General information

These terms and conditions apply only to the second Open Call, closing on 8 July 2024. You can download a copy of the terms and conditions of the first Open Call here.

About the Cybersecurity Seminars program

The European Cyber Conflict Research Incubator CIC (ECCRI CIC), together with Google.org, supports selected universities and other eligible higher education institutions across Europe to run cybersecurity seminar courses. These courses are intended to increase access and opportunities for students interested in learning about the key topics in the field of cybersecurity and looking to explore careers in the field. Students who participate in these courses will gain real-world experience in cybersecurity by making a tangible impact on local communities via activities such as internship placements, mentorship, and hackathons.

The Google.org Cybersecurity Seminars program supports cybersecurity seminar courses in selected universities and other eligible higher education institutions in eight European countries, to help students learn more about cybersecurity and explore pathways in the field. The program actively supports the expansion of cybersecurity training in European universities and higher education institutions, to build the diverse workforce needed to help the most vulnerable organizations in Europe prevent potential cyberattacks. It also addresses new risks from artificial intelligence (AI), providing students with an understanding of AI-based changes to the cyber threat landscape and helping them effectively integrate AI into practical cybersecurity measures.

About the Open Call

The Google.org Cybersecurity Seminars program is launching two Open Calls to European universities and eligible higher education institutions, inviting them to submit their application to host cybersecurity seminar courses on their campus, to create more opportunities for students from different walks of life and backgrounds to learn about the cybersecurity field, gain hands-on experience, and explore potential career pathways.

The first Open Call invited applications from seven countries: Czechia, France, Germany, Greece, Poland, Romania, and Ukraine and the closing dates for applications for the first Open Call have now lapsed. The second Open Call launched on 8 April 2024 and invites applications from the EU countries set out in clause 1.2 of the Open Call application Terms and Conditions, excluding Spain and the seven countries that were eligible for the first Open Call.

Financial benefits

Successful applicants may receive a grant from Google of up to $1,000,000 USD towards the running of Cybersecurity Seminar courses. The maximum total amount of grant funding available in the second Open Call is $4,070,000.

Additional benefits

Successful applicants will receive cybersecurity education resources by ECCRI CIC and access to Google’s technology and expertise. They will also gain access to a diverse and extensive European-wide cybersecurity instructor network, providing valuable mentorship and expertise to help them excel in the field of cybersecurity.

Learn more

Universities or other eligible higher education institutions interested in establishing Cybersecurity Seminar courses for students can sign up for a virtual information workshop, advertised on the Cybersecurity Seminars program website, to learn more about the program and the application process. The workshops are also open to those who are not affiliated with a university or higher education institution, but who would like to learn more about the program. For the avoidance of doubt, universities or higher education institutions do not have to attend a workshop to be able to apply for the program. For the second Open Call, we will hold these information workshops in May and June 2024. Please also check the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the Cybersecurity Seminars program website, which will be regularly updated with the latest information.

Open Call application Terms and Conditions

Definitions

Applicant: a university, or a faculty, department, institute, or other group within a university or other eligible higher education institution, that submits an application to ECCRI CIC for the Google Cybersecurity Seminars program. The phrase “universities or other eligible higher education institutions” refers solely to Nonprofit universities or Nonprofit higher education institutions that are not universities.

Application Portal: the application portal managed by Submittable which can be accessed at cyberseminars.submittable.com.

Course: a course funded by the Google Cybersecurity Seminars program, held at a single university over a defined period of a term or less, including the education and community engagement elements described below.

Grant: a grant made by Google as part of the Google Cybersecurity Seminars program.

Local Community Organisation: a government entity, non-profit, or small business with its primary activities within the local area of the Applicant. Examples include local government agencies and authorities, small businesses headquartered in the local area, or local branches of larger charities. Nationwide or multinational companies, or national governments, are not local community organisations. “Local area” is dependent on context: for Applicants based in cities, the local area may be the city boundaries; for Applicants in more rural contexts, the local area may be broader.

Open Call: the competitive process by which Applicants are called and selected to participate in the Program.

Nonprofit: the university or other higher education institution’s mandate stipulates that it cannot make a profit or that all profits must be reinvested in the academic or educational purposes of the institution.

Panel: the review panel for applications composed of ECCRI CIC, Google, and experts selected by ECCRI CIC and Google based on their geographic, subject matter, or other relevant competence. Experts will be independent from ECCRI CIC and Google and will not be affiliated to any Applicant. The full names of any experts will be made available on request when they are available.

