European Union13 days leftNon-profit, Private Business, Research Institution, Public Institution, Other
Autonomous triage and evacuation
EDF Research Actions
Funding Amount
Amount not specified
Deadline
16/10/2025
Eligible Organization Types
Non-profit, Private Business, Research Institution, Public Institution, Other
Trusted by
What is the Autonomous triage and evacuation Call?
Grant Description
This call supports research and innovation to develop and validate robotic and autonomous systems for casualty evacuation and battlefield triage in large scale combat operations, including under chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) conditions and contested environments. Projects will deliver feasibility studies, proof-of-concept demonstrations and a technology roadmap for interoperable, modular CASEVAC platforms with plug-and-play health and CBRN sensors, trusted autonomy based ...
Required Results for Successful Funding
Expected Outcomes
Funded projects will:
• Advance knowledge on RAS CASEVAC requirements and accelerate development of life-saving autonomous evacuation and triage technologies.
• Deliver proof-of-concept demonstrations of autonomous casualty detection, triage (START-based), remote monitoring, adaptive planning and basic protective transport in representative military scenarios.
• Produce an R&D roadmap for scalable, interoperable RAS CASEVAC platforms integrating plug-and-play medical and CBRN sensors.
• Improve speed and accuracy of locating, evaluating and evacuating casualties under LSCO and CBRN conditions, reducing risk to combat medics and medical personnel.
• Demonstrate human-machine teaming, swarm-based MUM-T capabilities and ethical, explainable AI decision-algorithms for battlefield triage.
• Showcase modular IMOSA architectures enabling rapid reconfiguration between missions and dual-use applications (defence, civil, law enforcement).
• Deliver a proof-of-concept mission planning tool with real-time data fusion, federated network interoperability, and AI-driven route and resource optimisation within the golden hour constraint.
• Identify methods for casualty and platform protection, survivability, self-defence and CBRN reusability, operable in all weather, terrain and contested-environment conditions.
• Advance knowledge on RAS CASEVAC requirements and accelerate development of life-saving autonomous evacuation and triage technologies.
• Deliver proof-of-concept demonstrations of autonomous casualty detection, triage (START-based), remote monitoring, adaptive planning and basic protective transport in representative military scenarios.
• Produce an R&D roadmap for scalable, interoperable RAS CASEVAC platforms integrating plug-and-play medical and CBRN sensors.
• Improve speed and accuracy of locating, evaluating and evacuating casualties under LSCO and CBRN conditions, reducing risk to combat medics and medical personnel.
• Demonstrate human-machine teaming, swarm-based MUM-T capabilities and ethical, explainable AI decision-algorithms for battlefield triage.
• Showcase modular IMOSA architectures enabling rapid reconfiguration between missions and dual-use applications (defence, civil, law enforcement).
• Deliver a proof-of-concept mission planning tool with real-time data fusion, federated network interoperability, and AI-driven route and resource optimisation within the golden hour constraint.
• Identify methods for casualty and platform protection, survivability, self-defence and CBRN reusability, operable in all weather, terrain and contested-environment conditions.
Funded areas
Scope Requirements
Proposals must:
1. Develop a multi-role RAS CASEVAC approach with easy reconfiguration of payloads (medical & non-medical) via an Interoperable Modular and Scalable Architecture (IMOSA).
2. Integrate plug-and-play wearable or stand-off sensors for vital signs, patient care monitoring, and miniaturised CBRN detection/identification (DIM).
3. Provide autonomous battlefield triage based on life-threatening indicators (START algorithm), including casualty detection/localisation in all weather/visibility conditions.
4. Ensure trusted autonomy and swarm-based manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) for networked autonomous CASEVAC in contested/denied environments.
5. Implement standardised interfaces for seamless integration of diverse monitoring/CBRN sensors, enabling defence, civil and dual-use operations.
6. Adapt route planning, speed and behaviour in real time to environment/weather conditions, threat level, on-board patient status, and unexpected events, respecting the golden hour timeline.
7. Define methods for basic physical protection (against shrapnel, small-arms fire, harsh weather) and platform/patient survivability, reusability (CBRN decontamination) and self-defence capabilities.
8. Reflect on ethical, legal and responsibility aspects of autonomous triage, ensuring explainability of AI-based forecasts and alternative casualty assessment approaches given limited training data.
1. Develop a multi-role RAS CASEVAC approach with easy reconfiguration of payloads (medical & non-medical) via an Interoperable Modular and Scalable Architecture (IMOSA).
2. Integrate plug-and-play wearable or stand-off sensors for vital signs, patient care monitoring, and miniaturised CBRN detection/identification (DIM).
3. Provide autonomous battlefield triage based on life-threatening indicators (START algorithm), including casualty detection/localisation in all weather/visibility conditions.
4. Ensure trusted autonomy and swarm-based manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) for networked autonomous CASEVAC in contested/denied environments.
5. Implement standardised interfaces for seamless integration of diverse monitoring/CBRN sensors, enabling defence, civil and dual-use operations.
6. Adapt route planning, speed and behaviour in real time to environment/weather conditions, threat level, on-board patient status, and unexpected events, respecting the golden hour timeline.
7. Define methods for basic physical protection (against shrapnel, small-arms fire, harsh weather) and platform/patient survivability, reusability (CBRN decontamination) and self-defence capabilities.
8. Reflect on ethical, legal and responsibility aspects of autonomous triage, ensuring explainability of AI-based forecasts and alternative casualty assessment approaches given limited training data.
Additional Conditions for Applicants
Special Conditions
• Single-stage submission: opening 18 February 2025, deadline 16 October 2025 (17:00 Brussels time).
• Type of action: EDF Research Actions (EDF-RA) under EDF Action Grant Budget-Based model.
• Admissibility: comply with Part B page limits and layout (section 5 of call document) and eligibility conditions (section 6).
• Mandatory tasks: cover both ‘Studies’ and ‘Design’ activities as listed; omission leads to ineligibility.
• Eligible participants: entities from EDF-eligible countries with demonstrated financial and operational capacity; exclusions apply per section 7.
• Evaluation: proposals evaluated on Excellence, Impact and Quality & Efficiency of implementation (section 9), following the Online Manual process (section 8).
• Budget constraints: only activities (a)–(d) of Art.10(3) eligible; no funding for prototyping, testing, qualification or certification.
• Security: compliance with EDF Programme Security Instruction and model grant agreement provisions.
• Reporting: use new Detailed Budget Table annex (version 1.41) for actual costs methodology.
• Type of action: EDF Research Actions (EDF-RA) under EDF Action Grant Budget-Based model.
• Admissibility: comply with Part B page limits and layout (section 5 of call document) and eligibility conditions (section 6).
• Mandatory tasks: cover both ‘Studies’ and ‘Design’ activities as listed; omission leads to ineligibility.
• Eligible participants: entities from EDF-eligible countries with demonstrated financial and operational capacity; exclusions apply per section 7.
• Evaluation: proposals evaluated on Excellence, Impact and Quality & Efficiency of implementation (section 9), following the Online Manual process (section 8).
• Budget constraints: only activities (a)–(d) of Art.10(3) eligible; no funding for prototyping, testing, qualification or certification.
• Security: compliance with EDF Programme Security Instruction and model grant agreement provisions.
• Reporting: use new Detailed Budget Table annex (version 1.41) for actual costs methodology.
Important dates
Open from: 18/02/2025
Deadline:16/10/2025
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