The USAID Development 2.0 Challenge
The USAID Development 2.0 Challenge sought to tap non-traditional sources, such as students, budding entrepreneurs, and other innovators to apply an innovative mobile technology solution for maximum development reach and impact in areas such as health, banking, education, agricultural trade, or other pressing development issues.
The Challenge harnessed Web 2.0 social networking to select the best submissions, encouraging individuals and organizations to submit their ideas or to offer feedback toward the best solutions. The top 15 projects presented before a panel of judges to determine the winners. In addition to competing for grants of $10,000 for the winner and $5,000 for the runner-ups, applicants gained visibility for their ideas, constructive feedback from the community, and the chance to present before USAID and potential investors in Washington, DC. The 2.0 Challenge received over 100 submissions and selected three winners.
2008 Challenge Winners
RapidSMS Child Malnutrition Surveillance, a startup from six graduate students at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) working in partnership with UNICEF, was announced the as the winning project and received a $10,000 grant. RapidSMS Child Malnutrition Surveillance enables health practitioners to share and track children's nutritional information with the touch of a cell phone.
ClickDiagnostics and Ushahidi v.2 were named the runners-up. ClickDiagnostics offers a business model for patients in rural areas to receive timely diagnoses from trained professionals. Ushahidi makes up-to-the-minute crisis information available from crowds on the ground in developing countries.
2008 Submissions
Find out more about these promising projects at www.globaldevelopmentcommons.net/node/920.
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