Fully Funded
The Stanford Center on Longevity Design Challenge 2021

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Opportunity Type
Awards
Fully Funded
Description
The Stanford Center on Longevity Design Challenge is a global competition that encourages students to design products and services to improve well-being across the lifespan. In its eighth year, the Challenge is focused on ideas inspired by the cultural shift that has occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic that support long, healthy, and happy lives for everyone.
Challenge Goals:
- Create well-designed, practical solutions that improve well-being across the lifespan
- Encourage a new generation of students to become knowledgeable about issues associated with long lives
- Provide promising designers with a path to drive change in the world
The COVID-19 pandemic is bringing into sharper focus the cultural norms that guide us through life and is providing insights about what a new future might look like. The suddenness of this transformation is allowing us to examine daily practices, social norms, and institutions from perspectives that are rarely possible. For a short window of time, before new routines and practices replace familiar old ones, we will see with greater clarity how our lives might be improved, how current shifts could become enduring changes, what new norms might emerge, and how a new future might look.
This year, we are challenging students to design solutions for this new post-pandemic future, keeping in mind both how these solutions affect people throughout the life span, and how they can be designed in ways that are accessible to all. They should take into account what we are learning during the pandemic and how it is changing our lives.
Eligibilities
The challenge is open to teams of 2-5 students enrolled during the 2020-2021 academic year, attending any accredited university or college globally. Each team must have at least one full-time student and if the team is selected as a Finalist, only students may present.
Benefits
Cash prizes: $10,000 (1st place), $5,000 (2nd place), $2,000 (3rd place).
- Finalists receive mentorship and personalized coaching from industry experts and researchers.
- Finalists receive airfare and hotel reimbursement (limited max value) for a student to attend the Finals at Stanford University to present their idea to investors and potential customers.
- Finalists attend an entrepreneurial workshop at Stanford and learn how to create a business plan to take their concept into execution.
Program Venue
Online
Eligible Regions
All Regions
All Countries
select_all_regions
Eligible Countries
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Angola, Africa, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Democratic Republic, Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar (formerly Burma), Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, North Macedonia (formerly Macedonia), Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tunisia, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, USA, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City (Holy See), Venezuela, Vietnam, Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Hungary, Cook Island, Congo (Republic)
Application Process
Key Dates
- Kick-off: September 14, 2020
- Phase I submissions due: December 10, 2020
- Finalists (5-8 teams) announced: January 2021
- Finals: April 2021 (exact date TBA)
The Challenge will be judged by experts in design and technology including carefully selected academics with expertise on the topic; executives from technology and consumer goods firms; venture capitalists; and senior representatives from related mission-driven organizations.
Judging Criteria
- 40% Impact – will the design improve long life outcomes?
- 30% Originality – has this idea been seen before? Is there something similar to it on the market?
- 20% Feasibility – will the design work? Can it be produced at scale?
- 10% Affordability – teams must identify their target population for the design. Would the cost of the design at scale make it a viable product for that population?
A separate score reflecting alignment of the design to the topic will be added as a weight to the overall score. For example, if a design were to score 90% on the judging criteria above but only 50% on alignment, the overall score would be 45% (.90 X .50).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Share on
Fully Funded
The Stanford Center on Longevity Design Challenge 2021

Share on
Opportunity Type
Awards
Full Time
Description
The Stanford Center on Longevity Design Challenge is a global competition that encourages students to design products and services to improve well-being across the lifespan. In its eighth year, the Challenge is focused on ideas inspired by the cultural shift that has occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic that support long, healthy, and happy lives for everyone.
Challenge Goals:
- Create well-designed, practical solutions that improve well-being across the lifespan
- Encourage a new generation of students to become knowledgeable about issues associated with long lives
- Provide promising designers with a path to drive change in the world
The COVID-19 pandemic is bringing into sharper focus the cultural norms that guide us through life and is providing insights about what a new future might look like. The suddenness of this transformation is allowing us to examine daily practices, social norms, and institutions from perspectives that are rarely possible. For a short window of time, before new routines and practices replace familiar old ones, we will see with greater clarity how our lives might be improved, how current shifts could become enduring changes, what new norms might emerge, and how a new future might look.
