Reimagining Early Warning Systems

Schedule

Submission: September 23, 2020 - January 8, 2021
Expert Review: January 8, 2021
Voting Period: January 8, 2021 - January 22, 2021
Completed: February 5, 2021

Key Issues

Some areas of opportunity to consider are:

How we could speed up the process of diagnostic testing, keeping in mind process efficiency.
How we could identify new biomarkers of disease which facilitate disease monitoring.
How we could use mobile devices to track disease.
How we could combine digital signals with machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques for disease tracking.
How we could make testing more accessible, for example by self-collecting tests at home.
How we could design automated testing units to improve existing testing infrastructure.
How we could facilitate regular population-level screening.
How we could increase testing accessibility for rural areas.
How we could make diagnostic tests cheaper globally.
How we could integrate new materials in diagnostic tests.
How we could integrate innovative technologies and novel insights from other pandemics and areas of disease.

Review Criteria

Subject matter experts will evaluate the solutions submitted to the challenge to identify possible promising ideas. Sometimes there is one who stands above the rest, and sometimes there are two to three. This is not a typical challenge where there are winners and losers. We are hoping to build a much more inclusive and collaborative platform to encourage others to cross-pollinate ideas and work together.

Challenge Incentives

Expert Choice Solution

There may be some novel and promising solutions that will emerge. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and experts, MIT Pandemic Response CoLab is proud to present the following incentives to the top contributions as identified by the experts:

Personal mentorship (minimum three months)

Pairing with innovation leader within MilliporeSigma who is an expert in the related field.
Minimum of three 1:1, 60 minute calls over the course of a three-month period to further refine their idea and/or make introductions to other leaders in the MilliporeSigma network.

Free ticket to attend Curious2021 Future Insight Conference, hosted by Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

Selected contributor(s) will receive a free ticket to attend the Curious2021 Future Insight Conference, taking place on July 12 – 14 of 2021 near Frankfurt, Germany. Some of the world’s best scientists and most accomplished entrepreneurs come together at the Curious – Future Insight conference to present their work and to join forces to solve the challenges of today and to enable the dreams of a better tomorrow. The conference was initiated at the occasion of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany’s 350th anniversary and will take place again in 2021 with an outstanding speaker panel involving more than a dozen Nobel Laureates and 70 top speakers from all over the world. The conference also features the awarding of the 2021 Future Insight Prize (up to 1 mio€/year for groundbreaking science given out for the next 35 years).The life science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany operates as MilliporeSigma in the US and Canada.
Normally a €892.50 cost, the ticket includes: access to all stages, listening to key-note speakers, ignite-sessions and panel discussions; access to the exhibition and e-poster areas; participation at AMA-circle and workshop offers (depending on availability of spots); networking through the Event App; participation at the evening events; daily catering.

A spot at the 2021 Innovation Cup*, hosted by Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

This week-long workshop brings the brightest students from all over the world to meet at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany’s company headquarters to work in teams to develop new, innovative ideas for unmet medical needs and build a business case with support from experienced professionals – with a chance to win shared prizes of €20,000 for the winning team and €5,000 for the runner-up.The life science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany operates as MilliporeSigma in the US and Canada.
Provided the contributor meets program criteria*, one selected winning community member will receive a guaranteed spot to take part in Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany’s Innovation Cup, taking place on June 26 – July 2 of 2021, as part of team “pandemic threat,” which will focus on innovative approaches to fight emerging pandemics.

*Applicants must be postgraduate students in the life sciences working towards a PhD in biology, medicine, biotech, bioinformatics, computer science, data science, biochemistry, chemistry, pharmacy, engineering or related fields. Postdoctoral students, advanced MBA students or recent MBA graduates with an interest in the pharmaceutical business and a background in life sciences are also welcome. This program is not open to healthcare professionals.