DIN Sandpit Workshop - 2026 Pilot Projects
Description
About the Workshop
This workshop features a series of problem pitches from DIN's defence partners, each aligned with key defence and national security priority areas.
Attendees will get an early look at real problem statements, provide feedback, and help shape them into the foundation for the upcoming DIN Pilot Project call for proposals, to be published in October 2026. This is a unique opportunity to connect directly with problem owners and identify potential collaborators before the call opens.
Problems
Engineering Biology for Sustainable Power Generation
Develop and field-test engineering-biology power systems — based on microbial fuel cell/soil microbial fuel cell architectures — capable of sustainably powering IoT devices under realistic operating conditions.
From Bias to Backdoor: Detecting Covert Behavioural Shaping in Language Models
Develop methods to identify, quantify and distinguish covert behavioural manipulation in AI language models, including hidden biases, misinformation shaping and dormant "sleeper" behaviours.
Deployable Low-Attribution Communications for Cyber Incident Response Teams
Develop low-attribution research environments that enable secure cyber intelligence collection across open, deep and dark web sources while reducing operational security risks.
Agent-Agnostic Detection and Characterisation of Emerging Biological Threats
Develop agent-agnostic capabilities that can detect, screen, characterise, and assess emerging biological threats with reduced reliance on predefined target agents, signatures, or threat libraries.
Schedule
2.00 PM Introduction
2.10 PM Problem pitches
2.50 PM Breakout room discussions
3.25 PM Wrap-up
Who Can Attend
This event is open to academics from DIN member universities and industry representatives interested in the DIN Pilot Projects program.
The workshop will be held online. Teleconferencing details and problem statements will be provided to registered attendees after the registration closing date. Attendees are expected to review the problem statements in advance and actively participate on the day.
DIN reserves the right to decline registration from individuals without relevant expertise or a clear connection to defence research areas.
Registration closes: 5:00 PM, Thursday 17 September 2026
For enquiries, contact info@defenceinnovationnetwork.com
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