James Dyson Award 2023 is Now Open for Entries; Indian Students Eligible for Prize Money of 5 lakh

James Dyson Awards offer a unique opportunity for young people to tackle the world’s most pressing problems, using science, sustainable design and engineering. Global winners win 30,000 (approx. INR 30 lakhs), alongside high-profile recognition for their idea. National winners will receive 5,000 (approx. INR 5 lakhs)

Head to www.jamesdysonaward.org to find out more and apply

The James Dyson Award, an annual engineering competition with a sustainability-focus run by Dyson’s charity, is now open and accepting submissions from young inventors who have ideas to improve the planet.

Since 2005, the Award has challenged entrepreneurial undergraduates and recent graduates of engineering to tackle a global problem, from environmental issues to improving healthcare practices. Past winners have developed solutions to advance plastic recycling (Plastic Scanner) and the biodegradability of materials (MarinaTex, AuREUS), as well as bettering at-home medical diagnostics (Blue Box, HOPES).

To date, the competition has awarded 390 inventions with prize money, and over 70% of past global winners are commercialising their winning inventions. There is a need for more game-changing ideas to tackle global environmental and medical problems, and James Dyson thinks young people have the answers and drive to make a difference.

Sir James Dyson, Founder, Dyson, said: “We are looking for young engineers who are hard-wired to solve problems sustainably, often using less energy and fewer materials, and who want to improve the world through their ideas. Young people have the ideas that can change things for the better, and they should be encouraged. The James Dyson Award gives them the platform to pursue their inventions, and I look forward to judging this year’s entries. Good luck!”

Sir James Dyson chooses the competition’s global winners; they receive vital funding and high-profile recognition key first steps to take their ideas into real life practical application.

National winners of the award can expect prize money of 5,000 (approx. INR 5 lakhs) to support the development of their invention. Global winners receive a larger amount of 30,000 (approx. INR 30 lakhs). In addition, both national and global winners can expect to receive media attention, which has proven to be valuable for past winners in promoting their ideas. Furthermore, winners will have access to events and networking opportunities with past winners to share experiences and potentially form mentorship relationships.

Each participating country and region will award a National winner ( 5,000 – approx. INR 5 lakhs) and two National runners-up. The National winners are chosen by an external panel in collaboration with Dyson. Those that win a National accolade proceed to the International shortlist and awarding stages, where James Dyson selects his global winners.

What makes a good entry

The best inventions solve real-world problem that impacts the planet. They provide clear and intelligent solutions. Successful past winners were Arjun B S and Ajay Krishnan A, two Bangalore-based engineering students, who won the James Dyson Award 2022 for their unique innovation EpiSHOT a reusable epinephrine autoinjector for patients suffering from severe and potentially fatal systemic allergic reactions. Their design addresses the gap of high price tags of single-use injectors, safety concerns for self-use, and ease of operation.

On winning the award, Arjun B S, inventor of EpiSHOT, said,”With the help of the prize money, we aim to further modify EpiSHOT for commercialization. We strongly believe that the James Dyson Award will be our stepping platform to get recognized, educate and mass materialize our lifesaving innovation.”

EpiSHOT is a safe, reusable, and easy-to-use autoinjector for treating life-threatening allergic reactions like anaphylaxis. It underwent multiple design iterations and clinical consultations to ensure its affordability and re-usability within two minutes of first use. It addresses a crucial need in India, where there is currently no immediate solution for anaphylaxis.

*Prize money is subject to the exchange rate.

About the competition

The brief

Design something that solves a problem. This problem may be a frustration that all people face in daily life, or a global issue. The important thing is that the solution is effective and demonstrates considered design thinking.

The process

Entries are judged first at the national level by a panel of external judges and a Dyson engineer. Each operating market awards a national winner and two National runners-up. From these winners, a panel of Dyson engineers then select an international shortlist of 20 entries. The top 20 projects are then reviewed by Sir James Dyson who selects his international winners.

The prize

• International winners, chosen by Sir James Dyson, awarded up to 30,000.
• International runners-up receive 5,000.
• Each National winner receives 5,000.
• The deadline to apply midnight PST on 19 July 2023.

How to enter

Candidates enter through an online application form via the James Dyson Award website. Entrants should explain what their invention is, how it works, and their development process. The best entries solve a real problem, are clearly explained, show iterative development, provide evidence of prototyping and have supporting imagery and a video.

All judges will take into consideration the restrictions to prototyping and product development as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Eligibility criteria

Entrants must be, or have been within the last four years, enrolled for at least one semester in an undergraduate or graduate engineering/design related course. This course must be at a university in a country or region chosen to participate in the James Dyson Award.

In the case of team entries, all members must be or have been within the last four years, enrolled for at least one semester in an undergraduate or graduate programme at a university in a country or region chosen to participate in the James Dyson Award. At least one team member must have studied an eligible subject in engineering or design. Those participating in a degree level apprenticeship at Level 6 or Level 7, and those who have completed said apprenticeship in the past four years, are eligible to enter the award.

Further FAQs can be found on the James Dyson Award website

About Dyson

Dyson is a global technology company with engineering and testing operations in the UK, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines. Dyson employs over 14,000 people globally including 6,000 engineers and scientists.

Dyson’s research programme now spans the US, Japan, China, Philippines, UK, Singapore and Malaysia. In the UK the restored World War Two Hullavington airfield has been transformed in Dyson’s second UK Technology Campus. Alongside Dyson’s 750-acre campus at Hullavington, the 75-acre Technology Campus in Malmesbury completed a multimillion-pound refurbishment programme in 2019.

In November 2020, Dyson announced that it will double its portfolio of products and enter entirely new fields by 2025 taking it beyond the home for the first time. The company revealed a 2.75 billion investment plan into new technologies and new products over the next five years. The investments will be focused in Singapore, the UK, and the Philippines, and are backed by plans to hire additional engineers and scientists in fields such as software, machine learning and robotics.

Dyson’s campus in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, UK, is home to The Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology which opened in September 2017 and in 2020 became the first education provider to be given New Degree Awarding Powers. Dyson has invested 31.5 million into The Dyson Institute to date. The Dyson Institute’s Undergraduate Engineers pay zero tuition fees and earn a full salary. As well as their degree studies, they work on real-life projects alongside world-experts in Dyson’s global engineering, research and technology teams on Dyson’s UK Campus. From day one they contribute to new technologies to improve lives all around the world. It is more than a job, and more than a degree, and although the aspiration is that they remain long after graduation, they are not tied to Dyson.

The James Dyson Foundation works internationally to inspire young people about engineering: from school children up to university students and graduates. The James Dyson Award is the James Dyson Foundation’s international design competition, which celebrates, encourages and inspires the next generation of design engineers. It’s open to current and recent design and engineering students.

Source: PTI