Environmental Scan and Evaluation Plan of Key Attributes of Virtual Stress Exposure Training Scenarios in Support of the Road to Mental Readiness (R2MR) Program

Funding opportunity

Environmental Scan and Evaluation Plan of Key Attributes of Virtual Stress Exposure Training Scenarios in Support of the Road to Mental Readiness (R2MR) Program

Anticipated timeline and budget

Acronyms

Background

Learning to manage stress in demanding situations is central to Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) operational readiness, effectiveness, and sustainment. The Road to Mental Readiness (R2MR) program provides foundational knowledge and practical skills to support mental health, resilience, and performance. Advances in immersive and digitally enabled technologies now provide opportunities to complement classroom-based approaches through virtual stress exposure training scenarios that simulate operational demands and psychologically meaningful stressors. Despite increasing interest in immersive training approaches, there remains limited guidance regarding which scenario attributes and combinations of attributes contribute most effectively to realistic, relevant, and meaningful stress exposure training experiences. Greater understanding is needed regarding fidelity, stressor characteristics, pacing, contextual realism, and other design considerations that may influence training engagement and perceived operational relevance. Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) invites proposals that advance understanding of virtual stress exposure training (SET) scenario design in support of future R2MR modernization efforts. Applicants are encouraged to propose innovative and evidence-informed approaches aligned with the objectives outlined below.

Research objectives

This funding opportunity seeks proposals that contribute to the identification, organization, and evaluation of key attributes relevant to virtual SET scenarios in support of R2MR training objectives. Proposed research may examine emerging evidence and practices related to SET, simulation, immersive technologies, and related domains, with the goal of identifying factors that contribute to perceived realism, engagement, operational relevance, and training usefulness. Applicants are encouraged to develop evidence-informed frameworks or conceptual approaches that characterize and organize relevant scenario features, while also considering methodologies for future evaluation, including survey-based, experimental, or user-centred approaches. The overall intent of this opportunity is to support research that may inform future virtual SET evaluation, design, and development activities aligned with R2MR modernization efforts.

Proposed Methods

Applicants are encouraged to propose methodologies that lead to the achievement of the desired outputs below. Proposed approaches may include environmental scans, literature syntheses, framework development, stakeholder engagement, survey methodologies, experimental design concepts, or other relevant approaches that advance understanding of immersive SET and mental readiness research.

Areas of interest may include, but are not limited to:

• Identification and characterization of key scenario attributes and combinations of attributes relevant to SET
• Experimental or evaluative approaches for assessing perceived realism, operational relevance, engagement, usefulness, or credibility in line with Defence Research Development Canada (DRDC) Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) requirements
• Fidelity considerations, including visual, auditory, contextual, and operational realism
• Stressor characteristics such as uncertainty, time pressure, unpredictability, escalation, and frustration
• Scenario structure, pacing, adaptivity, and user experience considerations
• Human factors, individual differences, and user-centred evaluation approaches
• Approaches for prioritizing or evaluating attributes relevant to military, Veteran, public safety, or analogous high-performance contexts

Desired outputs

The successful funding recipient is expected to produce outcomes that may include:

• A synthesis of evidence and current practices relevant to virtual SET
• A proposed framework or conceptual model of key scenario attributes and combinations
• Recommendations for future evaluation or experimental approaches
• Knowledge products suitable for informing future DRDC and VAC research, training, or capability development activities
• Regular engagement with the Scientific Authority throughout the project is anticipated.

Applicant qualifications and requirements for selection

Applicants should demonstrate the following capabilities:

• Proposal must be led by a senior investigator with a PhD in psychology, neuroscience, human factors, or a related field.
• Demonstrated expertise in CAF training, mental readiness, stress, resilience, or performance under pressure.
• Experience conducting environmental scans, literature reviews, or applied research in training or simulation contexts.
• Strong expertise and publication record in experimental and/or survey design.
• Experience working with military, Veteran, or analogous high-performance populations.
• Experience with immersive technologies or simulation-based training is considered an asset.
• Access to relevant academic and professional databases.
• Ability to incorporate gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) and end-user perspectives into research design.

Application deadline

Please download and submit the Research Funding Application form.

Enquiries

Questions about this funding opportunity can be emailed to the VAC Research office.