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Security & Defence PLuS Drives Innovation through the 2024 Seed Grant Scheme: Video Showcase

14 January, 2025

How can integrated deterrence be reimagined to strengthen partnerships like AUKUS? Could an online database of emerging space norms help foster global cooperation in this contested domain? Or might a machine learning breakthrough engineer stronger, damage-resistant materials that revolutionise defence infrastructure?

These are just a few of the critical questions being explored through nine pioneering projects funded by the inaugural Security & Defence PLuS (S&D+) Seed Grant scheme.

Security & Defence PLuS is the flagship program of PLuS Alliance, a global partnership which combines the strengths of three leading research universities on three continents – Arizona State University (ASU), King’s College London (KCL), and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) – to solve global challenges.

In 2024, the program provided seed funding to groundbreaking research initiatives addressing critical challenges in security and defence. The scheme, which fosters collaboration among the AUKUS member nations – Australia, the UK, and USA – supported research in diverse areas, from climate security, to supply chain resilience, artificial intelligence and more.

With up to US$15,000 in grants available for trilateral university collaborations and US$10,000 for bilateral projects, the grants are designed to support the very early stages of academic-led research, helping projects establish a foundation for future development and positioning them to seek additional funding.

The videos below spotlight these projects, featuring insights from the academics driving them as they outline their focus, proposed solutions, and intended outcomes, offering a glimpse into the future impact of their research.

 

Emerging Space Norms: An Online Database

Trilateral Project: ASU, KCL, UNSW 

  • Dr Mark Hilborne, Senior Lecturer in the School of Security Studies, KCL
  • Duncan Blake, Lecturer, School of Humanities & Social Sciences, UNSW Canberra
  • Professor Diana Bowman, Associate Dean for Applied Research and Partnerships, ASU Law, ASU

Innovating Defence Simulation for Military Ethics Training

Trilateral Project: ASU, KCL, UNSW 

  • Professor Deane-Peter Baker, Associate Professor of Ethics, School of Humanities & Social Sciences, UNSW Canberra
  • Professor David Whetham, Professor of Ethics and the Military Profession, Defence Studies Department, KCL
  • Dr Heather Lum, Assistant Professor Human Systems Engineering, ASU

Cyber Security as Statecraft in the Indo-Pacific

Trilateral Project: ASU, KCL, UNSW 

  • Dr Tim Stevens, Reader in International Security, Department of War Studies, KCL
  • Dr Elena Steiner, Associate Research Scientist, Global Security Initiative, ASU
  • Professor Debi Ashenden, Director of the Institute for Cyber Security, UNSW Canberra

Understanding Integrated Deterrence: A Framework for the AUKUS Context

Trilateral Project: ASU, KCL, UNSW 

  • Dr Thorin Wright, Associate Professor in the School of Politics and Global Studies, ASU
  • Dr Sally Burt, Lecturer in the School of Humanities & Social Sciences, UNSW Canberra
  • Dr Andrew Corbett, Senior Lecturer in Defence Studies Education, Defence Studies Department, KCL
  • Professor Wyn Bowen, Head of the School of Security Studies, KCL

Climate Change in UK and Australian Defence Strategies

Bilateral Project: KCL and UNSW 

  • Dr Hillary Briffa, Senior Lecturer in National Security Studies, KCL
  • Professor Anthony Burke, Professor of Environmental Politics and International Relations, UNSW Canberra
  • Dr Pauline Heinrichs, Lecturer in War Studies (Climate and Energy), KCL
  • Dr Rob Cullum, Postdoctoral Researcher, KCL

AI for Defence Asset Management and Supply Chain Resilience

Bilateral Project: KCL and UNSW

  • Professor Rym M’Hallah, Professor of Systems Engineering, Department of Engineering, KCL
  • Dr Hasan Turan, Senior Lecturer and Research Lead, Capability Systems Centre, UNSW Canberra

AI and Swarm Systems: Disruptive Impacts on Intelligence and Global Security

Bilateral Project: ASU and UNSW

  • Professor Katina Michael, School of Computing, Informatics and Decision Systems Engineering, ASU
  • Professor Hussein Abbass, School of Systems & Computing, UNSW Canberra
  • Professor Kathleen M. Vogel, School for the Future of Innovation in Society, ASU

Machine Learning for Designing Damage-Resistant Alloys

Bilateral Project: ASU and UNSW

  • Dr Bernd Gludovatz, Associate Professor of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, UNSW Sydney
  • Dr Qijun Hong, Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, ASU

Seawater and sea sand concrete for navy military-use offshore infrastructure

Bilateral Project: ASU and UNSW Canberra

  • Dr Christian Hoover, Assistant Professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, ASU
  • Dr Wengui Li, Associate Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNSW Sydney
 

Information on the 2025 Seed Grant Scheme will be shared soon. If you are interested in finding out more about partnering or funding these projects, please contact Security & Defence PLuS: [email protected]

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