National Defence

Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC)

Defence R&D Canada – Atlantic (DRDC Atlantic)

DRDC Atlantic is the Department of National Defence centre of expertise for research and development in undersea warfare and marine vehicle technology supporting Canadian Navy Maritime Air and public security requirements. DRDC Atlantic also participates significantly in Maritime Command and Control (C2) efforts. R&D in the above areas is conducted in the form of theoretical studies, experimental data gathering, system concept demonstrators, and field validation trials. A portion of the work is carried out at the Dockyard Laboratory (Pacific) in Esquimalt, British Columbia, and at the National Research Council's Institute for Aerospace Research in Ottawa.

Fields of Research

Undersea Warfare: Ocean environmental acoustics, acoustic sensor systems, electromagnetic sensor systems, underwater acoustic transducers, sonar signal processing, sonar information management, marine mine countermeasures, torpedo countermeasures, remotely operated and autonomous underwater systems, sonar performance assessment, sonar system concept demonstration, open architecture system concepts and operational analysis.

Maritime Command and Control: Generation and presentation of maritime tactical and operational pictures (data/information management and fusion, anomaly detection, information extraction, auto alerts, visualization); decision support tools; C2 systems analysis; modeling and simulation/synthetic environments to support analysis and evolution of maritime C2 systems; port and harbour security; and integrating the command and control efforts at other centres with DRDC Atlantic's own capabilities.

Naval Platforms: Ship and submarine dynamics, hydrodynamics, structures, and materials; their modeling, simulation, design and maintenance; their radiated and reflected noise signatures; advanced materials  and marine corrosion science.

Air Platforms: Condition-based monitoring and prognostic health management for aircraft structures and propulsion systems. Novel battery, fuel cell and alternative energy sources.

Contact

Chief Scientist
E-mail: atl.info@drdc-rddc.gc.ca
Defence R&D Canada – Atlantic (DRDC Atlantic)
P.O. Box 1012
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
B2Y 3Z7

Web site:  www.atlantic.drdc-rddc.gc.ca/home_eng.html

Defence R&D Canada – Valcartier (DRDC Valcartier)

DRDC Valcartier's mission is to conduct applied defence research and development work and contribute to S&T innovation in the areas of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, command and control, force and assets protection and combat systems.

Fields of Research

• Optronics and micro-engineering, including visible and infrared components, sensors and systems, signal, image and data processing, as well as target and background characteristics and intervening media;
• Information systems for command, control and intelligence analysis using state-of-the-art technologies in virtual reality, serious gaming and simulation, artificial intelligence, data fusion, system architectures, human-machine interfaces and decision support and, computer security;
• Emergent energetic materials including rockets, rocket and gun propellants, energetic polymers, and insensitive munitions, ordnance, including projectiles and their flight mechanics and terminal effects, weapon system performance analysis, platform vulnerability and survivability, high strain rate characteristics of materials, and smart fusing for munitions.

Contact

Christian Carrier
Chief Scientist
DRDC Valcartier
2459 Pie-XI Boulevard North
Québec, Québec
G3J 1X5

Web site:  www.valcartier.drdc-rddc.gc.ca/index-eng.asp

Defence R&D Canada – Ottawa (DRDC Ottawa)

DRDC Ottawa is the lead authority and centre of expertise for the exploitation of the electromagnetic spectrum to meet future Canadian Forces, departmental and national needs.

Fields of Research

DRDC Ottawa's core technologies are radio frequency (RF) sensing; RF electronic warfare; RF communications technology; network information operations; space systems; synthetic environments; and radiological defence. 

Contact

Chief Scientist
Defence R&D Canada – Ottawa (DRDC Ottawa)
Department of National Defence
3701 Carling Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0Z4

Web site:  www.ottawa.drdc-rddc.gc.ca/html/home-eng.html

Defence R&D Canada – Toronto (DRDC Toronto)

DRDC Toronto is Canada's centre of excellence for human effectiveness science and technology in defence and public security.  The centre addresses individual, social and technological aspects of human performance and effectiveness, in order to support the operational needs of the CF through research, advice, test and evaluation, and training.

