The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) is an Australian government statutory authority that invests in research, development, and extension (RD&E) to improve the profitability, productivity, and sustainability of the Australian grains industry. GRDC's mission is to drive the discovery, development, and delivery of world-class innovation in the grains sector, addressing challenges related to crop management, soil health, pest control, and more. GRDC collaborates with various stakeholders, including farmers, research institutions, and industry groups, to fund and facilitate research projects that benefit grain growers across Australia.

This investment seeks to enhance safety across the grains industry by leveraging innovative technologies that adhere to the hierarchy of controls. The GRDC is specifically interested in proposals that prioritise the elimination of hazards at their source (Figure 1), moving beyond reliance on behavioural adjustments or administrative controls. Technological solutions—particularly those driven by automation and connected systems—are anticipated to play a crucial role in reducing safety risks and advancing the industry’s overall safety standards.

To achieve these goals, the GRDC invites proposals that address key safety risks in grains production through targeted technological interventions. These risks include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Machinery and Equipment Hazards:

• Tractors and Harvesters: Solutions for preventing rollovers, reducing entanglements, and avoiding collisions with obstacles (e.g., power lines).
• Augers and Grain Handling Equipment: Innovations that minimize the risk of entanglement in moving parts.

2. Grain Storage Hazards:

• Grain Silo Entrapment: Solutions that prevent workers from becoming trapped in flowing grain.
• Dust Exposure and Explosions: Innovations that minimize exposure to fine grain particles and reduce explosion risks.
• Confined Spaces: Enhancements in ventilation and monitoring systems to prevent exposure to toxic gases.

3. Chemical Exposure:

• Pesticides and Herbicides: Technologies that reduce exposure to hazardous chemicals both prior to and during application.
• Fertilizers: Safer handling solutions to prevent chemical burns and inhalation risks.

4. Manual Handling and Ergonomics:

• Heavy Lifting: Mechanization and robotics to reduce lifting-related injuries.
• Repetitive Strain: Ergonomic innovations in tools and machinery to reduce strain.

5. Working at Heights:

• Silos and Grain Bins: Safety measures to avoid or mitigate falls during maintenance.

6. Fatigue and Distraction:

• Long Hours: Solutions for managing worker fatigue, especially during peak periods.
• Distraction: Systems that reduce distractions and improve task focus.

7. Fire Hazards:

• Combustible Materials and Machinery: Fire prevention innovations in material storage and machinery.
• Bushfires: Solutions addressing bushfire risks, including those caused by lightning strikes.

8. Vehicle Accidents:

• On-Farm Traffic: Traffic safety improvements and collision avoidance technologies.
• Road Transport: Enhanced safety during machinery and material transport on public roads.

9. Weather-Related Risks:

• Heat Stress: Technologies that protect workers from heat-related illnesses through monitoring, hydration systems, and cooling aids.

10. Isolation:

• Remote Work: Communication and safety monitoring enhancements for isolated workers using connected technologies.

The GRDC invites submissions from stakeholders who can offer breakthrough safety innovations for Australia’s grain growers and encourages solutions that are practical, cost-effective, avoid duplication and easily integrable into current farming operations. Additionally, proposals should consider scalability, including the diversity of farming systems and environmental conditions across Australia, ensuring safety solutions cater to the needs of different farm types.

This open call is not limited to the examples provided; innovative approaches that address any aspect of on-farm safety in grains production are welcome. The GRDC seeks to collaborate with external experts to continue leading the industry towards a safer, more innovative future.

Projects in scope

Types:

Projects Out of Scope

Investment Areas:

1. Non-technical Solutions: While important, projects that focus solely on behavioural or administrative controls without integrating technological solutions will not be prioritised as part of this procurement. These tend to rely heavily on human factors and do not align with the proactive strategy of embedding safety into the design and operation of machinery and equipment.
2. General Maintenance and Repairs: Routine maintenance or general repair projects, though crucial to overall safety, do not align with the strategic focus of this procurement which aims at transformative changes through advanced solutions and technologies.

Project Types:

1. Purely Educational Initiatives: Educational projects that do not incorporate a direct link to the deployment of new technologies or innovations are outside the scope.
2. Short-term Interventions: Projects with a short-term focus or those that do not provide a clear pathway to substantial and sustained improvements in safety are not within the scope. The emphasis is on long-term, sustainable changes with measurable impacts on safety standards.
3. Projects in areas where adoption has already been identified as low.

Guiding Principles for Open Call Investments

The following guiding principles are designed to ensure that proposals meet GRDC requirements:

1. The work must comprise RD&E activities with an identified outcome for the benefit of Australian grain growers. GRDC is unable to invest in non-R&D infrastructure.
2. The benefit to growers must be quantifiable with a clear and tangible path to impact for investment outcomes. Importantly, this includes where investments seek to displace existing or well-established technologies, methods, processes, and/or standards. Applicants should outline in their proposal the approach to achieving path to impact, including evidence of key stakeholder engagement and/or industry acceptance pathways.
3. Applicants should be aware that investments under this initiative are not grants. The GRDC looks for proposals that align with its commercialisation principles, expecting benefit sharing upon
4. commercialisation of products and/or services that is proportional to overall develop contributions and ongoing costs.
5. GRDC can do research that informs policy but cannot advocate or author industry policy. Proposed R&D that informs policy must have a clear path to impact.
6. Investment under this RFP does not include providing for commercial infrastructure or capital for business ventures.
7. Projects will be categorised into three stages:
   1. Discovery (Technology Readiness Levels 1-3), which explores early-stage ideas and technologies;
   2. Development (Technology Readiness Levels 4-5), which focuses on refining and piloting new technologies or practices; and

Accelerated Commercialisation (Technology Readiness Levels 6-8), which aims to fast-track the availability of developed technologies or implementation of new practices.