Download - An Introduction to the MIT Global Challenge
MIT students have the ambition, the energy, and the skills to make the world a better place. MIT alumni have the experience, the connections, and the depth of understanding to help make that dream happen. The MIT Global Challenge will bring those two groups together to impact the world.
- Brian L. Hinman, EE 1984
PropositionThe world-wide MIT community – 120,000 alumni across 130 countries – is uniquely positioned to inform, instruct, and invest in today’s young problem solvers. The Global Challenge offers an opportunity to foster and feed those connections.
BackgroundIt is estimated that 25,800 companies founded by MIT alumni employ about 3.3 million people and generate annual world revenues of $2 trillion, producing the equivalent of the eleventh-largest economy in the world.
Imagine if we applied that kind of entrepreneurial talent to today’s urgent humanitarian challenges.
MissionThe Global Challenge will contribute to real improvements in human well-being by helping MIT students and the worldwide MIT community design and pilot innovative products and services in partnership with the people who need them.
ApproachConnect, support, and celebrate teams of public service innovators through an annual competition that provides up to $25,000 in implementation grants to teams demonstrating the greatest innovation, feasibility, and impact.
Features• Iterative proposal development process• Development grants for prototyping• Juried and community choice awards• Winners’ planning retreat• One year of implementation support
Inspiration• IDEAS Competition experience
Awards and implementation support since 2001• Growth of “design for development” at MIT
Courses, student groups, labs, competitions• MIT150
Celebrating 150 years of service to the world
Experience• 10 year track record
60 teams awarded $264,000 since 2001• International impact
25% of teams are international students; projects in 28 countries
• Leveraged results$3.2 million raised by teams in follow-on funding
Examples
PerfectSightDevelopers of an
innovative, mobile system for diagnosing
refractive eye conditions for under $1
using cell phones.
Year awarded: 2010 Location: Malawi
EGG-energyDevelopers of an
innovative lighting and energy leasing
franchise that aims to eliminate costly,
unhealthy, and dangerous kerosene
lanterns used around the world. Year awarded: 2009 Location: Tanzania
6Dot Braille Labeler
Developers of a portable and easy to use electronic braille labeling device that significantly increases the
ease and speed of creating braille labels by the
visually impaired.Year awarded: 2008 Location: United States
HeatSource Textiles
Developers of a novel phase change heating form that can be used
within clothing and bedding, with the purpose
of promoting comfort while reducing risks of
indoor air pollution. Year awarded: 2008 Location: Western China
Leveraged Freedom Wheel
ChairDevelopers of a rugged
wheelchair suited to the needs of the physically
impaired in the developing world, where unpaved
surfaces make road travel difficult and slow. Year awarded: 2007 Location: Tanzania
Get Involved• Invest in “invention as public service”• Volunteer to mentor a team• Review and provide feedback on proposals• Identify and define innovation challenges• Nominate yourself to be a judge• Connect us with community partners
2011 Targets• Directly engage > 400 students, ~ 80 teams• Review > 60 initial proposals• Judge > 50 final proposals• Award ~ 12 teams• Support delivery of benefits > 12 communities
Timeline• September – March
Initial proposals reviewed monthly• April
Final proposal submission and judging• May
Awards celebration• June – May
Year of implementation
Your generation wears its commitment to the greater good quite lightly. You use your skills to help repair a broken world, however, you see nothing remarkable about it; you simply expect it of each other, and of yourselves.
- President Susan Hockfield
Commencement Address to the Class of 2010
ContactLars Hasselblad [email protected]
On the web http://globalchallenge.mit.eduOn Twitter @mitchallenge