Academic Funding

Opportunity: Over $30 Million in Awards to Improve Healthy Longevity

November 5, 2019 3307

The National Academy of Medicine, in collaboration with eight global organizations representing more than 40 countries and territories, has launched the H ealthy Longevity Global Competition, a multiyear, multimillion-dollar international competition seeking breakthrough innovations to extend human health and function later in life.

The competition calls on teams and individuals from the social sciences as well as biomedical sciences, technology and engineering, financing, and beyond – to submit bold, innovative ideas, with the goal of extending the human healthspan. The competition seeks to amass a diverse portfolio of ideas, focusing on areas such as disease prevention and interception, molecular pathways, mobility, functionality, social connectedness, and more.

“Competitors,” according to the competition site, “may submit ideas related to basic science, medical treatments, commercial products, technologies, social sciences, architectural and community design, or any other field – as long as they are innovative, impactful, and capable of extending health and function later in the lifespan. “

The competition consists of three phases internationally:
•   Catalyst Phase: Approximately 450 awards worth $50,000 each will be issued globally as seed funding to advance new, innovative ideas. The first cycle of the Catalyst Phase opens in January 2020, and applications will be accepted for approximately six weeks.
•   Accelerator Phase: Awards worth $500,000 to $1 million or more will be issued to Catalyst awardees who have demonstrated significant progress, in order to support the further advancement of their bold ideas (starting in 2021).
•   Grand Prize: One or more grand prize(s) of up to $5 million will be awarded for achievement of a breakthrough innovation that extends the human healthspan (starting in 2023).

To be notified when application periods open, or to receive updates about award-winning ideas and event opportunities, join the Healthy Longevity listserv.