Application for the Big Ideas Contest at Makerere University in Uganda – 2019/2020 Entry is now open Applicants with innovative “BIG” ideas in Uganda, who meet all of the eligibility criteria listed below.
Big Ideas is an early-stage, student-led, innovation contest that connects students with the mentorship, training, and resources needed to successfully conceptualize, deploy, and scale their social ventures. Open to undergraduate and graduate students at Makerere University and 11 other Universities, the Contest awards up to $300,000 in prizes annually. The Contest is hosted by the ResilientAfrica Network (RAN) at Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH), and is open to all enrolled graduate and undergraduate students at Makerere.
BIG IDEAS CONTEST ELIGIBILITY
Applicants with innovative “BIG” ideas, who meet all of the eligibility criteria listed below, are encouraged to apply.
- Student-Led: Projects must be initiated and led by an undergraduate or graduate student (or students) from an eligible campus. The project should not be an extension of faculty-guided research or led by a non-student established organization (i.e. non-profit or for-profit entity).
- Early-Stage: Big Ideas supports early-stage projects. These can range from brand new ideas with a team just assembling, to projects that have formed recently (within 2 years).
- Social Impact: Projects must have a clear social impact. The project should be centered around an innovation (technologies, services, programs) that produces a clear benefit with the potential for sustained improvement in the lives of groups or individuals.
Additional Information:
- Applicants may submit more than one application, but each submission must be unique. A student may participate in more than one project team, as long as each team submits a unique pre-proposal application.
- Projects that have previously won a Big Ideas award are not eligible to submit a pre-proposal application. Big Ideas alumni will be notified about a separate competition for previous Big Ideas winners, entitled “Scaling Up Big Ideas,” which is planned for Spring 2020.
- The Team Lead (primary applicant) must be a matriculated student at an eligible university and will be the primary point of contact for all contest communications and have final authority for all decisions related to the contest. Additional team members may include students (from eligible or non-eligible universities) and/or non-students. Faculty, staff, and external partners may play an advisory role.
Note: Click here for Big Ideas Application Requirements
BIG IDEAS CONTEST APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
To apply, click on the “Apply Now!” button on this page. You will be redirected to our application portal where you will be asked to complete a webform, take a brief survey, upload your proposal. Please allow at least 20 minutes for the entire process.
Once you have submitted your proposal, make sure you are redirected to a webpage acknowledging your proposal has been submitted. You should also receive a confirmation via email. If you do not receive confirmation or have any problems please contact us at 510.666.9120.
How Does Big Ideas Work?
The contest has two rounds: a pre-proposal round in the fall and a full proposal round in the spring.
Round 1: Pre-proposal (First Round)
- Eligible students are invited to submit a 3-page, 1,600-word pre-proposal by November 20, 2019, at 12pm (PT) via the website. Approximately 30-40 teams will be selected to continue to the final round of the contest in the spring. All pre-proposal teams will receive detailed feedback from the judges, regardless of whether or not they are invited to participate in the final round. All applicants will be notified of their status in December.
Round 2: Full Proposal (Final Round)
- Teams selected for the final round will submit a short application video (between 60 and 90 seconds) in addition to an 8-page written proposal by March 13, 2020 at 12pm (PT). In this round, teams will expand on the design of their social innovations and incorporate the judges’ feedback.
- Additionally, to help further these proposals, teams are paired with a Big Ideas mentor (an experienced professional matched to the team based on expertise and background). Approximately 25-30 teams will be selected to receive awards ranging from $5,000 to $20,000. Prizes will be awarded only for high-quality submissions. Decisions are final and not subject to appeal.
Application Deadline and Dates
- Date: Wednesday October 16th, 2019, 5:00 – 6:00pm EAT
- Venue: Makerere University College of Computing and IS – Innovation Center
- Online pre-proposal submissions are due November 20th, 2019 at 12:00pm PT
Late submission will not be accepted.
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