Revolutionizing cell and gene therapy manufacturing through mechanistic AI

The Cure Xchange Challenge seeks U.S.-based applicants who are working across disciplines and sectors on innovative, Equitable AI solutions for better health outcomes through improvements in:

• Collecting, analyzing, curating, and making sense of big data to ensure high-quality inputs, outputs, and insights.

• Using data sharing and interoperability of systems.

• Creating models and systems that process massive data sets to identify specific targets for precision drugs and treatments.

• Developing and refining models that use high-quality data to predict and personalize a person’s future health risks with plans to prevent or reduce these risks.

• Augmenting and assisting human caregivers.

• Creating and streamlining human-centered processes for delivering, providing equitable access to, managing and paying for healthcare. 

• Creating user-friendly interfaces to improve communication between experts and patients, including providing better information, results, and reminders.

• Creating a versatile data framework that connects broadly disparate, multimodal data sets to identify patterns or insights to serve as hypotheses for improvements in health systems or global surveillance systems.

Prize Winners will receive:

• Seed money from a pool of up to $1 million, which includes prize money and in-kind resources including space, mentorship, and support programming

• 1 Year Residency at Cure's second floor in the heart of New York City, NY

• Mentoring from Cure’s Executive Advisory Board and connections to entrepreneurs, public health experts, and executives

• Access to the Cure ecosystem, which provides educational programming, visibility, and networking opportunities with cross-sectoral experts

What type of solutions are eligible?

Applications must be written in English and solutions must be early-stage as defined below.

Early-stage solutions include:

• Concept: An idea being explored for its feasibility to build a product, service or business model based on that idea.

• Prototype: A solution or organization that is building and testing its product, service, or business model. If for-profit, a new company getting off the ground that has raised little or no institutional capital (less than $500,000) in pre-seed fundraising.

• Pilot: A solution or organization that is deploying a tested product, service or business model in at least one community. If for-profit, a young company that is working to gain traction and that has raised less than $2 million in institutional capital in seed funding.

How are we Crowd Solving the Cure Xchange Challenge: Health AI for Good?

• Sourcing Solutions: Anyone who meets the criteria above may apply. Whether you have a concept or prototype, we’re looking for innovators and entrepreneurs with the most promising early-stage solutions and ideas to address improving healthcare through AI.

Selecting Solutions:

Once the submission deadline passes, judging begins. After an initial screening by MIT Solve staff and a Cure advisory panel will select the most promising solutions as finalists. These finalists will be invited to present their solutions at a virtual pitch event, following which the advisory panel will then select the winners.

How will my solution be evaluated?

The advisory panel for the Cure Xchange Challenge: Health AI for Good is comprised of leaders and experts with experience in AI, healthcare, policy, pharmaceuticals, and academia. After an initial screening by MIT Solve staff and Cure reviewers, the advisory panel will score each application using the following criteria on a five-point scale: 1) strongly disagree, 2) disagree, 3) neither disagree nor agree, 4) agree, 5) strongly agree. All criteria will be given equal weight:

• Relevance: The solution addresses at least one of the key dimensions of the Challenge and aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goal 3.

• Potential for Impact: The planned solution implementation has the potential to improve health care via responsible AI.

• Feasibility: The team has a realistic, practical plan for implementing the solution, including a plausible pathway to acquire good, curated data and an estimated budget that includes human capital needed to support the project.

• Innovative Approach: The solution includes a new technology, a new application of technology, a new business model, or a new process for addressing AI in healthcare.

• Inclusive Human-Centered Design: The inclusive design, implementation and internal operations of the solution reflect a prioritization of patients’ needs to achieve the most equitable outcomes.

• Scalability: The solution has a plan for financial viability and the potential to be scaled to affect the lives of more people.

Residency Potential:

The applicant clearly explains how the solution would benefit from the funding, resources, and collaboration opportunities that the Cure Residency will provide.

What will I receive if my application is selected?

Finalists will have the opportunity to present to the distinguished advisory panel during the selection process. The pitch event will be virtual with the advisory panel and staff of Cure and MIT Solve.

Up to 15 Cure Xchange Challenge: Health AI for Good winners will receive: 

• Funding from a shared winner pool worth up to $1 million, which includes prize money and in-kind resources including space, mentorship and support programming. Funding will be awarded based on applicant need and solution stage. 

• A one-year residency at Cure's offices in the heart of New York City.

• Mentoring from Cure’s Executive Advisory Board and connections to leaders, entrepreneurs, public health experts and executives.

• Access to the Cure ecosystem, which provides educational programming, visibility and networking opportunities with cross-sectoral experts.

If selected for the Residency, will I retain IP and ownership of my project?

Yes. Cure will not take any stake or equity in your work. 

Who can apply to the Cure Xchange Challenge: Health AI for Good?

Applicants must be U.S.-based and/or willing and able to participate in a one-year New York City-based Cure Residency starting February 2024. U.S. visa sponsorship for the Cure Residency is not provided by Cure or MIT Solve. Innovators in Residence must be able to reside in New York City on their own accord.

Applicants can be an individual, student, team, or an early-stage organization of any type, including but not limited to nonprofit, for-profit, or hybrid organizations. U.S. law prevents MIT Solve from awarding funds to persons ordinarily resident in Iran, Cuba, Syria, North Korea, Crimea, Russia or Belarus, or from parties blocked by the U.S. Treasury Department. 

Applicants to previous MIT Solve Challenges are invited to apply.

How much funding should I request in the application?

Prize funding for the Cure Xchange Challenge is limited, shared amongst all winners, and allocated to each team based upon expressed need and available funds. Within the application, select a funding amount between $50k and $100k. Provide an explanation of why you selected this amount, how you anticipate the funding will be used, and how it will help you continue your work in 2024.

Application Submission

By submitting an application, you agree and represent to Cure and MIT Solve that any information or data that you provide in this application, during a pitch, or otherwise is considered non-confidential and non-proprietary to you or any other party, and Cure and MIT Solve have no obligation towards you or any other party to protect such information.

AI [Artificial Intelligence]: The theory and development of computer systems that perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and processing and organizing large data sets.

Equitable AI: AI technologies that humans intentionally design, develop, and implement to result in equitable outcomes for everyone.

Human-Centered Processes: Optimizing development to focus on and support the health and wellness of people by prioritizing their needs.

Responsible AI: AI that is used for the good of people first and is transparent in how solutions are reached from input to output. It also avoids discrimination and biases; and respects personal privacy and fairness in programming, design, results, patient experience, and ease of use. 

Technology: Responsible application of science and evidence-based knowledge to the practical aims of human life.