IDEaS: Contests - Drone surge: Scaling tactical Uncrewed Aerial Systems manufacturing for modern defence

Eligibility

Eligible applicants are:

• Canadian universities and educational institutions chartered in Canada;
• Canadian incorporated for-profit organizations;
• Canadian incorporated not-for-profit organizations;
• Canadian provincial, territorial, and municipal government organizations;

Federal departments, agencies, or crown corporations, and any person that is employed under one of these, are not eligible for funding.

Applicants must be legal entities duly incorporated and validly existing in Canada.

If partnering with an organization, partners must also be from one of the above eligible organizations.

Summary

The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces (DND/CAF) are seeking innovative, low-cost, attritable UAS to address critical gaps in military readiness and industrial capacity. The aim is to accelerate the development of scalable, cost-effective UAS solutions that:

• Enhance operational effectiveness;
• Improve interoperability; and,
• Strengthen Canada’s domestic industrial base.

The development of cost-effective, attritable UAS represents a transformative opportunity for Canada’s defence and security industry. By fostering innovation and enhancing domestic capabilities, this challenge will position Canada at the forefront of UAS technology while ensuring the protection of national sovereignty. DND/CAF are hosting this challenge to:

• Observe advancements in Canadian low-cost UAS capabilities relative to the current state of the art;
• Stimulate the growth of Canada’s domestic UAS industry and workforce;
• Identify supply chain patterns and vulnerabilities;
• Enhance Canadian capabilities for rapid UAS deployment and iteration; and,
• Increase DND/CAF familiarity of the design principles and features that drive UAS innovation at scale.

Overhead

15%

Application deadlines

RSO final internal review deadline

Program application deadline

NOTE: Consult your Faculty Associate Dean (Research) (ADR) regarding Faculty-specific deadlines and submission processes.

Principal Investigators: Complete a Research Management System (RMS) record, including a copy of your complete application, and submit this for approvals in RMS.

Approvals: The University of Calgary requires that all funding applications be approved prior to submission. Approval requires signatures via either RMS or the RFAA Trainee form, in the following order:

• Principal Investigator
• Department Head
• Faculty ADR/Dean
• Research Services (on behalf of the Vice-President Research)

Read the Meaning of Grant Signatures policy to understand what your approval means. Please see the agency guidelines for details about which signatures are required on your application, as it may differ from internal requirements.

Late submissions: Late submissions will only be accepted in cases of medical or family emergencies, or other exceptional circumstances. If you submit your RMS record to Research Services after the internal deadline has passed, you must secure additional approvals. Please read: Late Applications Process.

Proposal Submission
Applicants are required to register and submit their proposal(s) using the CPC Connect digital platform provided by Canada Post Corporation (CPC). CPC Connect is a digital delivery platform that facilitates sending and receiving confidential messages and documents. Proposals will not be accepted by email. It is the applicant’s responsibility to hold an account with CPC Connect and to complete the submission steps to submit the proposal.

• Request your Connect conversation (step 2 below) at least five (5) days prior to the CFP closing.
• Classified proposals will not be accepted for this CFP.

Please refer to Section 5.3 of the Applicant Guide for a full set of Submission Steps.

RESOURCES

Reminder: The sooner the researcher engages with Research Services, the more help we can be!

Contact the following Research Service units for support with:

Projects Involving Indigenous Research:

Support with incorporating wise practices in Indigenous research, community engagement, and Indigenous data management is available through the Indigenous Research Support Team (IRST).

Applicants can reach out by email to IRST at IRST@ucalgary.ca in advance of the RSO internal deadline. For more information about IRST, please visit the IRST webpage.

Knowledge Mobilization, Research Impact Assessment, DORA:

Support for knowledge mobilization/engagement/translation, community partnerships, research impact, responsible research assessment (DORA), and open science, is available through the Knowledge to Impact team.

Applicants can reach out by email to the KI team at knowledge.impact@ucalgary.ca.

For more information and access to resource archives, please visit the KI team webpage.

Research Data Management:

For information on research data management plans, processes, or best practices for your research program, please contact research.data@ucalgary.ca.

EDI in Research:

RSO can provide resources and support to research teams on the integration of equitable and inclusive practices in research design and research practice.

Contact edi.rso@ucalgary.ca for more information.

Research Security:

The Research Security Division is available to ensure researchers adhere to research security guidelines and policies, including the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships (NSGRP) and the policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC).

Visit the Research Security website to learn more or contact researchsecurity@ucalgary.ca.

Pre-Award Submissions:
RMS: Creating a Pre-Award Application