HEAL Initiative: Announcement of the NCATS ASPIRE Design Challenges to Develop Innovative and Catalytic Approaches Towards Solving the Opioid Crisis
The goal of the inaugural NCATS ASPIRE (A Specialized Platform for Innovative Research Exploration) Design Challenges is to develop innovative and catalytic approaches towards solving the opioid crisis through development of (1) novel chemistries; (2) data-mining and analysis tools and technologies; and (3) biological assays that will revolutionize discovery, development and pre-clinical testing of next generation, safer and non-addictive analgesics to treat pain, as well as new treatments for opioid use disorder (OUD) and overdose. The first phase of this prizing competition is implemented through a suite of concurrent companion design challenges that comprises a separate challenge for each of four areas: chemistry database, electronic laboratory knowledge portal for synthetic chemistry, algorithms, and biological assays; and an additional challenge for a combined solution for at least two challenge areas. At this stage, innovators are expected to submit designs, not final products or prototypes.
The NCATS ASPIRE Challenges are part of the of the NIH’s Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative to speed scientific solutions to the national opioid public health crisis. The NIH HEAL Initiative will bolster research across NIH to (1) improve treatment for opioid misuse and addiction and (2) enhance pain management.
One-time competition
The total prize purse for each challenge will be $500,000. For Challenges 1-4, the single component solutions, up to 5 winners will be selected for each solution to receive up to a $100,000 cash prize; for Challenge 5, the multi-component solutions, up to two winners will be selected to receive up to $250,000.
Innovators must be 18 years of age or older and may participate singly or as part of one or more teams. Teams are not limited in the number of members. Each team must designate a captain who must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident who is responsible for all correspondence regarding this Challenge. Teams may also merge, collaborate, subdivide or otherwise organize themselves and their members as needed to prepare a solution for this Challenge.