Due: April 16, 2025
About
Advancing Next-Generation Solutions for Prevention, Protection and Rapid Response
As global health threats continue to evolve, we need breakthrough innovations that strengthen prevention, detection, treatment, and protection against biological, chemical, and environmental hazards. The Health Security Innovation Challenge and $200K Prize calls on biotech pioneers, materials scientists, engineers, AI experts, and innovators to develop next-generation health security solutions that enhance resilience, preparedness, and response capabilities across civilian and government applications.
This challenge brings together medical countermeasures, protective technologies, and cutting-edge diagnostics to bridge the gap between biotechnology and real-world threat mitigation. Whether your expertise is in vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, protective gear, or sensor systems, this is your opportunity to showcase solutions that safeguard public health, first responders, and vulnerable populations.
Focus Areas
Challenge partners – the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Consortium and the Medical CBRN Defense Consortium (MCDC) – seek disruptive solutions in the following key areas:
Next-Gen Prevention – vaccine platforms, mRNA-based countermeasures, antibody development, and deployable biotechnologies
Advanced Treatments – small molecule therapeutics, nerve agent treatments, gene-based medical countermeasures, and rapid-response therapeutics
Smart Diagnostics – AI-driven medical decision tools that identify CBRN agents, microphysiological systems, prediction of synthetic binders, synthesis of identified binders, and assay development
Threat Detection – wearable bio-sensors, sensor integration, and agent identification technologies
Integrated Protection and Response – CBRN-resistant materials, self-detoxification systems, decontamination technologies, smart isolation, and quarantine solutions
Adaptive and Autonomous Systems – robotics, sensor fusion, AI-powered situational awareness, and real-time health monitoring tools
Who Should Apply?
We welcome startups, researchers, and companies working at the intersection of:
- Biotechnology and Medical Countermeasures
- Advanced Materials and Protective Technologies
- Diagnostics, AI, and Sensing Systems
- Wearables, Robotics and Autonomous Platforms
- Decontamination and Environmental Hazard Mitigation
If your work contributes to strengthening global health security, emergency preparedness, or medical resilience, we want to hear from you!
Why Participate?
- Earn Part of the $200K Prize – Top solutions walk away with non-dilutive funding. No strings attached.
- Showcase Your Innovation – Present your technology to government, industry, and healthcare leaders seeking deployable solutions.
- Unlock Opportunities – Gain exposure to potential funding, partnerships, and commercialization pathways.
- Join a Network of Experts – Connect with innovators, researchers, and decision-makers shaping the future of health resilience and security.
Guidelines
Finalists in the Challenge will pitch on stage in Baltimore on July 23 for five minutes, followed by a two minute Q&A from a review panel.
Review Criteria
Value/impact of the solution on the civilian and defense communities. Meets a high priority need. 40 points
Readiness of the proposed solution. How ready is the product or solution for production? How will the product improve readiness? 15 points
Scalability of the proposed solution. Is there proven scalability? Does the company outline plans to scale? 15 points
Financial viability of the solution or business model. Is there a discernible, addressable market for this product? 15 points
Quality of the pitch. Did it meet time constraints, deliver relevant information, and describe the solution effectively? 15 points
Categorization
We will award $100K to medical solutions and $100K to CBRN solutions as indicated below:
Medical
- Next-Gen Prevention – vaccine platforms, mRNA-based countermeasures, antibody development, and deployable biotechnologies
- Advanced Treatments – small molecule therapeutics, nerve agent treatments, gene-based medical countermeasures, and rapid-response therapeutics
- Smart Diagnostics – AI-driven medical decision tools that identify CBRN agents, microphysiological systems, prediction of synthetic binders, synthesis of identified binders, and assay development
CBRN
- Threat Detection – wearable bio-sensors, sensor integration, and agent identification technologies
- Integrated Protection and Response – CBRN-resistant materials, self-detoxification systems, decontamination technologies, smart isolation, and quarantine solutions
- Adaptive and Autonomous Systems – robotics, sensor fusion, AI-powered situational awareness, and real-time health monitoring tools
Prizes
1st Place Medical: $60,000
1st Place CBRN: $60,000
2nd Place Medical: $30,000
2nd Place CBRN: $30,000
3rd Place Medical: $10,000
3rd Place CBRN: $10,000
Program Dates
- Launch: February 17
- Webinar: April 1 at 3:30pm ET
- Applications Due: April 16
- Notifications: mid-May
- Pitch: July 23 in Baltimore, MD