NIH is offering up to $1 million in cash prizes for innovative diagnostic technologies to help improve maternal health worldwide. The NIH Technology Accelerator Challenge (NTAC) for Maternal Health to reward the prototypes for low-cost, point of care molecular, cellular, and/or metabolic sensing and diagnostic technologies.
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) is managing the prize competition in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with support from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and the NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health https://www.nih.gov/women
Prototype devices submitted should be able to guide rapid clinical decision-making, improve patient outcomes, and ultimately help prevent maternal morbidity and mortality. Device prototypes should be capable of full integration with digital health platforms and be able to diagnose at least two pregnancy associated conditions, including infections, hypertensive disease, hemorrhage, or placental issues.
Participants in NTAC for Maternal Health will compete for a first place prize of up to $500,000, a second place prize of up to $300,000, and a third place prize of up to $150,000 with the potential for additional prizes of $50,000 for semi-finalists as well as honorable mention recognitions.
Additionally, the Gates Foundation will separately review winners and honorable mentions and consider them for follow-on support that may include grant funding and/or in-kind support in the form of consultations and partnerships for clinical data collection, software development, scale-up, and manufacturing.
Submissions will be accepted January 5, 2022 through April 22, 2022. Details about eligibility, rules, and how to register and participate is available on the challenge website at https://venturewell.org/ntac