Stanford Center on Longevity Design Challenge 2022-2023

Stanford Center on Longevity Design Challenge 2022-2023

by Marie Conley-Smith

The Stanford Center on Longevity invites university students from around the world to compete to win the grand prize of $10,000 USD in its 10th annual Design Challenge: 'Optimizing Health Span: Living Well at Every Age.'

The near-doubling of human life spans throughout much of the world during the 20th century is one of the greatest achievements in human history.

A key challenge now is to ensure that the quality of those added years keeps pace with dramatic increases in the length of life. We must develop new ways to align life spans with health spans, defined as the period people remain healthy, mobile, and mentally sharp, unimpeded by chronic pain, illness, or disability.

The focus of the 10th annual Design Challenge is to create solutions that optimize health spans and promote longevity.

The Stanford Center on Longevity's New Map of Life project identifies opportunities to improve health spans with interventions at all stages of life, from childhood to old age. For example, research in The New Map of Life shows that physical activity, quality sleep, and positive social connections, as well as access to nutritious food, green space, clean water, and unpolluted air - all contribute to a person's health span, including their mental health.

This year's challenge invites student designers to create solutions that contribute towards the optimization of health span at any age - designs that increase the health spans of people in disadvantaged circumstances, which may include poverty, food, housing, or climate insecurity.

The deadline for submissions is December 8, 2022.

more: designchallenge.stanford.edu (325)