Principal Investigator (PI): an individual who submits an application on behalf of an Applicant. A PI must be a permanently employed (tenured) or tenure-track member of the Applicant’s academic staff who must accept these terms and conditions on behalf of an Applicant as part of their submission. The PI is responsible for all communications with ECCRI CIC regarding the application, and for the overall management and delivery of the program at that Applicant’s location.

Program: the overall Google Cybersecurity Seminars program.

Recommended Applicant: an Applicant that is selected by the Panel for recommendation to Google for grant awarding.

Student: an individual actively enrolled at any university or other eligible higher education institution anywhere in the world for the duration of a Course, unless their enrollment is only for the purpose of participating in that Course. Students must be able to provide proof of their student status, such as a valid student ID. There is no restriction on student age or course of studies. “Active” enrolment excludes students who have suspended their studies for any reason.

Submittable: A third-party provider of application portal software contracted by ECCRI CIC for this Open Call, with further details available on the third-party’s website.

Successful Applicant: an Applicant recommended by the Panel that receives a Grant from Google after meeting Google’s selection criteria, including focus markets, and passing all requisite Google due diligence.

1. Eligibility

1.1 Only applications submitted by Principal Investigators acting on behalf of an Applicant will be accepted for review.

1.2 Eligible applicants will be Applicants from Nonprofit universities or other eligible higher education institutions in any of the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Sweden.

1.3 All Nonprofit higher education institutions are eligible to submit an application as long as their primary purpose is education and most of their courses are open to applications from the general public. Examples of such institutions may include polytechnic institutes, vocational or professional colleges, or military or diplomatic academies.

1.4 Decisions on eligibility will be taken by ECCRI CIC based on information provided by Applicants. Further information may be requested from Applicants to assist this decision. It is the responsibility of Applicants to provide true and accurate information about their university or other higher education institution if requested. All decisions regarding eligibility are final and not subject to challenge.

1.5 No applications from Applicants based outside of the countries set out in clause 1.2 of these terms, or from agents, third parties, or applications automatically generated by computer will be accepted

2. How to apply

2.1 To apply to participate in the Cybersecurity Seminars program, an Applicant should visit cyberseminars.org, follow the link to Submittable and create an account.

2.2 The opening date for applications is 12:00 CET 8 April 2024. The closing date for applications is 23:59 CET on 8 July 2024.

2.3 Applications must be submitted by a Principal Investigator on behalf of the Applicant university or higher education institution.

2.4 A Principal Investigator may submit only one application to the Application Portal.

2.5 A university or higher education institution may be part of only one application, whether as the main Applicant or as a sub-granted or sub-contracted institution.

2.6 The application form will become available once the Applicant has successfully created an account on the Application Portal.

2.7 Principal Investigators should complete the application form using the form provided on the Application Portal. Details about the information each Applicant is required to provide in the application form will be provided on the Application Portal.

2.8 Each application must provide a detailed budget in the template provided in the Application Portal, following the guidance in the Application Portal and the Cybersecurity Seminars program website.

2.9 The application form cannot be edited or recalled once submitted by a Principal Investigator through the Application Portal. Once an application is submitted via the Application Portal, that application submission is deemed to be final.

2.10 Applications will only be accepted if they comply with all application instructions.

2.11 Applicants must submit proof of endorsement of their Application by their senior management via the Application Portal.

3. Selection process for recommendation

3.1 All valid applications submitted on or before the relevant closing date in clause 2.2 will be reviewed by the Panel.

3.2 The Panel will review and select up to eight (8) Recommended Applicants in accordance with the approach detailed at clause 4 below.

3.3 ECCRI CIC will then recommend the award of up to eight (8) Google grants, each grant of up to an individual maximum of $1,000,000.

3.4 A maximum of one (1) grant will be recommended per country.

3.5 For the avoidance of doubt, the final decision about how many applications will be recommended to Google is at the Panel’s sole discretion and the Panel’s decision as to who becomes a Recommended Applicant is final.

3.6 Recommended Applicants will be informed by ECCRI via the Application Portal by 2 September 2024.

3.7 Applicants who are not Recommended Applicants by the relevant date in clause 3.6 may be shortlisted as “reserve” applicants, whose application may be recommended if any Recommended Applicants do not become Successful Applicants. Any reserve applicants will be informed of this status by the relevant date in clause 3.6. Awarding of this status does not confer any rights or other commitments by ECCRI CIC or Google, as reserve applicants will be considered rejected until informed otherwise.

