Defence Minister Harjit S. Sajjan announced the first contracts awarded under the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) Program on August 9.

Under the competitive projects element of IDEaS, three contracts are being awarded in response to the challenge of how the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) can recruit, retain and increase representation of women.

The three successful organizations are:

• SkyHive Technologies: “SkyHive Women in the Military”
• University of Ottawa: “A multi-stage approach to addressing sex-disparities in musculoskeletal injuries in military operators”
• Xtract AI: “Smart recruiting using deep learning”

These first contract awards stem from the highly successful first call for proposals for the IDEaS program, which received over 600 proposals in response to the 16 defence and security challenges. In the coming months, contract awards for the remaining challenges will be announced.

From algorithms to machine learning solutions and the assessment of common causes of medical release from the military, the selected organizations will put their expertise forward to help the CAF successfully overcome challenges and barriers in recruiting and retaining women.

“As Chief Recruiter, I welcome initiatives that will help Canadian women to consider the Canadian Armed Forces as an option to recognize their career and life goals, and ultimately regard us as an employer of choice,” said Lieutenant-General Charles Lamarre, Commander Military Personnel Command.

Innovators are encouraged to consult the IDEaS website for more information on this and subsequent calls for proposals as the program continues to take shape.