The Australian Innovation Challenge deadline extended again

Australian innovators are being given an extended opportunity to showcase their bright ideas, with the entry deadline for the $70,000 The Australian Innovation Challenge being moved to 23 September. The awards opened on 8 July and were previously extended to 9 September.

Intending to help drive breakthroughs to commercialisation or adoption, the challenge is run by The Australian in association with Shell and supported by the federal government statutory body Innovation Australia. Innovation policy expert Dr Terry Cutler is chairing the judging panel, which includes Australian Chief Scientist Professor Ian Chubb and CSIRO Chief Executive Dr Megan Clark, among others.

Previous entrants have gained prestige and ongoing publicity in The Australian, as well as much-needed prize money, as a result of entering the competition. This year’s best entries will be championed by the organisers, with a prominent position in The Australian and The Weekend Australian over several weeks. They will also be showcased on the awards website and in a dedicated magazine.

The seven professional categories open to specialists (including scientists, engineers, technologists, educators and innovators in community services) are:

• environment, agriculture and food
• minerals and energy
• health
• ICT
• education
• manufacturing and hi-tech design (designs either taken up in Australia or exported)
• community services

The professional category winners will receive prizes of $5000. The overall winner will receive a further $25,000.

An eighth category, backyard innovation, is open to the public and has a $10,000 prize.

The awards are open to individuals and teams, and you can enter more than one project. International collaborative projects are eligible as long as the work was driven from Australia.

Winners in the 2011 and 2012 awards who wish to enter this year must enter different projects. Entrants who did not win a prize may enter the same projects in 2013 but must explain how the work has developed in the meantime.

The online entry form and all the details of the awards - including category definitions, the judging criteria, the judging panel, supplementary material requirements, the entry procedure, rules and stories on past winners - are available at www.theaustralian.com.au/innovationchallenge. Entries close at 11.59 pm AEST on 23 September 2013.