iGIANT® Challenge Competition for Innovators

iGIANT® is excited to announce our 4th challenge competition to explore the impact of gender/sex on innovation and novel technologies in our lives. The purpose of this challenge is to establish a common dialog about best practices and to inspire participants to serve as ambassadors for innovation to help accelerate the translation of research into gender/sex-specific design elements such as programs, products, policies, and protocols.

Gender/sex impacts every aspect of our daily lives. The same dosage of medication, for example, has different effects on men compared to women, resulting in a need for us to understand these differential effects in the research and development process before doctors can effectively dose their patients. Similarly, although some products (such as shoes, sports equipment, or cars) seem to have separate designs for men and women, it is important to distinguish between a simple change in aesthetics and a design that actually addresses the biological factors (i.e. body composition, bone structure, metabolism) that cause men and women to experience these products differently. Each small detail and seemingly insignificant change in design can heavily impact how we perform at work, school, or in our leisurely activities.

The goal of this effort is to improve the safety and quality of life for men and women in all areas and especially within the sectors of health, IT, transportation, and retail. This challenge is to submit a concept idea for one or more of the sectors, using design elements which takes into account how men and women adapt differently to technologies used in everyday life.

Four $250 prizes will be awarded (one prize per sector). Deadline for submissions is January 31, 2019. Check out HeroX.com/igiant for more details about the competition!