2021 GHIC INNOVATION PRIZE
The Innovation Prize is a $2,000 cash prize that is awarded to the best social impact pitch that is presented at the 2021 Global Health & Innovation Conference. All conference registrants -- both students and professionals, and both non-profit and for-profit organizations -- are eligible to apply for the Innovation Prize. Early-stage pitches and established-stage pitches are equally eligible for the $2,000 cash award. The Innovation Prize supports outstanding ideas, programs, and organizations that are locally-developed and locally-responsible.
How do I apply?
Step 1: Apply for Social Impact Labs. February 10 was the final submission deadline.
Step 2: Apply for Innovation Prize Finalist Round
Those who are accepted as presenters in the Social Impact Labs are next invited to submit an additional 5-minute video presentation and a letter from a local collaborator that confirms that the needs and solutions are locally-identified and locally-responsible. The video presentation should focus on the locally-responsible and innovative solution, with an emphasis on local collaborations and partners, a detailed plan about how data will be collected and how outcomes will be measured, and an outline for how the Innovation Prize funds would be utilized. Up to six (6) video submitters will be selected as finalists. Each finalist will give a 5-minute presentation to the judging panel and to the audience, which will be followed by 15 minutes of Q&A with the judging panel. The finalist round will be presented live to the audience at the Global Health & Innovation Conference on April 8-11, 2021. At the conclusion of the finalist session, the Innovation Prize winner will be announced.
What is the deadline?
The Innovation Prize application involves three stages:
250-word abstract. The final abstract submission deadline to apply for the Social Impact Lab was February 10. Abstracts submitted by the earlier deadlines are considered more favorably in the committee review since accepted presentations have ample time for continued program progression and evolution.
5-minute video pitch. For those invited to submit the video application, the 5-minute video application is due within two weeks of notification about the applicant's invitation to proceed to the next stage. Applicants are either accepted or denied as Social Impact Lab presenters at the 2021 Global Health & Innovation Conference.
Additional 5-minute video with a more comprehensive discussion about the pitch. All accepted to present in the Social Impact Labs at the Global Health & Innovation Conference are invited to apply for the finalist round of the GHIC Innovation Prize. In order to be accepted for the GHIC Innovation Prize finalist round, each applicant will have submitted one 250-word abstract and two 5-minute videos.
What are the Innovation Prize judging criteria?
Gain insight into the judging criteria from the GHIC Innovation Prize judges. What advice do the judges offer about how best to present your pitch in April? How do you ensure a realistic program plan? What are effective tools for outcomes measurements, and how can early-stage ideas and ventures incorporate concrete and effective plans for outcomes? What are pitfalls to avoid? Before submitting a video, you may want to review this webinar with helpful tips from innovators and Innovation Prize judges.
The finalists will be reviewed according to the following criteria:
Problem: Articulate the problem that your solution is trying to solve. How was the problem identified, and is it clear that this is a locally-identified need?
Solution: What is your proposed innovative solution? Why is it important? How will it be implemented in the field?
Innovation: How is the idea new and innovative?
Based in Evidence: How is your solution evidence-based? Why will it work? We encourage you to read this article about evidence-based program design: http://www.uniteforsight.org/public-health-management/evidence-based-programs.
Locally-Developed and Locally-Responsible: The solution must be based on locally-identified needs, and the role of current local collaborators and partners must be fully delineated.
Outcomes Measurements: What data will be collected, how will it be collected, and what will be the metrics used for outcome measurements to confirm effectiveness? To help ensure that you effectively identify and discuss outcomes (and not outputs), please read about the critical difference between outputs and outcomes: http://www.uniteforsight.org/global-health-university/outcomes.
Team: Who are the members of the team, what is the role of each, and does the current team have the necessary background and expertise to effectively lead the program?
Marketing Strategy: Who is your customer? How will customers be reached? How will the innovation be taken to scale?
Funding Plans: Please provide a brief overview of how the GHIC Innovation Prize ($2,000) would be used. How will you create a funding stream to implement the innovation in 3 years? 5 years?
Describe Stage of Idea: Are you in the brainstorming stage, early development, or early implementation stage? What is your progress? How much funding, if any, has been raised? When was the idea initially developed? Ideas in the brainstorming, early development, and early implementation stage will be considered equally.
