Grand Award FAQs

I got an invitation, but I don’t see the competition I participated in listed on the application. Is there a list I can review to confirm my eligibility?

Yes, the dropdown list on the application is very long, so we put together this webpage to show how it’s listed in our system. This list should match the dropdown in the application. If you have further questions, please email Ariana Longley.

I recently graduated, am I still eligible to apply for this competition?

Yes, you are still eligible. You should pick “Professional” under the Innovator Type on the Application of Interest.

I am currently an undergraduate student but will be a graduate student at the time of the final pitch at CES®, what should I mark on the application as Innovator Type?

We suggest marking what you’ll be if you were to become a finalist.

We believe we can make some progress between the application deadlines, what should we mark as our “Innovation Stage?”

We suggest marking where you are at the moment for this question. Since making progress innovating isn’t always as easy or definite as something like a graduation (see question above) that’s why we suggest marking where your team is now, not where you plan to be.

Our team members have changed. Can we still apply?

Yes, you may still apply. In the application of intent, please list the current team members. In the full application for teams that advance to the quarterfinals, you will be given an attestation, meaning you’ll need to assure us that if team members have left, they’ve given you permission to proceed without them.

The only restriction limiting eligibility is around having faculty on student teams which is not allowed.

What if no one from our team can attend CES® January 8-10, 2025?

Respectfully, please do not apply. There will be no exceptions granted.

We hope as a competitor you understand that the draw of this competition is getting to pitch live on-stage at CES®, being invited to exhibit in the Patient Safety Technology Challenge booth in Eureka Park, and the opportunity to network live.

Please keep in mind that this is a competitive application process, so if you know that no one from your team can attend to pitch at the event, please don’t take the spot of another team that is able to attend in person.

What if our team has pivoted our project since we first competed?

We understand that as you spend time on a project and start doing customer discovery, your idea might evolve. Our intention is to fund the best tech-enabled patient safety solutions, period. If you feel like this isn’t where your team’s project is going, you ought not apply.

If the project you originally competed with has evolved to a different patient safety-focused tech solution, that is OK. Please make sure that in the full application you share what has changed and how your project still relates to safety.

Can I submit a patient safety innovation I came up with that was not sponsored by The Patient Safety Technology Challenge?

No, this competition explicitly intends to bring innovators from past sponsored events to build momentum and encourage them to keep developing the ideas we saw them present when we met them.

Are there any travel restrictions?

No, we welcome any team member who is able to travel to Las Vegas, over the age of 21, with valid travel documents.

What kind of costs are covered for our team member who travels to Las Vegas for the finals?

The Patient Safety Technology Challenge will secure a hotel room for one member of each team at Treasure Island which is across the street from where CES® is being held at The Venetian Expo for the nights of Wednesday, January 8 and Thursday, January 9. If that team member wishes to come to Las Vegas early or stay later, they will be responsible for securing and paying for their own hotel rooms. (There is a $100 hold on the hotel room per night that will require the individual staying at the hotel to put down a credit card at check-in; this is for incidentals and will be refunded if there are no room charges.)

Incidental expenses (parking, ground transportation, meals) up to $65 per day for the three days of travel for the one traveling team member from each team, will be reimbursed provided all original copies of the receipt are submitted by February 10, 2025. Any receipts submitted over the $65 per day limit will be denied.

One team member from the finalist team over the age of 21 will receive reimbursement of up to $500 to cover transportation to Las Vegas. This could be by car, bus, plane, or train. The finalist will book their own travel and will submit an original copy of the receipt to be reimbursed after the event. The deadline for submitting the receipt is February 10, 2025.

What types of innovations are eligible for this competition?

We are looking to advance novel technological solutions that address a leading patient safety problem anywhere along the continuum of care framed around five problem categories: medications, procedural/surgical, patient care, infections and diagnostic safety. This includes software and hardware innovations. We are not interested in funding process innovations that do not include a technological aspect.

Will a judging rubric for the full application be posted?

Yes, we plan to share details about how the full application will be judged. Check back for more information.

Other Questions?

For more information, please contact Ariana Longley, longley@prhi.org.