The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has extended the deadline for DHS Cooling Solutions Challenge submissions to Feb. 24, 2022.
Through the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), DHS is encouraging domestic innovators to develop solutions for climate change-related hazards challenging communities nationwide.
The agency initially announced the prize competition in September 2021 and indicated winning submissions are slated to receive cash prizes from a pool of $195,000.
The challenge is to determine new methods of protecting those at risk of heat-related illness or death amid extreme heat events or in conjunction with disasters – adding extreme heat serves as the nation’s leading cause of weather-related deaths.
Challenges are open to individuals over the age of 18 and are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents at the time of submission. According to the agency, incorporated entities whose primary place of business is in the United States are also eligible to submit entries.
Additionally, federal entities or federal employees acting within the scope of their employment are not eligible to participate, per guidelines, and eligibility is subject to verification by DHS. The agency requests all interested in submitting challenge entries to visit Challenge.gov for more information.