The Washington, D.C.-based Institute of Medicine is offering students that are pursuing degrees toward careers in health, engineering, and computer science a chance to add to their resumes by participating in the "Go Viral to Improve Health" contest. The content challenges undergraduate and graduate students to create innovative health-related apps for prizes worth $18,000.
"Go Viral to Improve Health" is the second annual collegiate challenge sponsored by the IOM and the National Academy of Engineering to spur students to work in interdisciplinary teams and transform health data into mobile apps, online tools or games, or other innovative products that solve vexing health problems.
The team that designs the best product will receive a $10,000 prize sponsored by Heritage Provider Network and the opportunity to demonstrate their app during the plenary session of Health Datapalooza, the third Health Data Initiative Forum, June 5-6 in D.C. The second and third place teams will receive awards of $5,000 and $3,000 respectively, and both will have the chance to display their winning technologies in the exhibit hall at this national gathering of software engineers, developers, and health leaders.
Entries will be assessed on their design, usability, and how well they integrate public health data. Participating teams must consist of between two and five members and include at least one undergraduate or graduate student pursuing a health-related degree and one undergraduate or graduate student pursuing a degree in computer science, engineering, or a similar major.
