The Defense Innovation Unit has launched a new challenge to identify and support the development of new technologies that address the Department of Defense’s critical needs.
DIU said Wednesday U.S. startups founded by students, faculty, staff and recent graduates can participate in the Dual-Use University Accelerator Challenge, which will serve as the entry point to a 12-week accelerator program designed to improve innovators’ readiness for DOD market engagement.
DIU will hold an “Ask Me Anything” session on June 10 and accept applications for the challenge through June 25.
Table of Contents
University Accelerator Challenge’s Focus Areas
The key focus areas for the challenge include technology platforms aligned with DOD mission needs in energy, autonomy, artificial intelligence, cyber/telecommunications, emerging technology, human systems and space.
The challenge is also interested in commercial dual-use technologies that address strategic gaps in defense capabilities as well as innovations with potential for scalability, operational impact and cost-effectiveness.
A team of subject matter experts will select up to 15 finalists for the accelerator program. Finalists will get a share of the $500,000 in prize awards, DOD engagement opportunities, tailored mentorship and funding support to help scale their tech platforms for defense applications.
Competition’s Required Technical Capabilities
The selected candidates should demonstrate feasibility for rapid prototyping and field testing; integration of innovative technologies addressing DOD mission needs; and readiness to adapt platforms based on stakeholder feedback.
Scalability for large-scale implementation and demonstrated ability to engage with DOD mission partners are among the desired capabilities.
Applications will be evaluated based on technical merit; team qualifications; commercial viability; alignment with DOD needs; and presentation quality.
DIU will announce the finalists on July 25. The accelerator program will kick off in August and run through October.
Related Articles
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence has appointed Tidal “Ty” McCoy II, most recently a principal at Nexfed, as intelligence community chief financial officer. McCoy announced his appointment at ODNI in a LinkedIn post published Tuesday. Hear experts discuss the latest tech advancements, trends and opportunities facing the IC at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Intel Summit on Oct. 2. Reserve your spot now! Who Is Tidal McCoy? In 2022, McCoy joined strategy consulting firm Nextfed as a vice president. At Nexfed, he led the firm’s intelligence and acquisition strategy practice and played a key role in mergers
The National Science Foundation has launched an initiative to invest up to $100 million in a national network of artificial intelligence-enabled programmable cloud laboratories as part of efforts to advance automated science and engineering and drive discoveries and innovation. NSF said Tuesday the Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, or TIP, will lead the NSF Test Bed: Toward a Network of Programmable Cloud Laboratories, or NSF PCL Test Bed. “The idea of a national network of programmable cloud laboratories builds on NSF’s longstanding legacy of transformative investments — such as NSFNET decades ago — that paved the way for the modern
Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.; Maggie Hassan, D-N.H.; Susan Collins, R-Maine; and Angus King, I-Maine have proposed legislation that would spare the Navy’s four public shipyards from workforce reductions. Called the Protecting Public Naval Shipyards Act, the bipartisan bill tells the Department of Defense to exempt certain positions at public shipyards from hiring freezes and layoffs to ensure that nuclear-powered submarine maintenance and overhaul are uninterrupted. “This bipartisan bill will ensure that important naval operations continue without disruption by exempting public shipyard employees from the chaotic mass firings, workforce reductions, and hiring freezes directed by the Trump Administration,” said Hassan. Top