MIT's Make Impact Consortium is hosting the Omni Hotels & Resorts COVID-19 Design and Innovation Challenge to engage university students in making, innovation and entrepreneurship through community building and social awareness.
In July 2020, six students mentored by QUT Entrepreneurship worked virtually to compete against teams across the globe in MIT’s Make Impact Consortium (MIC), Mathworks COVID-19 Design Challenge. The teams responded to the theme of ‘reopening during COVID-19.’ The QUT team made up of students from Engineering, Business and Creative Industries developed a money laundering solution (a legal way for businesses to clean cash) and won high praise from the judges being awarded 3rd prize!
This year the Omni Hotels & Resorts COVID-19 Design and Innovation Challenge requires teams to design, model and build CAD solutions around the theme of reopening hotels safely during COVID-19, making guests and staff feel safer at hotels. Teams from member universities compete to design products and software which will address key concerns of hotel guests. The closing date for participation in the QUT team is Friday, 29th January
Expression of interest now open, please complete this short application to join.
Benefits of participation are:
- Design and Innovation Training with MIT and New York based specialists
- Engagement and competition with teams from 10+ global universities
- Student stipends of USD 350 per student for reaching the second round (the top 9 teams that progress past the pitch competition will be eligible for stipends)
- Prizes totalling USD 10,000
Cash prizes will be awarded to the best design(s) and for the best media documentation effort (documentation of photos, videos and more).
- 1st prize: USD 5000
- 2d prize: USD 2500
- 3d prize: USD 1500
- Media Documentation Prize: USD 1000
Key dates
Feb 8th | Information and Training Sessions (Omni Hotels, Autodesk, Mathworks, Entrepreneurship 101, Presentation skills) |
Feb 19th | Each team pitches up to 3 project concepts to panel of judges, 2nd round teams announced |
Mar 1st – 5th | Technical Design Reviews by MIT staff and faculty |
Mar 16th | Submission of Presentations |
Mar 18th | Final Presentations and Awards |
The closing date for participation in the QUT team is Friday 29th January.