3.8 Applicants may be requested by ECCRI CIC to submit further information to ECCRI CIC or the panel after the application deadline has passed, to assist in the review process. This request may take the form of further actions on Submittable, or another means of correspondence or online interaction.

3.9 Recommended Applicants will undergo separate and independent additional financial due diligence, verification, and approval to be conducted solely by Google and/or its grant-making partners. Google will select Successful Applicants based on a range of factors, including focus markets and due diligence considerations.

3.10 Once approval has been given by Google, Successful Applicants will be informed by ECCRI CIC and arrangements made to put Successful Applicants into contact with Google to enable contracting and payment of the Grants. For the sake of clarity, Google is under no obligation to award Grants to Recommended Applicants, and neither this Open Call, nor any representation made by ECCRI CIC or Google will bind Google to provide Grants to Recommended Applicants. To bind, the Recommended Applicant and Google (or a Google grant-making partner) must enter into a Grant Agreement which will be the sole legally binding instrument regarding the Recommended Applicant’s project being funded by Google (or a Google grant-making partner). To enable the payment of the grant, Successful Applicants will be required to provide financial and other information as requested by Google.

3.11 Google expects to award Grants by the end of 2024, and Successful Applicants will be required to sign a Grant Agreement with Google or a Google grant-making partner by 30 November 2024.

4. Approach to recommendation

4.1 Running cybersecurity seminars is a substantial commitment. Applications will be judged on the creativity, depth, and feasibility of their proposal, especially on its ability to deliver real impact to under-resourced organizations beyond the university. Cybersecurity seminars are not a one-off; they require ongoing passion and dedication over three years – and ideally beyond – as well as a true enthusiasm for improving cybersecurity skills of Students in a practical, careers-oriented way.

4.2 Crucially, Applicants are expected to actively promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within their programs, both encouraging the strong participation of individuals from diverse backgrounds and creating an inclusive environment, thereby enriching the overall learning experience and strengthening the cybersecurity community.

5. Criteria for recommendation

5.1 Applications will be evaluated against the following criteria for recommendation:

5.1.1 Interest, ability, and commitment:

5.1.1.1 Applicants must identify key individual(s) from the university or the higher education institution who will assume responsibility for the planning, execution, and oversight of running the cybersecurity seminars for the whole duration of the program.

5.1.1.2 Applicants must implement a Student recruitment strategy that prioritizes diversity and inclusivity, gender balance and the active engagement of underrepresented communities.

5.1.1.3 Applicants must provide suitable facilities on the university or higher education institution campus to support the successful execution of the program. These facilities should include, not limited to, well-equipped classrooms, study spaces, and any specialised technology necessary for the effective delivery of the program’s curriculum.

5.1.1.4 Applicants must hold at least two (2) courses before 1 September 2027, with at least one (1) course held before 1 September 2026. Preference will be given to applications who hold at least one (1) course before 1 September 2025.

5.1.2 Program design:

5.1.2.1 Applicants’ plan for each course should be approximately equivalent to a 5EC component under the European Credit system (about 135 hours total), even if the course is not taken for credit. Compared to most university components, courses will likely have a higher proportion of contact hours (around 50), and less self-study, with most self-study time dedicated to project work with underserved organizations.

5.1.2.2 Applicants’ plan for course delivery should demonstrate careful consideration of the most effective approach based on the target audience and educational objectives. Courses can be run via various formats, such as a summer school, as a series of evening classes over a trimester, or as a credit-worthy component of a university degree.

5.1.2.3 Applicants may submit a proposed budget of any total amount under the total grant amount available per university or other eligible higher education institution (which is $1,000,000 USD). Applicants should convincingly demonstrate in their application that the amount of funds requested are necessary for meeting the impact criteria and other criteria of success for the program, and that the funds requested would be used effectively and efficiently.

5.1.2.4 Regarding sub-contracts and sub-grants (Clause 6.2 and 6.3), no preference will be given to Applicants who include sub-contracts or sub-grants in their program design over Applicants who do not include sub-contracts or sub-grants. However, where sub-contracts or sub-grants are included in an application, preference will be given to Applicants who can demonstrate existing relationships in relevant areas with sub-contracted or sub-granted entities.

5.1.2.5 Applicants should demonstrate how they will incorporate AI aspects of cybersecurity into their program, including AI-based changes to the cyber threat landscape and how AI can be effectively integrated into practical cybersecurity measures.

