Seed Grant scheme
The Security & Defence PLuS Seed Grant Scheme is designed to support the development or expansion of research collaborations across our partner universities: Arizona State University (ASU), King’s College London (KCL), and the University of New South Wales (UNSW).
Grants are available for projects co-led by researchers from at least two of the three PLuS Alliance institutions, focusing on research aligned with security and defence objectives, including but not limited to AUKUS priorities.
The funding facilitates in-person meetings and the development of a white paper, supporting the earliest stages of academic-led research, helping projects to establish a foundation for future development.
2026 Seed Grants
Applications are now open for the Security & Defence PLuS Seed Grants 2026 (Stage 1).
Seed funding of up to USD $15,000 (trilateral projects) and USD $10,000 (bilateral projects) is available to support early-stage, defence-relevant research collaborations across the PLuS Alliance.
Applications close Monday 16 March 2026 at 5:00 PM (AEST).
2025 Seed Grants
From semiconductor supply chains to election security, great power rivalry to energy resilience, the 2025 Seed Grant projects spanned the full spectrum of today’s most urgent security and defence challenges.
Our seed grant video series brings you inside each collaboration, as the lead researchers explain what they’re working on, why it matters, and how cross-border research strengthens collective security.
2024 Seed Grants
The inaugural seed grant program provided seed funding to nine groundbreaking research initiatives, which included four trilateral university projects and five bilateral projects.
The videos below spotlight these collaborations, 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.
If you are interested in finding out more about partnering or funding these projects, please contact Security & Defence PLuS: [email protected]