Expo Live University Innovation Program 2018

Applications are open for the Expo Live University Innovation Program 2018. The Program incentivises creative thinking, problem-solving and collaboration between university students to solve problems worth solving. It awards grants so that innovative and ingenious concepts, relevant to the UAE and the region, can be accelerated to validation and prototyping.

The program helps students generate viable solutions to real-world problems, either by supporting research and development or the creation of commercial applications. All solutions must be aligned with one of Expo 2020 Dubai’s three sub-themes: Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability.

Contents

Benefits

Prizes range from AED 10,000 to AED 25,000 and are offered as further research and/or development grants. No individual cash prizes will be offered;
Beyond participation and grants, students will also have access to networking opportunities and communications exposure, as well as additional capacity-building options and the possibility of showcasing their solutions during Expo 2020 Dubai;
The programme will also build partnerships with local government entities, business incubators, accelerators, mentors and investors in order to strengthen and promote active and productive ecosystems.

Expo Live University Innovation Program Eligibility

Open to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in any discipline at a UAE-based university;
No individual applications will be accepted;
Open to groups of two to five students (no more, no less) supported by an academic mentor;
Each group will be eligible to submit one proposed solution per cycle;
An academic mentor can facilitate more than one group of students;
There are no restrictions on the number of applications that may be submitted by a university;
Individual professors, think tanks, research centres, and private sector entities are not eligible to apply for this programme;
All solutions must be aligned with one of Expo 2020 Dubai’s three sub-themes: Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability.

Evaluation Criteria

To what extent is the proposed solution, or its application, novel or innovative?
How feasible is the proposed solution?
What is the magnitude of its impact in UAE?
What is the strength of the proposed activities and implementation plan?
To what extent are the requested amounts appropriate and applicable for the proposed activities?