News story

New competition: Behavioural Analytics

The Defence and Security Accelerator is seeking proposals that can help UK Defence and Security to develop capability in ‘Behavioural Analytics’.

A persons fingers on a translucent computer screen.

A person's fingers on a translucent computer screen.

This Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) competition is seeking proposals that can help UK Defence and Security to develop capability in ‘Behavioural Analytics’. We are looking for scientific and technological solutions that can provide context-specific insights into the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of individual, group and population behaviour, enabling predictions about how they are likely to act in the future.

At this stage of the competition we are limiting the scope to theoretical development, methodological advancement and proof of concept research. We want to fund research to get the foundations right. However, we also ask bidders to consider future exploitation.

The challenge is broad and diverse, and the solutions should be too. We are committed to funding a range of exciting and diverse proposals and therefore welcome applications from across the full range of research disciplines - from psychology and neuroscience to artificial intelligence and data science - as well as inter-disciplinary research collaborations and perspectives. We also welcome applications from people bringing novel perspectives from alternative disciplines such as the arts, humanities and social sciences.

The initial funding for all phases of this competition is up to £5 million but is expected to rise given increasing stakeholder interest in Behavioural Analytics. Phase 1 of this competition has £1.6 million available to fund multiple proposals.

Phase 1 of this competition closes at midday on Wednesday 5 December 2018.

Full details are available in the competition document.

If you have any queries on this competition, please do contact us at accelerator@dstl.gov.uk.

Published 11 October 2018