FAQ

 

Thank you for your submissions to the Spaulding Innovation Challenge. After voting period ends, we will conduct full audit and review of voting prior to official confirmation, we sincerely appreciate your patience.

Confirmed Finalists will be notified on Friday February 2nd.  

Introduction

We want to identify startups, researchers and teams with solutions and technologies aimed at improving functional ability and quality of life to those with physical impairments or disabilities related to:  Spinal Cord Injury, Traumatic Brain Injury/Concussion, Stroke, Musculoskeletal Conditions and Chronic Pain. We will also consider submissions from for homecare related solutions. (#SpauldingChallenge)

Who can participate in The Spaulding Hospital $150K Innovation Challenge?

  • Anyone Over age 18
  • Anywhere in the world
  • Raised less than $500k in equity-based funding
  • Generated less than $1M in last 12 months

Do I have to be a Spaulding or Partners HealthCare Employee to Participate in the Challenge?

No!  This challenge is open to anyone and Non-Partners HealthCare employees are encouraged to apply.

Partners HealthCare employees are expected to acknowledge and abide by the Partners HealthCare policy on intellectual property. 

How does the Challenge Work?

Simply submit information about your idea or start-up at the contest submission page.

Submission period ends on JANUARY 7th, 2018

Voting is crowd-sourced (encourage your friends to come and vote for you!).

Confirmed Finalists will be notified on Friday February 2nd.  

Both the public and selected judges will use this online platform to vote from the submissions available and will select 6 finalists to the live final pitch-off event Thursday March 22, 2018.

The Official Judges will also vote after the submissions deadline.

Tell me more about the Live Final Event!

The top six submissions in this online challenge (by combination of judge and public voting) will be invited to present and demo their solutions in front of a live judging panel and audience on Thursday, March 22, 2018  at Google Corporate Campus, 355 Main Street, in Kendall square,  Cambridge, Massachusetts.

At the live event, a panel of expert judges will review each of the finalists solutions and will choose a single grand prize winner, a single runner-up winner, and a single Best Design Award Presented by Mad*Pow.

Whether or not you're selected as a finalist, if you submit an idea you and a guest will get free admission to the Final Event in March.

3 winners will be selected at the Live Final Event:

The Grand Prize 

Runner- up prize

Mad*Pow Best Design Award

Please see the Awards Tab for details.

Do I need IRB or a Formal Project?

No, your submission can be purely at the idea stage. We are accepting submissions from the idea stage to the early stage start-up phase.  You don't need to have started a company, or have a prototype, or have an IRB approval already. Just explain your ideas/plans in the submission form.

What are the Judging Criteria?

The focus of your idea/team/start-up must be based on addressing challenges in rehabilitation medicine, and specifically in the following areas of discovery:

  • Spinal Cord Injury
  • Traumatic Brain Injury/Concussion
  • Stroke
  • Musculoskeletal Conditions
  • Chronic Pain 
  • Home Care

Potential for Impact (25%)

  • Each submission will be rated on the strength of its potential to improve the health of individuals and/or communities specific to rehabilitation medicine diagnosis defined above.
  • Apps will be rated on their ability to address a specific need and potential for further development.

Design and Usability (25%)

  • Each submission will be rated on how well it meets the specific needs of its intended user.
  • User friendliness and human-centered design
  • Priority may be given to submissions that are easily accessible to a range of patients and on a variety of platforms.

Solution Feasibility (25%)

  • Solution will be rated on the presented market analysis and proposed plan for development, growth, scale, and sustainability. 

Creativity and Innovation (25%)

  • Each submission will be rated for the degree of creativity and innovation compared with existing solutions.

Please note: Submissions must be made in English

Can I edit my entry after I submit it?

Yes, You may edit your entry up the submission deadline. After that, you can communicate with the judges directly to expand and refine your idea. The judges will consider all of your responses as part of the overall submission.

Can I submit more than one idea?

Yes, you can submit as many ideas as you like.

Who is the sponsor of the challenge?

Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Corporation

Additional supporting sponsors can be seen on the Sponsors tab.