Wednesday, December 8, 2010

UW Environmental Innovation Challenge-$$$ for Prototype! Application Due Dec 12

UW Environmental Innovation Challenge – Prototype Funding Due Sunday, December 12!
WE HAVE A CHALLENGE FOR YOU.
If you’ve got a passion for clean-tech, the smarts to play in the emerging green economy, and the desire to leverage your engineering background to make an impact, the UW Environmental Innovation Challenge can provide just the platform (and the funding!) you’ve been looking for.

HOW IT WORKS
For the UW EIC, interdisciplinary student teams will define a clean-tech problem, design and develop the solution, and work together to produce both a prototype (or proof of concept or computer simulation) and a business summary that outlines the market opportunity.
We have $25,000 available for prototype funding. In the Challenge on March 31, 2011, students will pitch their concepts and demonstrate their product/idea to a group of judges that includes technologists, entrepreneurs, and investors. Teams are judged on their prototypes, business summaries, and potential for impact. The grand prize is $10,000.

HOW DO YOU GET FUNDING?
The College of Engineering has provided $25,000 to help teams develop their prototypes. The deadline for funding applications is midnight December 12, 2010! You can use this funding for purchasing materials to build your prototype, renting equipment, purchasing safety equipment, and hiring short-term work beyond your team’s capacity. (You cannot pay team members).

We prefer to see requests between $1,500 and $4,500 but will consider both smaller and larger amounts. Funding will be announced by January 4, 2011 and is to be used by March 31, 2011. Any unspent development money must be returned. Who can apply? Any team with at least one engineering student can apply, but the application must be submitted by the engineering student(s). Please note: teams that receive funding agree to participate in the Challenge March 31.

Prototype funding Application

Key Dates for the UW EIC
Prototype Funding – Application due December 12
February 17 - Intent to Submit due
March 3 - Business Summary due
March 27 - 1 Page Business Summary and 1 PowerPoint Slide due
March 31 - Challenge pitches and presentations, reception and awards ceremony