MIT’s Solve Global Challenges 2017 (Submit your solution and Pitch in New York during the U.N. General Assembly)

Deadline: August 1, 2017

Solve is now accepting solutions for the MIT – Solve Global Challenges. Solve is a marketplace connecting innovators with resources to solve the world’s most pressing challenges through open innovation and partnership. Each year, Solve announces new challenges for which it seeks solutions. Solve challenges are a unique opportunity to bring your ideas and talent to a growing global community tackling the most important challenges facing the world today.

Solve at MIT is a flagship annual event held on the MIT campus in Cambridge, MA, bringing together over 300 leaders from the tech industry, business, philanthropy, government, and civil society. Solvers and their solutions will be featured on stage, in online and written materials, and through dedicated challenge workshops. Solve staff will continue supporting Solvers to match-make partnerships with our community members who will help make Solvers’ solutions a reality.

The Challenges

1. Youth, Skills, and the Workforce of the Future: How can disadvantaged youth learn the skills they need to prepare them for the workforce of the future and thrive in the 21st century?
2. Sustainable Urban Communities (Presented with Climate): CoLab How can urban communities increase their access to sustainable and resilient food and water sources?
3. Women and Technology: How can women and girls of all socioeconomic backgrounds use technology to fully participate and prosper in the economy?
4. Brain Health: How can every person improve their brain health and mental resilience?

Do you have experience in these areas of innovation? If you have a solution to one of these big global challenges, apply to become a Solver by August 1 and join the Solve community today.

Benefits

Finalists will be invited to a live pitch event in New York during the U.N. General Assembly, where they select Solvers with the most promising solutions. The Solvers then gain access to Solve’s community.

They’ll work with you to provide:

• Match-making with Solve community members that can lead to partnerships to fund, pilot, and scale each solution.
• Funding commitments from our partners if available, as laid out on each challenge page.
• Mentorship and training opportunities to help you workshop and pitch your solution.
• Access to our flagship annual event Solve at MIT where Solvers and Solve community members come together

Eligibility

• Anyone the world-over can participate in a Solve challenge and submit a solution. Whether you’ve just started building your solution and your team, you’re running a pilot, or you’re ready to scale, they’re looking for innovators and entrepreneurs with the best solutions to these global challenges.
• They are looking for:
  • Optimistic solutions.
  • Innovative solutions.
  • Human-centered solutions.
  • Tech solutions.
  • Solutions that need partnerships across industry.
• From research, to pilot, to growth, Solve accepts solutions at all stages of development. If you’re researching, they can help you develop a partnership to pilot. If you’re already piloting, they can help you grow. And if you’re already growing, they can help you scale. The most important thing is that your solution will solve the challenge posed. And, they’re MIT! So, every solution must include technology — whether new or existing — as a key component.

Evaluation Criteria

• Alignment: Does the solution address the challenge that has been set forth?
• Scalability: Can the solution be grown and scaled to affect the lives of more people?
• Potential for Impact: Does the planned implementation of the solution have the potential to impact lives, and does the theory behind how it will work make logical sense? Does the team have a robust plan for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the solution?
• Novelty: Is this a new technology, new application of an existing technology, or new process for solving the challenge?
• Feasibility: Is it feasible to implement the solution, and does the team have a plan for the solution to sustain itself financially?

In the second round, each finalist will pitch before the challenge judges and a live audience. The judges will determine which solutions are the most promising. These new “Solvers” will receive support and partnership from the Solve community.

May 8, 2017 – Challenges open
August 1, 2017 – Submission deadline
August 16, 2017 – Finalists announced
September, 2017 – Finalists pitch in New York during the U.N. General Assembly

How to Submit 

Submit your solution to one of the following challenges

1. Youth, Skills & the Workforce of the future
2. Sustainable Urban Communities
3. Women and Technology
4. Brain Health

For more information, visit MIT’s Solve Global Challenges.