USAID/MIT Innovation Marketplace Competition for Students & Young Innovators

Application Deadline: May 31st 2016

The Innovation Marketplace, hosted by USAID and MIT, is a competition showcasing the talent of students and young innovators who are using science, technology, innovation and partnerships to tackle global challenges.

Categories:

Teams or individuals can compete in one of two categories: “products & services” and “research.”

Products & services are approaches, technologies, devices, or systems with at least an existing prototype by the time of submission.

Research includes projects or methodologies that have collected preliminary data by the time of submission.

The Innovation Marketplace will take place in mid-November on MIT’s campus, which is located in the Boston area, as a feature of HESN’s TechCon 2016.

Throughout the course of the competition, individuals or teams of young innovators such as students, young professionals, or postdoctoral researchers will have the opportunity to gain exposure, build support for their innovative product or research, receive technical feedback, and practice their pitching skills. Although all accepted applicants will be able to attend TechCon, the final round of winners from each category will receive financial and/or mentorship support.

Eligibility Requirements

• All young innovators (18 – 30) may compete, although exceptions may be made for current doctoral students and post-doctoral fellows.
• You do not have to be a student from a Higher Education Solutions Network (HESN) university to apply. Individuals and teams may apply, and they will not be evaluated differently.
• Teams competing in the “product & services” category must have an existing prototype or model at the application time, while teams in the “research” category must have preliminary data sufficient to generate a meaningful abstract.

Benefits:

• Participants will have a chance to win financial and mentorship support for their project. Winners will be chosen following a series of events at HESN’s TechCon in mid-November 2016. However, the competition is designed to benefit teams in the lead up to TechCon as well.
• The material you will create throughout the course of this competition can prove useful as you seek further support for your project.
• Judges and mentors will provide feedback, skill building opportunities, and chances to connect with others in your field during and leading up to this event.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the USAID/MIT Innovation Marketplace Competition