5th Call Defence-related Research Action (DEFRA) 2025

Research

What?

The Council of Ministers has approved the Defence Science and Technology Programme for 2025, including the fifth call for proposals of the Defence-related Research Action, DEFRA. This 5th DEFRA call has been opened.
Through the funding of research projects based on scientific excellence, the DEFRA programme allows meeting the scientific knowledge needs of the Belgian Defence.
Nine themes will be covered in this 5th call, with a total indicative budget of 20 M€:

• Theme 1: AI in support for operations
• Theme 2: CYBER
• Theme 3: Medical Casualty Evacuation
• Theme 4: Demining Technologies
• Theme 5: Biotechnologies and Human Enhancement/Augmentation (BHEA)
• Theme 6: Sensor Technologies
• Theme 7: Critical Maritime Infrastructure Protection
• Theme 8: Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems
• Theme 9: Open call: Defence relevant research 

For all themes, projects will have a duration of minimum 2 and maximum 4 years.

There is no set maximum budget per project. However, applicants should take into consideration the total available budget for each theme. The objective is to develop a project with the most efficient use of public resources.

The number of projects that will be funded per theme depends on the evaluation of the proposals and the requested budget per proposal. It is envisaged to have 1 or more projects funded for each theme. Budget transfers between the themes are possible.

Proposals can only be introduced in the “Open call” if the subject of the proposal does not correspond with one of the other eight themes.

A physical information session will be organised on Wednesday 22 January 2025 (8h30 – 16h30) at the Royal Military Academy in Brussels. Registration is mandatory. You can register until 15 January 2025.

Who?

This call is open to Belgian public and private non-profit research institutes and private companies (both as funded and non-funded partners in the project).
The project partnership must be in a triple helix composition where academia and industry work together to foster R&T for Defence.

Take into account that at VLIR level it was decided that the TRL levels of the contribution of universities should be as low as possible.

Application?

The pre-proposals as well as the full proposals must be electronically created, elaborated and submitted via the online submission platform.
The template for the full proposals is made available on the website. However, after the evaluation of the pre-proposals a maximum of five pre-proposals per theme will be invited to submit a full proposal. For theme 9 “open call: Defence relevant research” maximum ten pre-proposals will be invited to submit a full proposal.

Deadlines:

• Deadline Pre-proposals: 20 February 2025 (14h00)
• Deadline Full proposals: 2 May 2025 (14h00)

Regulations?

More information about the Regulations and guidelines.

More information?

More information is available on the DEFRA website.

Deadline

20.02.2025

Contact Hasselt University?

E-mail sarah.szyr@uhasselt.be

Tel. +3211269052