Department of National Defence: Turning Urban Data into Real-Time Insight Through AI
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 Turning Urban Data into Real-Time Insight Through AI 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 opens | June 4, 2026 |
| Submission of proposal | July 14, 2026 by 2:00 p.m. (EDT) |
Overview
The Department of National Defence (DND) and Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) are seeking submissions for innovative artificial intelligence (AI) driven solutions that repurpose existing urban infrastructure as a distributed, passive sensing network capable of delivering scalable, real-time situational awareness and anomaly detection.
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
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
- Submit an external application by following the submission guidelines.