SINGAPORE - Aspiring young inventors looking for funding and a platform for their product ideas can now apply for the James Dyson Award's 2021 edition.
"Past winners have found solutions to renewable energy generation, new forms of sustainable plastics, and medical and cancer screenings. James Dyson (Dyson's founder) chooses the two global winners; they receive vital funding and global recognition - key first steps to take their ideas into real life practical application," said a spokesman from the British electronics company.
The winners will be separated into national and international categories.
Each national winner will receive $3,500.
The international winner will receive $53,000, plus $8,800 for their university. There will also be a Sustainability Prize, the winner of which will receive $53,000.
The two international runners-up will receive $8,800.
Entries for the award, which was first given out in 2005, opened on Wednesday (March 17) and will close on June 30.
National winners will be chosen from 28 countries including Singapore and others such as the UK, the US, India, Japan and Canada.
The international winner will be chosen from a shortlist made up from a selection of 20 national winners and runners up.
The award's tagline is a challenge: "Design something that solves a problem." It is open to undergraduates in engineering, product or industrial design. It is also open to those who have graduated with degrees in those disciplines within the last four years.
Entrants can apply as either individuals or teams. Only the team leader needs to have studied engineering or design, but all must have been enrolled in university for at least one semester within the last four years. Team sizes are capped at 10.
"Young people want to change the world and the award supports them to do that giving crucial funding, validation and a platform to launch their ideas," said founder and chief engineer Mr James Dyson.
"I will be looking for radical inventions that challenge and question established thinking," added Mr Dyson, who is the final judge.
One of Singapore's runner-up products for the 2011 edition of the award - Rabbit Ray - is now used by 44 hospitals across 23 countries.
It is a communication tool used by hospital staff to engage with young children.
Its inventor, Ms Esther Wang, was then a 23-year-old graduate from Nanyang Technological University's industrial and product design programme.
The Singapore judging panel comprises senior vice provost at the National University of Singapore Bernard Tan, chief executive of the science centre Lim Tit Meng, executive director of DesignSingapore Council Mark Wee, senior correspondent at The Straits Times Chantal Sajan and co-chair of Women in Business at the British Chamber of Commerce Singapore Lim Wanying.
The award is given out by the James Dyson Foundation, the charitable arm of the firm.