5.1.3 Program impact:

5.1.3.1 Applicants should demonstrate a realistic potential to train at least 200 Students and serve at least 250 Local Community Organisations in preventing cyberattacks in the community by September 2027. The success of applicants’ courses will be judged in large part by whether they meet this impact metric.

5.1.3.2 Applicants should demonstrate how they will connect Students with Local Community Organisations to provide practical learning experiences. This involves finding suitable organisations and helping Students engage though one of the following methods, or alternatives that are equally suited to the provision of practical experience:

Placed internships
Mentorship to organisations
Hosted hackathons
A consulting or “capstone” project

5.1.3.3 Applicants should show how they will ensure both sides understand expectations, including by establishing regular check-ins to help Students learn and contribute to the community.

6. Eligible costs, monitoring and evaluation

6.1 Grants will be subject to restrictions on use as determined by Google. For planning purposes, funding may be used to support costs associated with the delivery of courses within the program. The maximum amount that can be allocated for non-program related costs is 10% of the total grant amount requested. If in doubt, please discuss with ECCRI CIC.

6.2 Successful Applicants are permitted to sub-contract or sub-grant a portion of the Grant awarded to the Successful Applicant to other organizations, as long as (a) the sub-contract or sub-grant is reasonable and necessary for implementing the project, (b) any organizations receiving a sub-contract or sub-grant also meet the eligibility criteria detailed in Clause 1.3, and (c) any subcontracted or sub-granted funds are spent in accordance with the conditions detailed in Clause 6.1 and the grant agreement by and between Google (or a Google Donor Advised Fund) and the Successful Applicant. Any such sub-contracts or sub-grants must be detailed in the proposed budget submitted by the Applicant via the Application Portal and must be judged by the Applicant to substantially enhance the Applicant’s ability to meet the criteria for Recommendation detailed in Section 5.

6.3 Successful Applicants are responsible for all administration of any sub-contracts or sub-grants. Successful applicants are also responsible for collecting information requested by ECCRI CIC or Google from sub-contracts or sub-granted organizations to facilitate any audit or inspection. Successful Applicants are responsible for delivery of the program and appropriate spending of the Grant. Successful Applicants must have an Anti-Bribery and/or Anti-Corruption policy, and must share that policy with ECCRI CIC and Google on request.

6.4 ECCRI CIC and Google reserve the right to audit and inspect that Grants are being spent in accordance with the details as set out in the application and the grant agreement, and Successful Applicants will be required to report to ECCRI CIC and Google from time to time throughout the project, in accordance with the monitoring and evaluation section of these terms.

6.5 If Successful Applicants cannot demonstrate appropriate spending of the Grant, or do not meet milestone requirements agreed with Google as part of the grant agreement, Google reserves the right to rescind the Grant award.

6.6 Successful Applicants will be required to submit quarterly updates to ECCRI CIC on their progress against the activities stated in the application and participate in monthly calls with ECCRI CIC.

6.7 Successful Applicants will be required to submit annual reports to Google using a Google reporting form focusing on progress against the impact metrics detailed in the grant agreement.

7. Privacy and data protection

7.1 By submitting an application, all Applicants will be deemed to have accepted and be bound by these Terms and Conditions and consent to the transfer of their personal data to Submittable and ECCRI CIC for the purpose of the administration of the Program. Any personal data held by ECCRI CIC will be processed in accordance with ECCRI CIC’s Privacy Policy. Any personal data held by Submittable will be stored and used in accordance with Submittable’s Privacy Policy. All application instructions form part of the terms.

7.2 Data collected in the applicant workshop form, data collected in the grant application form, and data provided by you through contact with ECCRI CIC via contact@europeancyber.org will be collected and retained by ECCRI CIC for the duration of the open call application process and will be deleted within three months of the open call window closing unless you are a Successful Applicant and your details will be retained for three years post end of the program.

7.3 The information you provide through the applicant workshop form and grant application will be used to contact you about workshops, next steps in the grant application process and to request additional information about your grant application, as applicable, in accordance with ECCRI CIC’s Privacy Policy.

7.4 All personal data contained in your grant application will be redacted by ECCRI CIC before it shares your application with the Panel for further review.

7.5 You may contact ECCRI CIC at any time to delete your application or to make updates or request deletion to your contact information.

8. Confidentiality

8.1 The details and ideas disclosed by an Applicant in its application will not be treated as confidential or proprietary so please do not share any confidential information as part of the open call process. Submitted project ideas contained in your application will be reviewed by the Panel in order to evaluate your proposal.

