Competition: Understanding Whole Body Vibration
Towards a step-change in our understanding of whole body vibration through research and innovation.
Documents
Details
Whole body vibration (WBV) is poorly understood and there are numerous outstanding questions that are pertinent to Defence. This DASA themed call, funded by the MOD, aims to enhance our understanding of whole body vibration by posing three challenges:
- Defining the size and nature of the problem
- Quantifying exposure to WBV
- Establishing the short-term effects of WBV on performance of duties
Innovation within proposals can commence at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) between 1- 5, but should aim to progress to TRL 6 – technology model or prototype demonstration in a relevant environment – by the end of the contract.
What innovations are we looking for?
- Technology to quantify vibration within vehicles during use, and, more importantly, upon the individual exposed to the vibration. This will encompass personal wearable technology and platform instrumentation and will allow the setting of boundary conditions for personalised operational exposure.
- Development of technology able to reproduce under experimental conditions the vibration and shock signatures experienced by individuals across different platforms (vehicle, ship, boat, aircraft; and / or machinery).
- In vivo, in vitro or in silico mechanistic models that increase understanding of how WBV and shock cause musculoskeletal injury and are able to predict and prevent future injury.
- Development and validation of reliable outcome measures to assess the short-term operational effects (i.e. physical and cognitive ability upon disembarkation).
Total funding available
The total funding available for this competition is £2.5m (ex VAT). £925k of the total £2.5m must be spent within financial year 2023/2024 and deliverables must be planned with this in mind.
We expect to fund between 1 to 3 proposals over a 47 month period. All contracts must complete by the end of March 2027.
At least one funded proposal will be a multidisciplinary programme seeking to address all or the majority of the questions raised. Any remaining funding will be directed towards applications focusing on delivery against specific questions, e.g. development of technology to reproduce vibration and shock signatures.
Submission deadline
Midday on Tuesday 24th January 2023 (GMT)
Where do I submit my proposal?
Via the DASA Online Submission Service for which you will require an account.
Only proposals submitted through the DASA Online Submission Service will be accepted.
You must not submit any information classified above Official. If you wish to add supporting information which might be Official-Sensitive or Secret you should contact the DASA Help Centre at accelerator@dstl.gov.uk in advance and we will discuss solutions with you.
Last updated 18 January 2023 + show all updates
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The Understanding Whole Body Vibrations competition submission deadline has been delayed until Midday Tuesday 24th January 2023.
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FAQ section of the understanding whole body vibrations competition document has been updated to include a new question at the end of the list.
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The FAQ section of the Understanding Whole Body Vibration competition has been updated with additional questions.
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A Webinar has been added to Section 3 of the Competition Document. An FAQ has been added to section 10 of the Competition Document.
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First published.