Over the course of a pandemic year, we saw a wide variety of masks, from totally unsafe fashion pieces to RGB nightmares, not to mention a lot of other stylish options. But if you think you might have an idea for a better mask that more people might want to wear, the US government’s Advanced Biomedical Research and Development Authority (BARDA) has announced a competition to design “the next generation of masks” – with potential Total prize pool of $ 500,000 waiting for the winners.
The Mask Innovation Challenge was created in partnership with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH, an organization under the CDC) to address some of the common complaints pointed out about masks, such as the fact that they can fog up glasses, irritate the skin , become uncomfortable to use, hinder communication and potentially let COVID-19 particles enter through the sides.
The contest will have two phases. The first phase, focused on “design”, is divided into two tracks, one that considers reformulations of existing masks and another that is focused on new technologies and materials. Entries must include real schemes for building the proposed masks, which NIOSH says can be tested in the future as well. Phase One will produce up to 10 winners, each of whom will receive $ 10,000 to help build a prototype of their masks.
The second phase of “proof of concept” will require competitors to respond to a hypothetical scenario with an entirely new mask design, not based on any existing mask. Phase two participants will send physical prototypes of their masks to NIOSH for testing. Up to five Phase Two winners will share a total prize pool of $ 400,000. NIOSH and BARDA say more details about the second phase will be available at a later date.
Running a design contest to find a “better” mask could produce some real solutions, but in addition, I think it reflects the growing role that masks can play in our lives, even after most people are vaccinated. And that does not mean that the masks you already have are not effective; they are. There are actually several problems in the way of using the mask; addressing complaints in mask design is one direction, but another major issue is availability. Mask manufacturers are not yet able to meet demand consistently.
For example, it is still not as easy as it should be to obtain N95s and KN95s, two masks frequently recommended that offer an advance in filtering varieties of fabrics. There’s a lot at stake here too; the long-term effects of making offshoring medical supplies affected the availability, but also the scarcity of materials for making masks, such as melted textiles. There is also the separate issue of counterfeit masks. According to the CDC, about 60 percent of KN95s in the U.S. are not as effective at filtering COVID-19 particles as their labels may indicate.
The Biden government has established plans to force the creation of more essential pandemic supplies and to alleviate some of these problems, but it is important to remember that building a better mask is only one facet of a much larger strategy. There is no guarantee that more people will wear the winning masks just because they don’t fog their glasses.
The deadline for registration in the first phase of the Mask Innovation Challenge is April 21st.