The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) launch a new Themed Competition called the Veterans’ Health Innovation Fund on behalf of the Office for Veterans’ Affairs

The Veterans’ Health Innovation Fund is a brand-new Themed Competition that has just been unveiled by the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA). This competition, organised on behalf of the Office for Veterans’ Affairs (Cabinet Office), looks for cutting-edge inventions and technology that enhance the methods and channels for addressing the physical and mental health requirements of veterans.

The results of this competition will increase the UK’s capacity to save and improve lives through the development of medical technology, interventions, and therapies. This will make commissioning of therapies in the future better.

Key dates and funding

The Office for Veterans’ Affairs Health Innovation Fund has a total funding cap of £2.7 million, with a maximum grant amount of £300,000 per submission.

The proposal deadline is 12:00 PM on August 31, 2022.

Have you got an idea? Read the full competition document and submit a proposal.

Driving innovation in veterans’ healthcare

The Chancellor of the Exchequer gave the Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA) £5 million in the October 2021 Budget to spur innovation in veteran’s healthcare and make sure that treatment is based on the most recent findings in clinical care.

While the UK has created state-of-the-art therapies and medical equipment to help veterans who have been hurt or ill, this competition aims to build on previous achievements, fill in knowledge gaps, and provide fresh research that will aid in veterans’ healthcare.

Through the development of medical technology, interventions, and therapies, the UK will be better able to save lives.

Challenge areas

The following issues must be addressed in at least one of the submitted proposals:

Challenge 1: Digital, data and technology

This challenge area is aimed at harnessing the latest digital and technology capabilities to improve our understanding of veterans’ healthcare needs. Examples include:

  • artificial intelligence
  • virtual reality
  • using data to predict long-term health outcomes
  • using non-invasive technologies to treat veterans

Challenge 2: Surgical technology, bioengineering and rehabilitation with blast injuries

This challenge area is aimed at proposals that offer improvements in innovative surgical techniques, bioengineering and rehabilitation interventions to support veterans who have been subject to blast injuries. Examples include:

  • regenerative engineering
  • customised metabolic prosthetics
  • intervention technologies for conditions, including mild traumatic brain injury

Challenge 3: Public Health, pain management, hearing loss and visual impairment

This challenge area looks into the impact of pain, hearing loss and visual impairment. DASA and the OVA are particularly interested in applications that offer to trial interventions and treatments to improve the health outcomes of veterans. This challenge area is also interested in bids that look at treatments for public health challenges faced by veterans.

Challenge 4: Initiatives to help identify and/or provide solutions to disparities in female veterans’ health and healthcare

This challenge area is interested in projects that could improve our understanding of female veterans’ health challenges, and what care pathways can be put in place to better support them. For example, proposals that look at addiction (including alcohol misuse) and other mental health conditions such as those that result from exposure to trauma.

Want to learn more about these challenge areas? Read the full competition document here.

Webinar

18 July 2022

More details on the challenge areas and how to submit a proposal will be provided in this webinar. In the Q&A, there will also be a chance for questions. Please sign up on the Eventbrite page if you want to participate.

Register now

Submit a proposal

Do you have a strategy or a fresh idea that could improve our capacity to promote innovation in veteran’s healthcare? Send in your suggestions to help DASA and OVA make sure that clinical care is guided by the most recent research and developments.

Learn more and submit a proposal.