DASA seeks proposals to develop innovative scientific and technical solutions for improved detection of explosives and weapons capability, with submissions closing 30 August 2023.
There are two phases to the program:
- Phase 1 – up to £70,000 over 6 months to demonstrate proof of concept
- Phase 2 – open to successfully completed Phase 1 projects. Funding for a period of up to 20 months to develop and evaluate prototypes.
Up to £1M will be distributed to Phase 1 projects and up to £2.06M to Phase 2 projects.
Proposals are to address screening of
- buildings and areas
- goods
- people and/or their possessions
- vehicles
Proposals may focus on developing new detection capabilities to add to end-users’ existing suite of equipment or can develop original ideas or adapt successful technologies/techniques/ processes from other fields. Technologies can have potential dual capability to detect other contraband or threats.
Proposals may relate to improving the effectiveness and/or efficiency of detection, provided they are revolutionary improvements. Proposals should look to provide tangible technical or operational benefits over the current commercially available state-of-the-art. Examples of benefits may include (but are not limited to):
- Improved detection accuracy;
- Improved range of detectable threats;
- Reduced detection or screening times, allowing greater throughput;
- Reduction of cognitive and/or physical burden on the operator.
Proposals should consider the size, weight, power and cost implications of their innovation. In addition, consideration should be given to the operational context in which the solution might be deployed (eg end users’ technical ability, staff training requirements, suitability for the environment).
Examples of potential research areas include, but are not limited to:
- novel sensors or materials
- novel deployment of sensors or detection systems
- methods to screen multiples at once
- enhancing operator decision making
- visualisation of chemicals to detect trace residues
- measurement techniques for identifying concealed objects
- production of reliable sources for in-filed laboratory assurance of equipment
- human and behavioural factors to improve security screening systems
- novel simulation and modelling analysis to improve understanding
- upstream detection
