Security call

CLASP knowledge exchange call to meet challenges in security

STFC is building upon its previous and highly successful challenge led calls (PNAPAS and CLASP) in order to further increase Knowledge Exchange with industry and maximise the impact of the technical capabilities traditionally associated with STFC, its partners and networks.

Accelerating industrial take-up and operational deployment of key technologies is at the heart of this call. In order to achieve this STFC intends to fund, with advice from Government and industry, de-risking (including production of technical demonstrators where appropriate) of technologies and systems applicable to defined challenges within the security domain. STFC would particularly welcome proposals for novel and imaginative approaches with the potential to deliver significant (rather than incremental) and cost effective improvements in operational capability focused but not limited to the following areas :

• Detection and characterisation of contraband (including radioactive materials, explosives, firearms, narcotics and people) of interest to the UK Authorities; either at air or sea entry points to the UK and/or in storage or transit within the UK;
  
  
• Detection of deployed improvised explosive devices, either buried or in vehicles ;
  
  
• Detection and mapping of subterranean structures, both natural and man made ;
  
  
• Underwater search to detect and identify objects at operationally useful ranges in salt and/or fresh water ;
  
  
• Rapid detection and assessment of the severity and spatial extent of radiological contamination (particularly by alpha and beta emitters) over areas of up to 5km x 5km.
  
  

Outline proposals are invited through JeS, from across STFC funded research community for which there would be a demonstrable potential market. It is expected that any IP generated would reside with the host institution.

The closing date for Outline proposals is 16:00 on 23rd August 2011.

Following the assessment of Outline proposals, shortlisted applicants will be invited to develop full proposals with assistance and advice from STFC Innovations staff and panel members. The closing date for full applications will be 16:00 on 10th January 2012. Applicants will be invited to present their final proposals to the Steering Group for consideration in late February/early March. The anticipated award announcements for successful proposals will be before 31st March 2012.

The total funds available for this call will be around £1.5M. It is expected that this will fund a small number of projects ranging from short feasibility studies to larger developmental projects against key milestones, in the case of the latter this may lead to funding being awarded against initial stages only in the first instance.