*To see if you are eligible to apply based on your country of residence, see the map here.
By 2030, for the first time in recorded history, the old will begin to outnumber the young. This demographic shift poses significant social, economic, and health challenges, but also presents an unprecedented opportunity for accelerating research, innovation, and entrepreneurism in the field of healthy longevity – thereby building more vibrant societies and economies worldwide.
Healthy longevity means maintaining physical, mental, and social health and well-being as we live longer. By extending the healthspan, people can stay active in their families and communities, remain in the workforce and contribute to the economy, and enjoy fulfilling and productive lives well into their later years.
The Healthy Longevity Global Competition will kickstart innovation to support healthy longevity through a series of monetary awards and prizes. In the tradition of international races to fly across the Atlantic or walk on the moon, the competition will rally the world’s greatest minds to achieve what may at first seem an impossible goal.
The Healthy Longevity Global Competition is open to innovators from any background and is available in over 40 countries and territories worldwide through a network of Global Collaborator organizations (See map at the bottom of page here to see if your country is participating). Competitors may submit ideas related to basic science, medical treatments, commercial products, technologies, social sciences, architectural and community design, or any other field – as long as they are innovative, impactful, and capable of extending health and function later in the lifespan.
The Healthy Longevity Global Competition was founded by the U.S. National Academy of Medicine (NAM). The competition will unfold in parallel with the NAM’s Global Roadmap for Healthy Longevity, an international commission that will assess available evidence and recommend strategies for global societies to maintain the health and productivity of aging populations.
The Healthy Longevity Global Competition aims to stimulate an entire field by not only rewarding innovative ideas but also sharing those ideas with the world. Summaries of all winning ideas will be available on this website starting in Summer 2020. Beginning in Summer 2021, Catalyst Award winners will gather at annual public Innovator Summits, where they can share their work with policy makers, researchers, potential investors, and fellow innovators from around the world.
The first cycle of the Catalyst Phase of the Healthy Longevity Global Competition opens in January 2020. Proposals will be accepted for approximately 6 weeks. For many competitions, detailed instructions, including the materials needed to apply, are available now. Innovators may begin preparing their proposals immediately to submit as soon as the application period begins.
Browse the available competitions for detailed information about opening dates, eligibility requirements, and other specifications on the map here.
Applications will be assessed against the following criteria (in order of descending importance):
• Innovation: The extent to which the proposed idea challenges existing paradigms and employs new methodologies or concepts. (This is the most important criterion.)
• Potential for Impact: The extent to which the proposed idea may have a significant impact on the physical, mental, or social well-being of people as they age.
• Quality: The extent to which the proposed idea and the research methodology are clearly explained and the application includes a compelling or well-defined outcome metric.
• Scope: The extent to which the proposed idea represents a challenge impacting the entire field, and not solely the interests of the applicant.
