About the Challenge
The Stanford Center on Longevity invites university students from around the world to participate in its ninth annual Design Challenge.
With thanks to our sponsors, we are pleased to offer the following awards for winners and finalists:
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Cash prizes: $10,000* (1st place), $5,000* (2nd place), $2,000* (3rd place)
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Finalists receive:
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- $1,000 for prototyping and presentation development
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- Mentorship and personalized coaching from leading industry experts and researchers
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- Airfare and hotel reimbursement for 1 student from each team to attend the Finals at Stanford University to present their idea (conditions permitting).
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The challenge runs concurrent with the 2021-2022 academic year, with initial submissions due by December 2, 2021 and the Final Competition held in April 2022. The location of the Final Competition (on-campus at Stanford University or online) will be determined closer to the finals date and will depend on COVID-19 restrictions.
*All prizes are subject to 30% US federal tax withholding and 7% state withholding (if payment exceeds $1,500).
About the 2021 Theme
This year’s contest challenges teams to create solutions for “Longevity-Ready Environments: Rethinking Physical Spaces for Century-Long Lives.”
Successful aging is in part the result of the cumulative effects of years of interaction with the physical environment. Making communities longevity-ready for everyone means recognizing the way our environment affects well-being at all ages in the context of a 100-year life. Starting even before birth, environmental factors such as air quality, availability of well-designed outdoor spaces and transit, living conditions, and toxin exposure affect our physical and mental health. These factors are also pathways by which inequality affects physical health – environmental quality is often worse for people of lower socioeconomic status, leading to poorer health as they age.
This year we challenge student design teams around the world to examine the physical environments in their communities and identify opportunities to design for an environment that better supports long lives.
What kinds of designs are included?
Students are encouraged to consider all aspects of their physical environments including public spaces, indoor spaces, and urban design. Designs can be products, programs, or services, and might target:
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Outdoor and green spaces
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Airborne pollutants and household toxins
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Mitigation of weather extremes (e.g., heat mitigation) and climate change
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Public infrastructure, including housing and transportation
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Moving toward sustainable cities
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Energy consumption reductions
