Ottawa, ON – The Department of National Defence (DND) is calling on visionary thinkers to participate in “Polar Paradigms 2045: Defending Canada’s Sovereignty” — a national contest inviting Canadians to craft hard science fiction essays that explore how emerging technologies could empower the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) to defend Canada’s sovereignty and national interests in the Arctic by 2045.

Participants are challenged to imagine plausible, evidence-based scenarios where advanced innovations help safeguard Canadian interests and ensure military readiness in a rapidly changing Arctic environment. Essays should consider the human, technological, and strategic dimensions of operations in this complex and evolving region.

Contest Prizes

• 1st Place: $10,000

• 2nd Place: $7,500

• 3rd Place: $5,000

• 4th to 10th Place: $2,500 each

• Student Writer Prize: $3,000

• Indigenous Writer Prize: $3,000

• Women and Gender-Diverse Writer Prize: $3,000

• Federal Employee Recognition: Top submission from a federal employee may be considered for publication on the IDEaS website.

Eligibility

The applicant must be an individual or a legal entity duly incorporated and validly existing in Canada, including:

• Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada

• Canadian universities and educational institutions chartered in Canada

• Incorporated Canadian not-for-profit organizations or associations

• Incorporated Canadian for-profit companies, organizations, or associations

• Canadian provincial, territorial, or municipal government organizations

Note on Federal/Crown Corporations:
Federal departments and provincial Crown corporations are not eligible to receive prizes. Employees of federal departments or Crown corporations may submit an essay for consideration, but their submissions will not be eligible for monetary prizes.

How to Participate

To participate, request the applicant guide and submission package by emailing the IDEaS team at [email protected]. The package includes the official applicant form, which must be used for essay submission.

Essays submitted in any other format will not be accepted. Applicants are responsible for ensuring the accuracy and completeness of their submission and should carefully review the applicant guide, which includes the full challenge statement, before submitting.

Applicant Guide

All information about the contest — including essay structure, key considerations, and the scenario — can be found in the applicant guide.

To receive a copy of the guide or for any questions, email the contests team at [email protected].

Deadline

The deadline to submit essays is January 16, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. ET, or earlier if the 300-entry limit is reached. This contest serves as a pilot for future initiatives, and a maximum of 50 submissions from federal employees will be accepted. Once that federal cap is reached, no further federal entries will be considered, and the website will be updated accordingly.

About the IDEaS Program
The Department of National Defence’s Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program fosters innovation by supporting Canadian inventors, researchers, and organizations in developing solutions to address current and future defence and security challenges.

Media Contact:
IDEaS Communications Team
Department of National Defence / Government of Canada
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.canada.ca/defence-ideas