Fields of Research

DRDC Toronto conducts S&T in the following  areas: 1) Human Systems Integration; 2) Socio-Cognitive Systems; 3) Individual Behaviour and Performance; and 4) Military Medicine. These areas of research require expertise from such diverse disciplines as: cognitive and behavioural sciences; information and decision systems; human factors engineering; simulation and training technologies; human-computer interaction; human systems modelling; life support systems; protective clothing systems; autonomic and central nervous system physiology; trauma science; biomedical engineering; social psychology; political science; and cultural anthropology.  DRDC Toronto also supports the operational needs of the Canadian Forces through research, advice, test and evaluation, and training in the extreme environments.

Contact

Chief Scientist
Defence R&D Canada – Toronto (DRDC Toronto)
1133 Sheppard Avenue West
P.O. Box 2000
Toronto, Ontario
M3M 3B9

Web site:  www.toronto.drdc-rddc.gc.ca/index1-eng.asp

Defence R&D Canada – Suffield (DRDC Suffield)

DRDC Suffield is Canada's centre of expertise for defence R&D to casualty management, explosive threats, mobile systems autonomy, and chemical and biological defence.

Fields of Research

Toxicology and Pharmacology: Toxicity and mechanisms of action of toxic chemicals (including chemical warfare agents), including pathophysiology, prophylaxis and therapy, mechanisms of injury such as that resulting from blast can haemorrhage.

Prevention and Treatment of Disease: Infectious disease, assessment of pathogenesis and of mitigation including; non-vaccines solutions, protective/therapeutic antibodies and immune modulators, repurposing drugs, treatment vectors and delivery systems.

Threat Assessment and Risk Reduction: Through experiments and trials with explosives and through laboratory characterization of chemical and biological hazards; development of computer models for hazard assessment of chemical, biological and radiological materials (including hazardous cloud movements) and of explosive effects.

Detection, Diagnostics, and Protection: Detection and identification of chemical and biological hazards; diagnostics based on immunochemistry, gene probes and arrays, and on microfluidics; personal protection equipment for contaminated environments, and techniques to decontaminate persons and equipment.

Military Engineering: Explosive physics in air and under water, blast and shock wave/structure interactions, numerical methods in fluid dynamics,  detection of improvised explosive devices, ordnance and minefields.

Autonomous, Intelligent Systems: Tele-operated and robotic surface and air vehicles and their control for military applications; image analysis and artificial intelligence, and science and technology for autonomous decision-making and operation in mobility of surface and air vehicles.

Contact

Kent Harding
Chief Scientist
Defence R&D Canada – Suffield (DRDC Suffield)
Box 4000 Station Main
Medicine Hat, Alberta
T1A 8K6

Web site:  www.suffield.drdc-rddc.gc.ca/Home-accueil/index_eng.html

Defence R&D Canada – Centre for Operational Research and Analysis (DRDC CORA)

DRDC CORA informs and facilitates the decision-making process of the Canadian Government defence and security community in an objective, timely, credible and scientifically rigorous manner.  CORA scientists conduct applied research studies on priority defence and security issues in partnership with military and defence clients.  Their work is targeted at both developing new methodologies and empirical system-of systems analyses.

Fields of Research

The centre conducts the Operational Research and Analysis (OR&A) program of work on behalf of the Canadian Forces (CF), the Department of National Defence (DND) and its defence and security partners.

DRDC CORA is the S&T centre of excellence for decision sciences in defence and security.  Its scientists are trained in one of three broad domains:

• Operational research – the use of physics or mathematical analysis, statistics, modeling and simulation of military operations to understand key factors and risks, and to help select best options and optimal use of resources;
• Strategic analysis – the use of historical and social scientific analytical methods to develop wide-ranging studies of geo-political, security, diplomatic, political and technological developments of relevance to Canadian strategy;
• Scientific and technical intelligence – produce technical studies in support of intelligence production and intelligence capabilities.

