Australia’s brightest minds are being offered the opportunity of a lifetime to study at Silicon Valley’s famed Singularity University.
The global impact competition, supported by the Australian Institute for Commercialisation (AIC), the Queensland Government, financial services specialist GBST Holdings (GBST) and the Gold Coast Innovation Centre, challenges Australian innovators and entrepreneurs to develop an idea to positively impact one million of their compatriots.
The best idea will win a $30,000 scholarship to attend the Singularity University’s 10-week Graduate Studies Program 2013 at the NASA Ames Research Centre in the heart of Silicon Valley, which is designed for leaders who want to build innovative solutions to global challenges.
Singularity University’s co-founders, physician and entrepreneur Peter Diamandis and Google director of engineering Ray Kurzweil, have gathered top thinkers from many different disciplines and fields to forecast, analyse, and create the scientific or technological solution that will solve the world’s biggest challenges. They cover eight disciplines: education; energy; environment; food; global health; poverty; security and water.
The national competition is an opportunity for Australian entrepreneurs and innovators to put their best foot forward and come up with a concept to make life better and increase happiness.
A panel of judges will examine each project’s use of technology, feasibility of implementation and ability to impact one million Australians, Dr Clarence Tan, Singularity University Ambassador for Australia/Malaysia explained.
“There are many great challenges in Australia, whether they relate to water, energy, food or the environment, which means there are many opportunities to create a new product or service to make a difference,” Dr Tan said.
“The competition is a chance for one Australian to come up with an incredible idea, and get a chance to develop it in the best environment possible, among exceptional business leaders and academics from around the world.”
The winner will be exposed to investors, funding bodies and mentors who are part of the Singularity University network.
The course creates an unparalleled opportunity for participants to work together in international and interdisciplinary teams to address large-scale humanitarian challenges.
“It really is a unique educational environment where people get to learn from each other, with support from renowned experts in multiple fields, in order to understand and apply these revolutionary technologies,” Dr Tan said.
The competition is open to any Australian citizen over 18 and candidates should lodge their application online, with a 100 words abstract, a maximum of 10 presentation slides, and a video of up to three minutes outlining their ideas. Applications close on 10 April 2013 and the Singularity University course commences on 15 June 2013.
The second and third prize-winners will receive mentorship and support services from the Australian Institute for Commercialisation and the Gold Coast Innovation Centre, worth over $16,000 in total.
For more information, and to enter the Global Impact competition, visit Singularityau.org.