8.2 ECCRI CIC and the Applicant (each a ‘Party’ and together ‘the Parties’) each undertakes that it shall not at any time disclose to any person or corporate entity any confidential information concerning the other Party involved in the open call, except in the following circumstances:

Each Party may disclose another Party’s confidential information to its employees, officers, representatives, or advisers who need to know such information for the purposes of exercising the Party’s rights or carrying out its obligations under or in connection with the open call; and
as may be required by law, a court of competent jurisdiction or any governmental or regulatory authority.

8.3 No Party shall use any other Party’s confidential information for any purpose other than to exercise its rights and perform its obligations under or in connection with the open call.

9. Intellectual property

9.1 These Terms and Conditions shall not operate to transfer any intellectual property rights, generated by the Applicant’s work facilitated by the Program, to ECCRI CIC, nor to transfer any intellectual property rights in ECCRI CIC educational materials to any other entity.

9.2 “Successful Applicant Assets” means Successful Applicant (i) trade names, trademarks, service marks, logos, domain names, and other distinctive brand features, (ii) publicly available information about Successful Applicant and the Program, and (iii) other materials approved by Successful Applicant. Successful Applicant grants Google and ECCRI CIC a royalty-free, non-transferable, non-exclusive license to use Successful Applicant Assets for the purpose of promoting the Program. This includes use of Successful Applicant Assets by third parties with direction from Google. Nothing in these Terms and Conditions will be deemed to vest in Google or ECCRI CIC any ownership right in any Successful Applicant Assets, which at all times remain the exclusive property of Successful Applicant. Successful Applicant represents and warrants that it has obtained all necessary rights and licenses required for Google and ECCRI CIC to use Successful Applicant Assets, including for any third-party content Successful Applicant provides to Google or ECCRI CIC.

9.3 These Terms and Conditions shall not transfer any intellectual property rights to Applicants or any other entity in any materials made available on the Application Portal or as part of applicant workshops and ECCRI CIC (or its licensors as appropriate) retains ownership in any and all such materials.

10. Liability

10.1 ECCRI CIC and Google are not liable for applications that are lost, mislaid, damaged, or delayed in transit regardless of cause, including for example as a result of a technical malfunction, network or server error of any kind.

10.2 ECCRI CIC and Google are not liable for any technical or other malfunction relating to the Program website, or the Application Portal managed by Submittable.

10.3 ECCRI CIC and Google are not liable for an Applicants’ breach of these Terms and Conditions.

10.4 All decisions made by the Panel are final and not subject to challenge. ECCRI CIC and Google are not liable for any errors made by an Applicant that may contribute to the rejection of their application by either the Panel or Google.

10.5 ECCRI CIC and Google are not liable for any costs incurred by Applicants before, during or after the application.

10.6 ECCRI CIC and Google are not liable for any financial, reputational, or other harm that may result from the Panel’s decision not to recommend an Applicant, or a decision by Google not to award a Grant to a Recommended Applicant.

10.7 ECCRI CIC and Google are not liable for any information provided in workshops, online, or elsewhere that contradicts these Open Call Terms and Conditions. In the case of any contradiction or imprecision, these Open Call Terms and Conditions shall be regarded as definitive.

10.8 ECCRI CIC and Google are not liable for any costs incurred by any delays in the payment of funds by Google or delays caused by the Applicant.

11. Other

11.1 After the Grant has been awarded, Successful Applicants will be required to update ECCRI CIC and Google prior to making any changes to their course plans, and may require an amendment to the Grant Agreement between Google (or a Google grant-making partner) and the Successful Applicant.

11.2 If there is any reason to believe that there has been a breach of these terms by an Applicant, ECCRI CIC may, at its sole discretion, reserve the right to exclude that Applicant from participating in any future extension to the program.

11.3 ECCRI CIC reserves the right to hold void, suspend, cancel, or amend its contribution to the program where it becomes necessary to do so.

11.4 ECCRI CIC reserves the right to change these Terms and Conditions at any time prior to the relevant closing date in clause 2.2. Any significant changes to the Terms and Conditions will be clearly communicated on the Program website and via relevant mailing lists. In the event of a significant change, all previous version(s) of the Terms and Conditions will continue to be available on the Program website.

11.5 These Open Call terms shall be governed by English law, and the parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

Contact

Any questions regarding these terms or the program should be directed to contact@europeancyber.org