CORA also helps senior decision makers in the CF and DND make informed decisions by providing them with timely quantitative and qualitative analysis, reports and objective expert advice based on scientific methods applied to the core issues of:

• Strategy and policy
• Force development
• Capability production (acquisition)
• Force generation
• Force employment

Contact

Chief Scientist
Defence R&D Canada – Centre for Operational Research and Analysis (DRDC CORA)
National Defence Headquarters
101 Colonel By Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0K2

Web site:  www.cora.drdc-rddc.gc.ca/index-eng.asp

Defence R&D Canada – Director General Military Personnel Research and Analysis (DGMPRA)

Director General Military Personnel Research and Analysis provides expert and evidence-based advice that feeds directly into Canadian Forces policy and the Department of National Defence decision making process as they pertain to military personnel.  Director General Military Personnel Research and Analysis (DGMPRA) responds to both the Assistant Deputy Minister (Science and Technology) and the Chief of Military Personnel within the Department of National Defence (DND) to ensure that military and civilian personnel research needs are met.  DGMPRA personnel conduct strategic and operational research in the areas of personnel generation, personnel and family support and operational and organizational dynamics.  DGMPRA provides expert and evidence-based advice that feeds directly into Canadian Forces policy and the DND decision making process to better recruit, train, educate, prepare, support, honour and recognize military personnel and their families as well as enhance operational and organizational effectiveness.

Fields of Research

Personnel Generation
Research in the realm of personnel generation touches upon areas of interest such as Canadian Forces attraction, recruitment, training and education, career management, human resources planning, retention and attrition. 

Personnel and Family Support
Social science research and analysis under the personnel and family support area contributes to personnel policies and programs in the areas of conditions of service and quality of life of CF members and their families, employment equity and diversity and individual and organizational factors impacting the physical and psychological health of CF members.

Operational and Organizational Dynamics
Research in the area of operational and organizational dynamics touches a broad spectrum of research domains,  including command,  leadership and cultural intelligence, operational and organizational dynamics and effectiveness and personnel outlook. 

Contact

Chief Scientist
Director General Military Personnel Research and Analysis (DGMPRA)
285 Coventry Road
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0K2

E-mail: dgmpra-dgrapm@forces.gc.ca

Media Inquiries
Tel.: 613-992-7237

DRDC Centre for Security Science (DRDC CSS)

DRDC CSS is a joint endeavour between Defence Research Development Canada (DRDC) and Public Safety Canada. DRDC CSS is the lead authority and a centre of expertise that provides science and technology (S&T) services and support to address and impact national public safety and security objectives and outcomes.

The Centre's capabilities lie in: leading and administering research; the development, testing and evaluation of technologies; the transitioning of results; the exploitation and operationalization of technologies; and identifying future trends and threats. It partners with both federal departments and agencies in Canada as well as with a collaborative network of national and international (S&T) partners within the public safety and security fields.

S&T expertise provided to these fields of research

• Chemical, Biological, Radiological-Nuclear and Explosives (CBRNE)
• CBRN forensics
• Critical Infrastructure Protection
• eSecurity (Cyber)
• Border and Transportation Security
• Biometrics for National Security
• First Responder
• Risk and Capability
• Psycho Social and Radicalization
• Emergency Management
• Systems Interoperability

Contact

Dr. Andrew L. Vallerand
Chief Scientist
Defence R&D Canada – Centre for Security Science (DRDC CSS)
222 Nepean Street
Ottawa Ontario
K1A 0K2

Web site:  www.css.drdc-rddc.gc.ca/index-eng.asp

Contact for all DRDC locations

DRDC Visiting Fellowship Program
Defence R&D Canada – Corporate Services
DRDHR – Constitution Building
305 Rideau Street, 6th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0K2

Web site:  www.drdc-rddc.gc.ca/about-apropos/index-eng.asp