The Collaborative Research Grant (CRG) supports cross-disciplinary collaboration between researchers and industry which address Defence Innovation, Science and Technology (IS&T) priorities and contribute to ADF capability.
The CRG is one mechanism in which the DSC supports the Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) and the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA) to enable the research and industry sector to focus their work on the development of advanced and asymmetric capabilities in key technological areas.
The Collaborative Research Grant is co-funded through the Western Australian State Government and DSTG.
Application information
Applications for Round 7 of the Collaborative Research Grant opened on 22 September 2025 and closed at 5pm, 21 November 2025.
- Projects must include at least one academic and one industry partner.
- Individual researchers may participate in only one application.
- Late applications will not be accepted.
The DSC will provide a 4-week period for the submission of a 200–400-word abstract outlining your proposed project. This allows for immediate feedback on the novelty, viability and relevance of your proposal by DSC and DSTG technical experts. This process may enable collaboration with DSTG on your proposal.
Round 7
This year, the CRG grant focuses on the theme of Trusted Autonomy in all Domains. Trusted Autonomous Systems is one of the six Defence IST priorities. These systems are enabled by artificial intelligence and machine learning models and operate across both machine-machine and machine-human interfaces.
The strategy describes an autonomous capability advantage as the ability “to operate reliably and accurately, at the speed of relevance, with minimal human supervision”. Key areas of focus include:
- Resilience
- Robustness
- Reliability
- Ability to learn and explain courses of action
- Verification and validation models
- Interoperability across platforms and domains with allies.
Interoperability, transferability, and modularity are essential for any application. Successful applicants should demonstrate not only alignment with the topics below but also compatibility with public standards (not necessarily military standards at this TRL). Proposals that are limited to a single platform or that would struggle to integrate into a broader force should be avoided.
Themes
The theme for DSC 2025 CRG is Trusted Autonomy in All Domains.
The Research Topics (numbered), Challenges (lettered) and Problems (roman numeral) are:
- Intelligent sensing
- Dynamic information exploitation
- Sensor fusion
- Correlation discovery
- Edge processing,
- Tactical re-programming
- Auto-cueing
- Sensor processing (including but not limited to image)
- Detection of platforms, threats or environmental information
- Classification of novel platforms or threats
- Identification of novel platforms or threats including friend/foe categorisation
- Dynamic information exploitation
- Human/Machine teaming
- Multi-agent systems at scale / Collective autonomy
- One-to-many command and control
- Novel schemas of control that incorporate cross-domain and heterogeneous systems
- Autonomous tasking
- Nuanced, mission-aligned decision support
- Agent-to-agent command
- Trust in system
- Self-monitoring, and system health
- Appropriate reliance structures accounting for both over- and under- trust
- Auditable decisions
- Adaptive autonomy
- Aware and designed for operator state and level of skill
- Edge autonomy
- Multi-coalition partner coord/control/teaming
- Multi-agent systems at scale / Collective autonomy
- Enabling infrastructure
- Communication
- Diverse, resilient, high bandwidth
- Resilient, low bandwidth communication in challenging environments
- Mesh networks including bridging to other protocols
- Physical and cyber security
- Cyber detect/responds/recover systems with low SWP overlays
- Encrypted communication & storage
- Physical security of autonomous systems including tamper management and zero-memory systems
- DevSecOps
- Novel approaches for iterative development of secure systems
- Communication
Round 7 FAQs
Will you accept late submissions?
Show moreNo, late submissions will not be considered.
Will you accept incomplete submissions?
Show moreNo, the application form must be completed with all required information.
If I have more detail than can fit within your word limit(s), can I attach additional information to my application?
Show moreWe will accept up to 1 page of additional or supplementary material.
Do the research team members need to have a security clearance for our CRG application to be eligible for funding?
Show moreThe DSC does not require a personal security clearance when applying for the CRG, but all participants must be citizens of Five Eyes Alliance countries (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States), NATO member countries, or permanent Australian residents. If the outcome of the CRG has the potential to be classified, or if classified inputs or discussions are needed to complete the work, then all team members undertaking CRG activity must be willing to undergo a security assessment if requested and, at a minimum, obtain a Baseline security clearance.
You should also discuss this requirement with your defence research university liaison office (see ‘Getting Help’ in the guidelines) for any internal university policy regarding personnel checks when applying for national security-related projects.
Collaboration FAQs
Show moreDo I need to collaborate with more than one university?
No, but the nature of the grants is to encourage collaboration so those who do will score better in the evaluation.
Do I need to collaborate with an industry partner?
Yes, the nature of the grant is to encourage collaboration with industry.
Do you require detailed information on industry partners?
You will need to provide the contact details of the industry partner on your application and provide a letter of endorsement from any participating partner.
I’m interested in participating but I’m not part of a team.
Contact dsc@dpc.wa.gov.au with your details and we can recommend a collaborator.
Or attend our Topic workshop session on 25 September 2025 at the ANZAC Club to hear the details in person and pitch yourself.
Funding FAQs
Show moreDoes DSC have a stake in IP?
No, the IP will be retained by the applicants. We do recommend IP agreements take place between collaborator before submitting your applications.
How many projects will be funded?
DSC will fund as many projects as possible.
Do I need to ask for the full $200,000?
No. We encourage you to request the amount that your project genuinely requires. This allows us to fund as many projects as possible. However, if your project requires the full amount, we recommend that you do so.
Do I need to make a co-contribution?
No, but proposals with co-contributions of funding or in-kind resources from team members will score better in the evaluation.
Do budget items need to include GST?
If you have to pay GST on these items, please indicate this.
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