This year, we are challenging students to design solutions for this new post-pandemic future, keeping in mind both how these solutions affect people throughout the life span, and how they can be designed in ways that are accessible to all. They should take into account what we are learning during the pandemic and how it is changing our lives.
Eligibilities
The challenge is open to teams of 2-5 students enrolled during the 2020-2021 academic year, attending any accredited university or college globally. Each team must have at least one full-time student and if the team is selected as a Finalist, only students may present.
Benefits
Cash prizes: $10,000 (1st place), $5,000 (2nd place), $2,000 (3rd place).
- Finalists receive mentorship and personalized coaching from industry experts and researchers.
- Finalists receive airfare and hotel reimbursement (limited max value) for a student to attend the Finals at Stanford University to present their idea to investors and potential customers.
- Finalists attend an entrepreneurial workshop at Stanford and learn how to create a business plan to take their concept into execution.
Program Venue
Eligible Regions
All Regions
Eligible Countries
All Countries
Application Process
Key Dates
- Kick-off: September 14, 2020
- Phase I submissions due: December 10, 2020
- Finalists (5-8 teams) announced: January 2021
- Finals: April 2021 (exact date TBA)
The Challenge will be judged by experts in design and technology including carefully selected academics with expertise on the topic; executives from technology and consumer goods firms; venture capitalists; and senior representatives from related mission-driven organizations.
Judging Criteria
- 40% Impact – will the design improve long life outcomes?
- 30% Originality – has this idea been seen before? Is there something similar to it on the market?
- 20% Feasibility – will the design work? Can it be produced at scale?
- 10% Affordability – teams must identify their target population for the design. Would the cost of the design at scale make it a viable product for that population?
A separate score reflecting alignment of the design to the topic will be added as a weight to the overall score. For example, if a design were to score 90% on the judging criteria above but only 50% on alignment, the overall score would be 45% (.90 X .50).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Share on
Fully Funded
The Stanford Center on Longevity Design Challenge 2021

Share on
Opportunity Type
Awards
Select Type
Description
The Stanford Center on Longevity Design Challenge is a global competition that encourages students to design products and services to improve well-being across the lifespan. In its eighth year, the Challenge is focused on ideas inspired by the cultural shift that has occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic that support long, healthy, and happy lives for everyone.
Challenge Goals:
- Create well-designed, practical solutions that improve well-being across the lifespan
- Encourage a new generation of students to become knowledgeable about issues associated with long lives
- Provide promising designers with a path to drive change in the world
The COVID-19 pandemic is bringing into sharper focus the cultural norms that guide us through life and is providing insights about what a new future might look like. The suddenness of this transformation is allowing us to examine daily practices, social norms, and institutions from perspectives that are rarely possible. For a short window of time, before new routines and practices replace familiar old ones, we will see with greater clarity how our lives might be improved, how current shifts could become enduring changes, what new norms might emerge, and how a new future might look.
This year, we are challenging students to design solutions for this new post-pandemic future, keeping in mind both how these solutions affect people throughout the life span, and how they can be designed in ways that are accessible to all. They should take into account what we are learning during the pandemic and how it is changing our lives.
Eligibilities
The challenge is open to teams of 2-5 students enrolled during the 2020-2021 academic year, attending any accredited university or college globally. Each team must have at least one full-time student and if the team is selected as a Finalist, only students may present.
Benefits
Cash prizes: $10,000 (1st place), $5,000 (2nd place), $2,000 (3rd place).
- Finalists receive mentorship and personalized coaching from industry experts and researchers.
- Finalists receive airfare and hotel reimbursement (limited max value) for a student to attend the Finals at Stanford University to present their idea to investors and potential customers.