Presentation: The presentation must be professionally articulated and clearly communicated. For example, reading from a script, or from a PowerPoint Presentation, will not be impressive to the judges.
Who are the judges?
Paul Ellingstad, Managing Partner, PTI Advisors
Lisa Hirschhorn, Professor, Medical Social Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University; Senior Director, Implementation and Improvement Science, Last Mile Health
Bobby Jefferson, Vice President, Chief Technology Officer, DAI Global Health
Charles MacCormack, President Emeritus, Save the Children; Senior Fellow, Interaction: The American Council for Voluntary International Action
Marie H. Martin, Associate Director, Education and Training, Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health; Assistant Professor, Health Policy, Vanderbilt School of Medicine
Team members
The conference participant who will be in attendance and presenting the pitch must submit the Social Impact Lab abstract under their name. If selected for participation in the Social Impact Lab, the same team member must apply for the finalist round, and thereafter present in the live finalist sessions.
Innovation Prize cash disbursement
The Innovation Prize must be used for the purposes presented to the judging panel. The Innovation Prize winner will receive the funds in three installments. The first 25% will be disbursed upon submission of a written budget and a 1-page written plan for use of the funds. The winner will thereafter submit a written report and receipts for the use of the first 25%, as well as a written budget and 1-page written plan for the use of the next 50% of the funds. The final installment of 25% will be disbursed upon receipt of a written report and receipts for the use of the second funding disbursement.
Conference registration is required
Applying for the Social Impact Lab and for the GHIC Innovation Prize represents a commitment to attend the 2021 Global Health & Innovation Conference, irrespective of acceptance to present at the conference. The opportunity to apply for the opportunities is available only to those who plan to attend the conference for educational and networking purposes, and not to those who wish to attend exclusively for the opportunity to present. Therefore, all persons applying for the Social Impact Lab and for the Innovation Prize must register and submit payment to attend the conference at the time that they submit the social impact pitch abstract.
Innovation Prize Winners
The recipients of the 2019 GHIC Innovation Prize:
Winner of $10,000: "VecTech: A Novel System for Autonomous Vector Surveillance," Adam Goodwin, Co-Founder, VecTech; Graduate Student, Center for Bioengineering Innovation & Design, Johns Hopkins University
Winner of $5,000: "Nanodropper: An Eyedropper Adaptor on a Mission to Decrease Waste, Cost, and Increase Access," Allisa Song, MD Student, Mayo Clinic School of Medicine
The recipients of the 2018 GHIC Innovation Prize:
Winner of $10,000: "PaperEMR: A Unique Paper-to-Digital Approach to Electronic Medical Records," Pratap Kumar, Institute of Healthcare Management, Strathmore Business School; Health-E-Net Limited, Nairobi, Kenya
Winner of $5,000: "Developing Mobile Video Courses for Spinal Cord Injury Therapy Guidance and Local Peer Mentoring Worldwide," Jonathan Sigworth, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, More Than Walking Incorporated
The recipients of the 2017 GHIC Innovation Prize:
Winner of $10,000: "SubQ Assist: Expanding Access to Long-Term Contraceptive Implants Through Task-Shifting Devices," Ibrahim Mohedas, Post-Doctoral Fellow, University of Michigan Department of Engineering
Winner of $5,000: "NeMo: Neonatal Monitoring - Providing Tools to Empower Mothers to Identify Neonatal Danger Signs Within the First Week of Life," Rachel An, Project Engineer, Johns Hopkins University
The recipients of the 2016 GHIC Innovation Prize:
Winner of $10,000: "Innovative Clean Cookstove: Saving Lives from Smoke-Pollution," Maxwell Chinnah, CEO and Co-Founder, Terraoak, Inc.
Winner of $2,000: "Highlight: Powdered Additive for Disinfectants to Improve Infectious Disease Decontamination," Jason Kang, Co-Founder, Kinnos
Winner of $2,000: "Everwaters: A Social Venture Pioneering Plant-Based, Water Treatment Technology to Combat the Global Water Crisis," Adrian Lievano, Co-Founder and CEO, Everwaters
Innovator Updates
Questions?
If you have any questions, please email us at ufs@uniteforsight.org.