A UN report indicates that 54 per cent of the world’s population lives in urban areas, and is expected to increase to 66 per cent by 2050 with most of the increase concentrated in Asia and Africa. Mega-cities with more than 10 million inhabitants are increasing in number and size that includes Tokyo, Delhi and Mumbai as well as Shanghai, Mexico City, and São Paulo. [1]
As technology advances in communities, cities have become smarter and more interconnected to the world around us through growing IoT (Internet of Things) and CPS (Cyber-Physical Systems). “Smart-Cities” are defined as “urban centres that integrate cyber-physical technologies and infrastructure to create environmental and economic efficiency while improving the overall quality of life.”[2]
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), which manages the LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) rating system, calculated that in the United States alone, buildings account for 72 per cent of electricity consumption, 39 per cent of energy use, 38 per cent of all carbon dioxide (CO²) emissions, 40 per cent of raw materials use, 30 per cent of waste output (136 million tons annually), and 14 per cent of potable water consumption. It is estimated that “green buildings” can reduce energy consumption by 24–50 per cent, CO2 emissions by 33–39 per cent, water use up to 40 per cent, and solid waste up to 70 per cent over a building life cycle. [3] As a result, the need to build “green buildings” in conjunction with Smart Cities will minimize impact on human health and the environment as well as reduce life cycle cost.
IC-IMPACTS and the Department of Science & Technology (DST) invite researchers to submit proposals for projects that can be completed in two years (or less) and that focus on Cyber-Physical Systems to Support Green Buildings in Smart Cities.
Your proposal must reflect the principles of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in order to increase equity and enhance research excellence. IC-IMPACTS is committed to the principles of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, adopted from NSERC’s Statement on Equity, Diversity, and Excellence in Natural Sciences and Engineering Research.
The proposals may focus on one or more of the following or related topics:
A. Development of Sensors, Cyber-Physical Interfaces, and Solutions for:
B. Demonstration of Technologies developed in Part A in Buildings in India and Canada. Technology demonstrations should rank high on the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) Scale and enable the dream of building Smart and Sustainable Buildings. Central to the successful execution of the proposed project will be demonstrating a scalable technology that can be developed as a commercially viable option for Indian and Canadian companies.
Successful applications will be relevant to Indian and Canadian ecosystems and conducive to commercialization, particularly in evolving cities in India and Canada. Successful applications will also include:
The Department of Science & Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, was established with the objective of promoting new areas of science and technology and to play the role of a nodal department for organizing, coordinating, and promoting these activities in India. The department is mandated to formulate policy statements and guidelines and to support basic and applied research in national institutions.
IC-IMPACTS Centres of Excellence is a not-for-profit organization, established by the Federal Government of Canada through the Centres of Excellence Program to serve as a pan-Canadian agency responsible for the delivery of research programs in the areas of sustainable infrastructure, integrated water management, and public health, disease prevention and treatment between Canada and India. It is the only Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) with a mandate focused on research collaborations between Canada and India.
DST and IC-IMPACTS funded participants in the projects shall agree upon the ownership, access rights, and exploitation of the intellectual property generated during the cooperation. The collaboration agreement(s) shall be made in writing. The guidelines of the funding organizations should be followed when making the agreements.
At a minimum, a letter of intent between the collaborators should be included in the application stating the desire for cooperation and acknowledging that each participant has understood the general terms and conditions of the other project parties.
Dr. Ujjwala T. Tirkey
Scientist ‘F’, International Bilateral Cooperation
[email protected]
To apply for this Call for Proposals, download and complete the following documents:
Canadian scientists must also include the following:
Indian Principal Investigators must include:
To apply for this call for proposals, submit your completed forms on the IC-IMPACTS application portal.
[1] Web page: http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/news/population/world-urbanization-prospects-2014.html
[2] Online PDF: https://ics-cert.us-cert.gov/sites/default/files/documents/OCIA%20-%20The%20Future%20of%20Smart%20Cities%20-%20Cyber-Physical%20Infrastructure%20Risk.pdf
[3] Web page: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/urban-expeditions/green-buildings/benefits-of-green-buildings-human-health-economics-environment/