The Stanford Center on Longevity invites university students from around the world to compete to win the grand prize of $10,000 in its 9th annual Design Challenge.
This year’s theme is “Longevity-Ready Environments: Rethinking Physical Spaces for Century-Long Lives“.
A total of $17,000 in cash prizes will be awarded, and finalists will receive paid travel to Stanford, where they will present their designs to renowned industry, academic, and government leaders.
What Kinds of Designs are Included?
For the 2021-2022 Challenge, students are challenged to examine the physical environments in their communities and identify opportunities to design for an environment that better supports long lives.
Students are encouraged to consider all aspects of their physical environments including public spaces, indoor spaces, and urban design.
Designs might target:
- Outdoor and green spaces
- Airborne pollutants and household toxins
- Mitigation of weather extremes (e.g., heat mitigation) and climate change
- Public infrastructure, including housing and transportation
- Moving toward sustainable cities
- Energy consumption reductions
Benefits
Finalists will receive:
- $1,000 USD to help with prototyping and finals preparation.
- Mentorship from an experienced industry professional.
- Paid travel to the Finals at Stanford University in April 2022, conditions permitting. (Each team selected for the finals will be eligible for limited funds to help facilitate participation in the finals. Reimbursement will be subject to Stanford University regulations on reimbursed travel.)
Winners will receive*:
- 1st place: $10,000 USD
- 2nd place: $5,000 USD
- 3rd place: $2,000 USD
*All prizes are subject to 30% US federal tax withholding and 7% state withholding (if payment exceeds $1,500).
Application Process
- Create a design for a product, service, or program that addresses the challenge topic, “Longevity-Ready Environments: Rethinking Physical Spaces for Century-Long Lives.”
- Submit your design (for free) at https://designchallengestanford.skild.com/ any time before 2 December 2021.
- 6-8 Finalist teams will be announced on 26 January 2022.
- The Final competition will be held at Stanford University in April 2022 (conditions permitting; exact date TBD).
Eligibility
- Each team must consist of at least one full-time student from any accredited institution of higher education anywhere in the world (can be undergraduate or graduate)
- Teams may have a total of up to 5 members, and may include non-students. Students may also compete alone, as a team of 1.
- Only students are allowed to present at the Finals
Please visit the official website for more information. For questions, email designchallenge@stanford.edu.