The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has launched a competition to develop “the next generation of masks” and the winning submission will receive a $ 500,000 cash prize.
The contest “Mask Innovation Challenge: Building Tomorrow’s Mask” – is a partnership between the HHS Advanced Biomedical Development and Research Authority (BARDA) and the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH).
A la announcement, HHS notes that many health authorities around the world are encouraging people to wear masks to mitigate the spread of infectious diseases, but masks often present some challenges such as: “contact dermatitis with prolonged wear and tear, physical discomfort, glasses and communication difficulties “.
“The Mask Innovation Challenge seeks to develop innovative and effective designs for mass-produced, low-cost devices for use by the general public in order to provide protection against pathogens from respiratory diseases,” the HHS said in the description of the contest. .
The designs presented will be evaluated according to four criteria: technological viability; innovation; whether or not they address existing mask barriers; and overall design.
The competition will be divided into two different phases and will run for six months.
Phase 1 will involve participants submitting their designs to BARDA. The time to submit submissions for mask design began on Wednesday, March 31 and will end on April 21, 2021 at 5 p.m. ET. Submissions can be entered here. In Phase 1, up to 10 winners will receive up to $ 10,000 each to create a prototype of their masks.
In phase 2 of the competition, participants in the challenge will be asked to present their proof of concept in response to a scenario. A $ 400,000 prize will be distributed among five Phase 2 winners. More information about Phase 2 will be shared as the competition progresses.
You can find more details of the competition here.