agency reported.

The program includes a call for proposals, as a project proposal should include R&D cooperation between two companies, or between a company and a university or a research institution, with one side Israeli and the other from the US.

According to the call, the proposals will include innovative technologies in areas such as combating cyber-crime, security of critical infrastructure and public facilities, safe and secure cities, and unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

Another area is land and maritime border protection, including biometrics, screening systems and robotics.

The maximum conditional grant is $1 million dollars per project, up to 50 per cent of the joint R&D budget.