The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has launched a competition to develop the “next generation of masks”, with the winning deposit receiving a $ 500,000 cash prize.
The competition – “Mask Innovation Challenge: Building Tomorrow’s Mask” – is a partnership between HHS’s Advanced Biomedical Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH).
In the ad, HHS notes that many health authorities around the world encourage people to wear masks to alleviate the spread of infectious diseases, but masks often present some challenges such as: “prolonged wear contact dermatitis, physical discomfort, fogging of glasses and communication difficulties. ”
“Mask Innovation Challenge aims to develop innovative and efficient models for mass-produced, low-cost devices to be worn by the general public to provide protection against respiratory pathogens,” HHS said in a statement. competition. .
The presented projects will be evaluated according to four criteria: technological feasibility; innovation; whether or not it addresses the existing barriers of the mask; and overall design.
The competition will be divided into two different phases and will take place over six months.
Phase 1 will involve the participants who will present their projects to BARDA. The deadline for submitting submissions for mask design began on Wednesday, March 31 and will end on April 21, 2021 at 17:00 ET. References 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 proof of concept in response to a scenario. A $ 400,000 prize will be split between five Phase 2 winners. More information about Phase 2 will be distributed in the future as the competition progresses.
More details about the competition can be found here.