iGIANT®, a nonprofit, is excited to announce a challenge competition to explore the impact of gender/sex on innovation and novel technologies in our lives. The purpose of this challenge is to establish a common dialog about best practices and to inspire participants to serve as ambassadors for innovation to help accelerate the translation of research into gender/sex-specific design elements such as programs, products, policies, and protocols.
The National Academy of Medicine defines "gender" as a person's self-representation as male or female based on social interactions and "sex" as based on one's genes. The environment can impact gene expression which is known as "epigenetics."
Gender/sex impacts every aspect of our daily lives. The same dosage of medication, for example, has different effects on men compared to women, resulting in a need for us to understand these differential effects in the research and development process before doctors can effectively dose their patients. Similarly, although some products (such as shoes, sports equipment, or cars) seem to have separate designs for men and women, it is important to distinguish between a simple change in aesthetics and a design that actually addresses the biological factors (ie, body composition, bone structure, metabolism) that cause men and women to experience these products differently. Each small detail and seemingly insignificant change in design can heavily impact how we perform at work, school, or in our leisurely activities.
The goal of this effort is to improve the safety and quality of life for men and women in all areas and especially within the sectors of health, IT, transportation, and retail. This challenge is to submit a concept idea for one or more of the sectors, using design elements which takes into account how men and women adapt differently to technologies used in everyday life.
Participants:
The challenge is open to anyone – from students, to professionals, and anyone in between.
Design Requirements:
- The design elements can include:
- Programs (example: an educational symposium);
- Policies (example: a policy on inclusion);
- Protocols (example: athletic training protocols or medical guidelines); or
- Products (example: sports equipment, clothing, tools, hardware and machine-human interfaces).
Solution Requirements:
The solution should:
- Demonstrate the impact of gender/sex on a design element.
- The concept for the design element needs to be clear, concise and actionable.
- Submissions should be approximately 1-2 pages in length.
- Submissions should be submitted via HeroX platform by January 30, 2019.
Judging Criteria:
- What is the magnitude of impact on gender/sex for the submitted design element concept?
- Is the submitted design element concept clearly defined?
- Is the submitted design element concept realistic and likely to lead to the development of an element if/when funding is available?
Additional Information:
This is a challenge for the development of concepts.
Competition Deadline: February 28, 2019.
Awards and Recognition:
One $1000 prize will be awarded in one of the four sectors – health, IT, transportation, and retail. We look forward to seeing all your innovative and impactful ideas! Winners will also have the opportunity to bring their idea to fruition with the help of iGIANT and its network of professionals.
