The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has launched a competition to develop ‘next generation masks’, with the winning submission receiving a cash prize of $ 500,000.
The competition – “Mask Innovation Challenge: Building Tomorrow’s Mask” – is a partnership between HHS’s Biomedical Advanced Authority for Research and Development (BARDA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
In the announcement, 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: “contact dermatitis with prolonged wear, physical discomfort, misting of the glasses and problems with communication. ”
“The Mask Innovation Challenge strives to develop innovative and effective designs for mass-producing, low-cost-per-use devices that must be worn by the general public to provide protection against pathogens to the respiratory system,” the HHS said.
The submitted designs are judged according to four criteria: technological feasibility; innovation; whether or not it addresses existing mask barriers; and the overall design.
The competition is divided into two different phases and will take place over six months.
Phase 1 involves participants submitting their design to BARDA. The time to submit submissions for mask design started on Wednesday 31st March and will end on 21st April 2121 at 17:00 ET. Submissions can be entered here. In Phase 1, up to ten winners 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 submit their proof of concept in response to a scenario. A $ 400,000 prize will be awarded to five Phase 2 winners. More information on Phase 2 will be shared in the future as the competition progresses.
More details about the competition can be found here.