The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched a competition to develop “the next generation of masks” with the winner receiving a cash prize of $ 500,000.
The competition – “Mask Innovation Challenge: Building Tomorrow’s Mask” – is a partnership between the HHS Advanced Biomedical Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
At the announcement, HHS notes that many health officials around the world are encouraging people to use masks to mitigate the spread of infectious diseases, but masks tend to present some challenges, such as: “contact dermatitis with prolonged use, physical discomfort, blurring of glasses and communication difficulties. “
“The Mask Innovation Challenge seeks to develop innovative and effective designs for low-cost, mass-produced devices for use by the general public to provide protection against pathogens from respiratory diseases,” said HHS at competition description.
The projects presented will be evaluated according to four criteria: technological feasibility; innovation; whether or not they address existing mask barriers; and the overall design.
The competition will be divided into two distinct phases and will take place over six months.
Phase 1 will involve participants in submitting their projects to BARDA. The deadline for submitting entries for the mask design started on Wednesday, March 31, and will end on April 21, 2021 at 17:00 Eastern Time. Entries 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, challenge participants will be asked to submit their proof of concept in response to a scenario. A $ 400,000 prize will be shared among the five Phase 2 winners. More information about Phase 2 will be shared in the future as the competition progresses.
More details of the competition can be found here.