(JTA) — Tel Aviv University scientists will collaborate with their counterparts at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley on research in medical and information technology.

The initiative is being funded with a five-year, $10 million grant from the Koret Foundation, which funds Bay Area organizations and initiatives, and works to support the U.S.-Israel relationship.

The multidisciplinary research will take place in the fields of bioinformatics, computational biology, and smart cities and digital living.

Joseph Klafter, president of Tel Aviv University, is in California this week to sign memorandums of understanding with the two universities.

The Koret Program for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology will be run jointly by the Edmond J. Safra Center for Bioinformatics at TAU and the Center of Computational Biology at Berkeley. The program is expected to develop computational tools that integrate patient genetic, genomic and other data for medical purposes.

The program will award joint research grants to groups at both institutions, hold annual joint workshops and seminars, operate a visiting-scientist program, and facilitate a joint summer research program.

The Koret Program for Smart Cities and Digital Living will fund joint research at TAU and Stanford.