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Western Australian defence innovators can apply for grants of up to $200,000 under a new research program focused on strengthening military logistics, critical supply chains and Defence resilience during conflict.
The Western Australian government has opened applications for the eighth round of the Defence Science Centre’s (DSC) Collaborative Research Grant program, targeting technologies that can strengthen Defence logistics and supply chains during conflict.
The 2026 program, jointly funded by the Cook government and Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG), is centred on the theme “Logistics Under Conflict”.
Up to $200,000 is available for eligible collaborative projects involving at least one participating university and an industry partner. Projects must address a defined Defence challenge and demonstrate a pathway towards increasing technological maturity.
The program is designed to address vulnerabilities that can emerge when military supply chains face disruption from distance, environmental conditions, infrastructure constraints or adversary action.
Priority areas include decision advantage, disrupted health support, critical infrastructure resilience, supply sovereignty and demand management during periods of disruption.
Western Australian Premier and Defence Industries Minister Roger Cook said: “The Collaborative Research Grant program brings together WA researchers, industry and Defence to tackle complex challenges through innovation – a capability that is essential to Australia’s future defence readiness.”
The Collaborative Research Grant program brings together researchers, industry and Defence to develop technologies addressing defence innovation, science and technology priorities.
Since its establishment in 2020, the program has invested more than $5.8 million across 41 collaborative defence research projects, supporting the development of WA’s defence research and innovation ecosystem.
Premier Cook said: “The 2026 Round 8 program will give organisations the opportunity to develop practical solutions that strengthen defence capability while building local expertise and partnerships across WA’s defence ecosystem.”
The latest round is particularly focused on technologies capable of improving resilience when conventional logistics networks are degraded or disrupted.
That could include innovations supporting distributed supply chains, resilient infrastructure, health logistics, resource management and improved decision making in contested environments.
Successful applicants will participate in a co-design process with the Defence Science Centre, DSTG and Defence stakeholders to refine their projects, research questions and deliverables before contracting.
Applications for Round 8 close at 5pm AWST on 23 October 2026.
The initiative forms part of broader efforts to expand Western Australia’s defence technology ecosystem while creating opportunities for universities and local industry to develop technologies with potential applications across the Australian Defence Force and wider national security sector.
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