- Finalists attend an entrepreneurial workshop at Stanford and learn how to create a business plan to take their concept into execution.
Program Venue
Eligible Regions
All Regions
Eligible Countries
All Countries
Application Process
Key Dates
- Kick-off: September 14, 2020
- Phase I submissions due: December 10, 2020
- Finalists (5-8 teams) announced: January 2021
- Finals: April 2021 (exact date TBA)
The Challenge will be judged by experts in design and technology including carefully selected academics with expertise on the topic; executives from technology and consumer goods firms; venture capitalists; and senior representatives from related mission-driven organizations.
Judging Criteria
- 40% Impact – will the design improve long life outcomes?
- 30% Originality – has this idea been seen before? Is there something similar to it on the market?
- 20% Feasibility – will the design work? Can it be produced at scale?
- 10% Affordability – teams must identify their target population for the design. Would the cost of the design at scale make it a viable product for that population?
A separate score reflecting alignment of the design to the topic will be added as a weight to the overall score. For example, if a design were to score 90% on the judging criteria above but only 50% on alignment, the overall score would be 45% (.90 X .50).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Share on
Fully Funded
Opening Date
The Stanford Center on Longevity Design Challenge 2021

FUNDING TYPE
Description
The Stanford Center on Longevity Design Challenge is a global competition that encourages students to design products and services to improve well-being across the lifespan. In its eighth year, the Challenge is focused on ideas inspired by the cultural shift that has occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic that support long, healthy, and happy lives for everyone.
Challenge Goals:
- Create well-designed, practical solutions that improve well-being across the lifespan
- Encourage a new generation of students to become knowledgeable about issues associated with long lives
- Provide promising designers with a path to drive change in the world
The COVID-19 pandemic is bringing into sharper focus the cultural norms that guide us through life and is providing insights about what a new future might look like. The suddenness of this transformation is allowing us to examine daily practices, social norms, and institutions from perspectives that are rarely possible. For a short window of time, before new routines and practices replace familiar old ones, we will see with greater clarity how our lives might be improved, how current shifts could become enduring changes, what new norms might emerge, and how a new future might look.
This year, we are challenging students to design solutions for this new post-pandemic future, keeping in mind both how these solutions affect people throughout the life span, and how they can be designed in ways that are accessible to all. They should take into account what we are learning during the pandemic and how it is changing our lives.
BENIFITS
Cash prizes: $10,000 (1st place), $5,000 (2nd place), $2,000 (3rd place).
- Finalists receive mentorship and personalized coaching from industry experts and researchers.
- Finalists receive airfare and hotel reimbursement (limited max value) for a student to attend the Finals at Stanford University to present their idea to investors and potential customers.
- Finalists attend an entrepreneurial workshop at Stanford and learn how to create a business plan to take their concept into execution.
Eligibilities
The challenge is open to teams of 2-5 students enrolled during the 2020-2021 academic year, attending any accredited university or college globally. Each team must have at least one full-time student and if the team is selected as a Finalist, only students may present.
For Further Queries:
Eligible Regions:
Program Venue:
APPLICATION PROCESS
Key Dates
- Kick-off: September 14, 2020
- Phase I submissions due: December 10, 2020
- Finalists (5-8 teams) announced: January 2021
- Finals: April 2021 (exact date TBA)
The Challenge will be judged by experts in design and technology including carefully selected academics with expertise on the topic; executives from technology and consumer goods firms; venture capitalists; and senior representatives from related mission-driven organizations.
Judging Criteria
- 40% Impact – will the design improve long life outcomes?
- 30% Originality – has this idea been seen before? Is there something similar to it on the market?
- 20% Feasibility – will the design work? Can it be produced at scale?
- 10% Affordability – teams must identify their target population for the design. Would the cost of the design at scale make it a viable product for that population?
A separate score reflecting alignment of the design to the topic will be added as a weight to the overall score. For example, if a design were to score 90% on the judging criteria above but only 50% on alignment, the overall score would be 45% (.90 X .50).
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