CURRENT CHALLENGES
International Rescue Committee
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) (www.rescue.org) is the world's largest non-profit organization with an exclusive focus on helping people affected by conflict and disaster. Through their Airbel Impact Lab, they engaged with SeaFreight Labs to use crowd-solving to search for solutions to the most intractable problems for refugees - problems that affect millions of people. The engagement consists of multiple challenges. Click HERE for more details.
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This engagement is part of our commitment to the Pledge-1% movement.​
The IRC's third challenge is a follow-on the their initial challenge requesting help in making female latrines safer in refugee camps. This new challenge is seeking ways to use phosphorescence to provide lighting for latrines. It is titled "Application of Phosphorescence Technology for Toilet Lighting in Refugee Camps". The solution should charge during the day and then provide at least 12 hours of adequate light during the night. The cost cannot be more than US$5 per latrine. Click HERE to visit the challenge.
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The challenge has a prize pool of US$45,000 (US$35,000 for the winner). Submissions are due by 22 May 2024. The IRC press release about the challenge is HERE.
The IRC's fifth challenge is seeking ideas on how to improve hand hygiene in healthcare settings. Over 50% of healthcare people and teams do not routinely practice hand hygiene. If they did, it could prevent up to 50% of healthcare-associated infections ("HAI"). This is important because the WHO estimates that 1 in 10 patients in rural settings are likely to get an HAI.
The challenge is soliciting solutions that cost less than US$66 per healthcare worker per year. It is titled "Improving Health Provider Hand Hygiene." Click HERE to visit the challenge.
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The challenge has a prize pool of US$30,000. Submissions are due by 2 July 2024. The IRC press release about the challenge is HERE.
The IRC's sixth challenge is seeking ideas on how to irrigate farms in NorthEast Syria using less diesel fuel. Diesel fuel is increasingly difficult to purchase at a reasonable price in this region and farmers are forced to abandon irrigation. This leads to dramatically reduced crop yields and is depressing the entire area.
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The challenge is soliciting more efficient diesel solutions and/or non-diesel solutions. It is titled "Reducing Fossil Fuel Dependency of Syrian Irrigation System." Click HERE to visit the challenge.
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The challenge has a prize pool of US$35,000. Submissions are due by 20 October 2024. The IRC press release about the challenge is HERE.
The IRC's seventh challenge is seeking ideas on how to create a sustainable, durable contraception dispensing machine that could be discretely accessed by migrant women. The two main functions for the machine are: a) help migrant women self-screen themselves to determine their ideal method of contraception; and b) provide access to the selected contraceptive.
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The challenge is soliciting technological, practical/mechanical and behavioral ideas to solve a wide variety of issues in this general problem of helping migrant women avoid unwanted pregnancies. It is titled "Autonomous Contraception Dispensing Stations." Click HERE to visit the challenge.
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The challenge has a prize pool of US$15,000. Submissions are due by 20 October 2024. The IRC press release about the challenge is HERE.
