NEW YORK (April 17, 2024) - Firefly Innovations, the premier public health entrepreneurship platform of the City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy, in collaboration with the New York City Pandemic Response Institute, is proud to announce the winners of the Grand Challenge Competition for Innovations in Public Health Emergencies.
The competition sought to identify the most promising ideas and technological solutions for public health emergencies - from pandemics to climate change - within the following focus areas:
Access to Care and Social Services Solutions, which improve the ability of residents to fill their critical needs during public health emergencies.
Community Engagement & Communications Solutions, which enhance the ability to reach and mobilize the public.
Data Sharing, Analytics, Modeling, & Forecasting Solutions, which increase the prediction and shared understanding of public health emergencies.
Diagnostic Solutions, which address access gaps and advance point-of-care, laboratory, or other testing efforts.
Submissions were required to include an emphasis on health equity and social determinants of health and encouraged to incorporate artificial intelligence and machine learning.
"We were truly impressed by the caliber of submissions we received for the Grand Challenge Competition," said Dr. Terry Huang, founder of Firefly Innovations. "The winning projects showcase the power of innovation and collaboration in developing effective strategies to mitigate the impacts of pandemics on our communities."
After a rigorous evaluation process, nine outstanding submissions were selected for their ingenuity, creativity, and potential for real-world impact. The winning submissions represent a diverse array of approaches in addressing critical aspects of pandemic response.
Idea: PandeMesh
Focus Area: Data Sharing, Analytics, Modeling, & ForecastingIdea: preppr.ai
Focus Area: Community Engagement & CommunicationsIdea: Genome Language Model Prediction
Focus Area: Diagnostic SolutionsIdea: Centralized Housing Tracking
Focus Area: Access to Care and Social ServicesIdea: AI Communications Platform
Focus Area: Community Engagement & CommunicationsIdea: NLP for Qualitative Data
Focus Area: Data Sharing, Analytics, Modeling, & ForecastingIdea: Grid Down Messaging System
Focus Area: Community Engagement & CommunicationsIdea: Real-Time KPIs for Patients
Focus Area: Data Sharing, Analytics, Modeling, & ForecastingIdea: Barbershop Kiosks
Focus Area: Community Engagement & Communications
"We extend our sincere congratulations to the winners of the Grand Challenge Competition and also our appreciation to all of the applicants that participated," said W. Michael Short, Managing Director of Firefly Innovations. "Their dedication and ingenuity are instrumental in advancing the field of pandemic response and strengthening our resilience to future health crises."
The Grand Challenge Competition underscores the commitment of Firefly Innovations and the New York City Pandemic Response Institute to fostering innovation, cross-sector collaboration, and entrepreneurship-based interventions in pandemic preparedness and response efforts. We invite all winners to apply for a newly announced funding opportunity for Innovative Tools and Solutions to Address Public Health Emergencies.
