New global challenge wants the best ideas to extend human health

The National Academy of Medicine in the U.S. just launched a new global challenge to study human longevity. Called the Healthy Longevity Global Competition, the contest will award prizes to innovative research and technology that aims to extend human health and function later in life. The challenge will be held in three phases. Starting next year, the “catalyst” phase will award $50,000 of seed funding to each of approximately 450 teams or individuals with the most promising ideas. The following year, the most successful catalyst award winners will get upwards of $500,000 to continue to develop their ideas. In the final phase of the competition, starting in 2023, one or more teams will receive a grand prize of up to $5 million “for achievement of a breakthrough innovation that extends the human healthspan.”