Department of National Defence: Reliable AI Sensor Fusion for Real World Missions
This program is currently closed. The details below reflect the previous call and are for general information purposes only.
Sponsor’s Website
Visit the Government of Canada website for more information on the Reliable AI Sensor Fusion for Real World Missions program.
Internal Contacts
Industry and Partnership Services (IPS): ips@cunet.carleton.ca
Potential applicants are also encouraged to discuss this funding opportunity with their Faculty Research Facilitator.
Deadlines
| Deadline | Date |
|---|---|
| Call for proposals open | June 4, 2026 |
| Submission of proposal | July 14, 2026 by 2:00 p.m. (EDT) |
Overview
The Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) are seeking innovative artificial intelligence (AI) solutions that embed compliance-by-design into multi-sensor, multi-domain fusion workflows. The goal is to develop a modular Fusion Compliance Engine (FCE) that automatically enforces classification rules, legal constraints and policy adherence in real time during data aggregation and analysis.
What Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) Provides
Funding awarded for this challenge will depend on your solution’s Technology Readiness Level (TRL):
- Lower TRL solutions (TRL 1-3) are eligible for up to $250,000 for a period of up to six months for solution development.
- In the design phase (TRL 4-5), up to $1.5 million in funding is available for a period of up to 12 months.
- In the build phase (TRL 6-9), up to $5 million is available to build and validate your prototype in various environments.
What Innovators Bring
Innovators can propose solutions at all stages. Early-stage technologies that would benefit from development funding are encouraged to participate. Solutions that have reached a mature level of technical readiness and are moving toward future testing or demonstration may also apply.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants include:
- Individuals
- Academia
- Not-for-profit organizations
- Provincial, territorial and municipal government organizations
- Industry organizations
Federal and provincial Crown corporations are not eligible for funding.
Submitting Your Application
- Submit an internal Approval Form through our central awards management database cuResearch. Consult the user’s manual for guidance.
- IDEaS is transitioning to a new portal to receive submissions from innovators for this challenge. Submit an external application by consulting the Solicitation Guide.