Research Ireland – Defence Innovation Challenge
Funds Irish research teams up to €220,000, with a €1 million prize for the top defence solution.
From the pool of applications, 10 teams progress into a 4-month Concept phase (up to €20,000) covering team formation, validating the challenge and solution concept, and mapping an impact pathway. Successful teams then move into a 9-month Seed phase (up to €200,000, with the two phases capped at €220,000 combined) to develop the team further, build an initial prototype, and prepare for deployment.…
Open to interdisciplinary Irish research teams working on defence problems in five areas: space-based and geospatial situational awareness, strengthening land-based defence and national emergency response, improving how Defence plans and evaluates its own capabilities, building public trust and resilience around national emergencies, and disruptive ideas that fall outside the other four. Each proposal needs a Team Lead and a Team Co-Lead, both PhD holders at an eligible Irish research body, and gets a Defence Liaison assigned to help develop the solution.
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