U21 RISE Showcase and Awards

U21 RISE Showcase and Awards

RISE (Real Impact on Society and Environment) is an international competition that will showcase student led projects and achievements in sustainability and social innovation and accelerate the scale and impact of student-led projects by connecting participating students with a network of experts in academia and industry. McMaster University as a U21 member institution is inviting students to participate and submit video entries of a student-led project based on one or more of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

2019-2020’s winner of the U21 RISE global competition in the most innovative category was McMaster University student Lianna Genovese for her invention Guided Hands – a medical technology that enables people with reduced fine motor skills to complete everyday tasks, which would otherwise be impossible, such as writing, painting, and using a tablet. The product offers increased independence, quality of life and improved access to education. The judges were highly impressed with Lianna’s ingenious approach to the challenge. The invention has also captured the imagination of the public, with Lianna receiving numerous pledges of support, from web design in Canada to medical experts in the UK. Her project supported the United National Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being and Goal 4: Quality Education

https://dailynews.mcmaster.ca/articles/mcmaster-student-wins-prestigious-global-innovation-award/

All McMaster nominated entries (McMaster student-led only & McMaster student-led partnered with a U21 member institution) submitted to the global final will get access to U21’s global network, the opportunity to generate pledges of support from partners, and have a chance at winning one of three prizes for their project valued at $2000.00 dollars each for the categories of Most Innovative, Most Impact, Most Potential and Most Collaboration.

Guideline for submitting the video:

Your video pitch is your chance to make a great first impression and attract potential supporters and pledges. Plan your pitch carefully so it stands out and really represents you and your project

Your video can be recorded in any language but must have English subtitles.
Entry teams can be composed of a single member or teams up to 7 members that are McMaster students(undergraduate or graduate) or recent McMaster graduates (2 years or less)
Joint team projects between McMaster students and students from U21 member institutions.
For list of U21 partner institutions see: https://universitas21.com/u21-members/our-members(for more information contact Tania Hakim hakimt@mcmaster.ca).
Maximum length of video is 5 minutes. We recommend between 3-5 minutes.
Must be an original piece of work and not available anywhere else in the public domain.
You must have started your project in some way (it cannot be just an idea). Your project can be in the early developmental stages.
If you have existing funding for your project, that is fine but it must be declared at the time of entry.

Judging Criteria:

The issue: Why is this initiative needed? Which of the UN Sustainable Development Goals are being addressed?
The idea: How well does this initiative respond to the outlined issue? How original is the idea?
The Impact: What measurable difference has this project already had on the lives of the target population or on the natural environment
The potential: How scalable is this initiative? What is the future business plan and how would this project team make use of the future investment?

***FINAL VIDEO ENTRIES ARE DUE  11:59pm, May 7, 2023**

McMaster U21 RISE - Project Submission Form (2023)

Submitted by: *

First

Last

Please include the total number of members on your team, including their full names, Faculty/program, year of study, and email in the text box below: *

Is your project in partnership with students from a U21 member institution? If so, please provide name of U21 member institution and the full names, Faculty/program, year of study, and email in the text box below:

***If you are interesting in partnering your project with a U21 member institution please contact Tania Hakim at: hakimt@mcaster.ca***

Phone number *

Email *

In the paragraph below, please provide a 150 - 200 word abstract summary of your project: *

Do you have existing funding for your project? If so, please explain and disclose here: *

Which United Nations Sustainable Development Goal(s) does your project address? Please explain *

Please note that your project can address one or more of the 17 UN SDGs. For more information about the SDGs: https://sdgs.un.org/goals

In submitting your entry to RISE, you are hereby acknowledging that your ideas and enterprises will be made publicly accessible to reviewers, judges and staff at McMaster University. The finalist(s) entries will then be uploaded/forwarded to the U21 website and shared with U21'S social media platforms and media channels of all U21 member universities. They will be further shared by External networks and industry professionals as needed. *

Yes, I understand and agree with above

In which category are you entering your submission? You can pick more than one category:

Most Innovative
Most Potential
Most Impact
Most Collaboration

File Name *

Please upload your video file here and include the file name of your video in the field above. File format must be .MP4

File Name Example: jane_smith.MP4

Name

For more information, contact Tania Hakim, at hakimt@mcmaster.ca

2022-2023 U21 RISE Showcase and Awards

U21 RISE Showcase and Awards

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