Accessing Canadian minds: IDEaS program launches Innovation Network and call for proposals

News release

May 28, 2018 – Ottawa, Ontario – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

Leveraging a broad range of knowledge and expertise is crucial to developing and maintaining capabilities to address the challenges of today’s evolving global environment. By creating programs that support engagement with academia and experts from across the innovation spectrum, Canada will increase the depth of expertise and diversity of thought in addressing defence and security challenges.

Today, National Defence’s Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program launched Innovation Networks and a call for proposals to better collaborate with Canada’s leading academics and innovators.

Innovation Networks will bring together the best minds across Canadian universities, industry and other partners, and will help stimulate collaboration and the free flow of ideas critical to solving modern defence and security challenges. Innovation Networks will be university-led and include researchers from at least three distinct organizations who will work together to propose interdisciplinary research projects which address one or several aspects of the identified challenge.

The call for proposals under Innovation Networks will support the creation of small teams of researchers or micro-nets, to focus on stimulating the development of revolutionary advances in the science of materials for defence and security applications. The call will focus on emerging and advanced materials, including methods that will enhance military operations by providing CAF members with state-of-the-art technology.

With funding of up to $9 million available for this first micro-net call for proposals, the priority areas are: 

  • Detection Avoidance: Advanced materials that enable personnel and military platforms (aircraft, land vehicles, and naval vessels) to be hidden or concealed during CAF operations.
  • Physical Protection: Advanced materials with superior mechanical properties as compared to materials currently in use, affording significant weight savings and increased protection performance, as well as improved flexibility, durability, and thermal and moisture management.

Micro-nets will be permitted to apply for up to $1.5 million over three years to support their proposed interdisciplinary research programs aligned with the Innovation Challenge. Additional information about this call for proposals can be found in the program guide on the IDEaS website.

Throughout the 20-year IDEaS program, different Innovation Network calls for proposals will be issued to address Canada’s current and future defence and security innovation challenges.

Quotes

“Innovation networks fosters collaboration, which will allow the Defence team to tap into some of the best Canadian resources from academia and industry. Through these networks, Canadian innovators will be able to share the knowledge, tools and skills required to find solutions for today’s toughest defence and security challenges, and help ensure that our Canadian Armed Forces remain secure at home and abroad.”

Minister of National Defence, Harjit S. Sajjan

Quick facts

  • Through IDEaS, National Defence will:

    • Create networks of innovators (academia, industry, individuals, and other partners) to conduct leading-edge research and development in areas critical to future defence and security needs;
    • Hold competitions and invite innovators to present viable solutions to specific defence and security challenges; and
    • Implement new procurement mechanisms that allow Defence to develop and test concepts and to follow through on the most promising ideas.
  • IDEaS will help innovators by supporting analysis, funding research, and developing processes that facilitate access to knowledge. It will also support testing, integration, adoption, and acquisition of creative solutions for Canada’s defence and security communities. 

  • To be eligible to participate in a micro-net under this call for proposals, the primary affiliation of members must be from at least three distinct organizations including:

    • Canadian universities and educational institutions chartered in Canada;
    • Incorporated Canadian for-profit organizations;
    • Incorporated Canadian not-for-profit organizations;
    • Provincial/territorial and municipal government organizations; and/or
    • International universities and educational institutions. 

Associated links

Contacts

Byrne Furlong
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of National Defence
Phone: 613-996-3100
Email: Byrne.Furlong@forces.gc.ca

Media Relations
Department of National Defence
Phone: 613-996-2353
Email: mlo-blm@forces.gc.ca

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