UCLA Health celebrates the launch of the 3rd Annual UCLA Health Innovation Challenge, which provides our community, including faculty, staff, trainees, students, patients, caregivers and volunteers, the opportunity to help advance long-lasting health and equitable care.
UCLA Health has always been a home of “firsts.” From developing the world’s first functional PET imaging system to breakthrough immunotherapies for cancer and digital health care apps for newborns, our faculty and staff continually seek to advance patient care. Our community of frontline innovators continuously translates scientific discoveries to realize meaningful improvements in clinical outcomes.
We support innovation from idea to implementation and from bench to bedside. In search of the next great idea, from novel medical devices to optimizing patient experience, we invite our community members to join in our search. That’s why we want to hear from you!
1. Scale Health Equity
2. Invent HealthTech
3. Submit your Greatest Idea
1. Scale Health Equity: In partnership with UCLA Health Office of Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, this track invites solutions tackling challenges related to equitable care delivery, socio-structural drivers of health, and optimal health outcomes for individuals from vulnerable and marginalized populations. Relevant populations include racial/ethnic minorities, economically disadvantaged, people experiencing homelessness or food insecurity, chronic cognitive or physical disabilities, and people with limited geographic access to medical care. Awards up to $50,000.
Eligibility: Competitive team-based submissions should consist of a UCLA Health Faculty member to receive the funds and oversee the project, at least one UCLA Health RN or other staff member and at least one community partner (community-based or service organization, e.g. Venice Family Clinic, Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital, the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, or start-up company).
2. Invent HealthTech: The healthtech track seeks value driven solutions across the patient journey, including medical devices, diagnostics, digital therapeutics and other digital health or software solutions. Interdisciplinary teams have the opportunity to submit an early-stage concept, design or prototype that solves a clinical or patient care need. This proof-of-concept funding is meant to bridge the gap to later stages of campus funding, such as the UCLA Innovation Fund. Funding requests may be applied to design and build prototypes, perform benchtop testing, or generate pilot data. Basic science funding requests are encouraged to apply to the David Geffen School of Medicine Seed Grant Program. Awards up to $50,000.
Eligibility: Team-based interdisciplinary submissions must consist of a UCLA Health Faculty member to receive the funds and oversee the project. Teams must include at least one UCLA Health RN or other UCLA faculty member from another clinical department or school (e.g., David Geffen School of Medicine, Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, School of Nursing, etc.).
3. Submit your Greatest Idea: Applicants can submit ideas across the continuum of health care delivery. From patient experience and community outreach to process improvement and clinical workflow to financial stability and operation & decision support. Awards vary, and may include prizes, recognition and/or funding.
Eligibility: All UCLA faculty, staff, trainees and students, as well patients, caregivers, volunteers and community members are welcome to submit.
For questions related to the UCLA Health Innovation Challenge, please email [email protected].
