Students from all Queensland universities are invited to submit early-stage ideas for devices, implants and treatments to the 2024 MAIC QLD Student Innovation Challenge delivered by Bionics Gamechangers Australia.

Your goal is to propose either a new to the world idea or a marked improvement in the design, usability and end-user benefits of a device, implant or treatment (or a component of these).

Bionic innovations that sit at the heart of student projects should align with our definition of bionics (see below) and one or more innovation domains promoted by Bionics Gamechangers Australia i.e., bionic mobility, bionic senses, brain-computer-interfaces and neurobionic treatments, bionic implants and organs.

Students are welcome to reach out to Bionics Gamechangers Australia at any time to talk about the fit of their idea / innovation in the bionics domain. The theme of the competition is Innovating in Medical Bionics to Transform the Lives of those impacted by Trauma/Injury and related Disability or Disease.

Definition of Medical Bionics

Genuine bionic solutions draw on human machine or device interfaces to deliver full or partial restoration or enhancement of a human function or treatment of accident-induced trauma/injury, chronic diseases, disabilities and complex health conditions.

Bionics devices and treatments typically include prostheses, implants, devices, electrical stimulation, artificial organs and AI-enabled devices that replace or improve human functionality and/or stimulate the brain, nerves, muscle or tissue regeneration. Advances in sensors, sensing and control systems, soft robotics, tissue engineering and biofabrication, smart wearables and digital health services expand the options of bionic innovators and end-users.

Students Bionics Innovation Challenge Calendar of Dates

Be sure to check all dates and activities outlined for the Student Challenge on this website!

Entries to the Bionics Gamechangers Australia Student Innovation Challenge are due on or before 23rd September, 2024. Register here.

Preparing Your Proposal

You may enter this Challenge as an individual or team – this must be clearly indicated with the names of one or more Project participants specified in your Proposal.

If there are any changes to your team after the initial submission of your Proposal, you should advise Bionics Gamechangers Australia in advance of your Pitch 1 presentation.

Students are welcome to submit Proposals for bionic devices, implants or treatments developed as an in-class assignment OR submit a Proposal that has been independently completed. All participating students must be enrolled in a health, medicine, engineering, science, design, business or technology-based degree (UG or Masters), Honours or PhD program in a Queensland university.

Your Proposal (submitted at the time of entry) should be 6 – 8 pages in length including Appendices (e.g. drawings, illustrations or relevant images).

Your Proposal will be evaluated for its suitability by Bionics Gamechangers Australia’s appointed Judges for its suitability to be included in both Pitch 1 and the final Project Pitch Event. In this Proposal, you should:

• Introduce the medical bionics innovation and unmet need to be addressed by the device, treatment or implant before evaluating current solutions alongside alternative approaches. Clearly specify the clinical and consumer benefits of your team’s innovation. Next, provide a brief outline of the existing devices, treatments or implants (or components of these) that are relevant to the specific type of accident-related trauma, injury or related disease will be offered. You should provide very brief strengths and weaknesses of any existing innovations or designs before offering bullet point ideas on the steps you will take to identify and develop a preferred solution. We would also like you to briefly tell us about the steps they are taking to find out about Intellectual property aligned to your project.
• Detail the team’s preferred solution (design/approach). Here, the relevant standards to be met (e.g., medical, scientific, engineering, quality management) will be referenced along with features and benefits of the design proposed. The importance of the idea or innovation (and what is unique about it) should be in focus here.
• Outline the market rationale for the proposed innovation. Explain why you believe the new or improved device, treatment or implant will be of value in clinical practice and/or the wider marketplace for medtech innovations and steps that have been taken/will be taken by you to engage key opinion leaders (KOLs) and end-users/consumers in testing an early-stage concept or prototype. Brief testing of the market needs with key opinion leaders and/or end users will be expected (i.e. a brief outreach/engagement plan). You should have a plan to include patient and clinical viewpoints in your early stage thinking and co-design of the device, treatment or implant.
• Summarise key prongs of your R&D/innovation project in a tabulated Plan (bullet points on the main streams of work and key activities needed to implement the project ) and include a simple budget with this Plan. Supplementary content in Appendices to your Proposal and Plan could include your early-stage Design Journal or a Project Portfolio e.g., illustrations, images and/or a bullet point list of supporting comments from literature, technical advisors and/or end-users.
• Provide a brief conclusion on the main features, benefits, impacts of your Project and indicators of success. Your Project should include a brief set of steps to involve end users or key stakeholders in the design. In addition, you should outline key steps such as achieving regulatory approval, seeking advice on intellectual property (IP) and your expected timeframe to move the device, implant or treatment from initial design and basic prototyping through early-stage product development and market testing to commercialisation.
• Provide a final ‘boxed’ summary of the project, key activities to be undertaken and your budget – broad, ballpark estimates only.
• Informal mentoring and/or interaction with a program, course or unit coordinator, supervisor or industry opinion leader is a desirable inclusion in your Proposal.

The MAIC QLD Student Innovation Challenge has a $15,000 prize pool with a $10,000 First Prize and $5,000 for other highly commended Projects.

Cash prizes will be paid to the nominated university of Challenge winners or into a bank account aligned to a registered business of the Project Leader.

Note: If a winning student or team is working independently (i.e., outside of their university program or specific courses) and wish to receive the cash prize directly, an ABN and allied bank account details must be provided to Bionics Gamechangers Australia . Responsibility for any related taxation arising from the cash prize sits with the team.

Bionics Gamechangers Australia will discuss the final budget with each winner and provide mentoring and assistance to help define the use of funds. In general, it is expected the cash prize will be expended by students on project-specific consumables, research, information / research and day-to-day costs to support the winners’ further development of their project or innovation.

READY TO GET STARTED – APPLY NOW!