Have an idea for a new app, gadget or other solution to a problem? Computer science and computer engineering students should be in a strong position to compete with other UC San Diego undergraduates in the university’s first Undergraduate Proof of Concept Competition.
The deadline for submissions was postponed from mid-December to next Friday, January 15. Applicants must submit a short proposal (maximum three pages) describing the project or product idea and how they plan to use the Proof of Concept (PoC) funds. Students are also welcome to include a video (no more than five minutes in length) in the proposal. The cash prize for the first round is up to $2,000, and winners who go on to the next round of competition can get up to $3,000 in additional funding.
Students are invited to put a team together (up to four currently enrolled undergrads) to secure funding to get an idea off the ground. Winning teams will receive help for prototype development, as well as a presentation slot at The Basement Demo Day on April 28. Proposals will be evaluated based on the PoC’s innovation, commercial potential, competitive advantage, and use of available funds.
The Undergraduate PoC Competition is jointly staged by the Office of Innovation and Commercialization and The Basement. Both organizations hope to challenge students “to be creative and engage in entrepreneurship to enhance their readiness for today’s global economy,” according to an announcement from the Office of Research Affairs.
For more information and to submit proposals no later than 11pm on Friday, Jan. 15, go to http://www.ucsdbasement.com/pocapply.
Your proposal should include answers to the following questions:
* What's your idea or product?
* What's the application?
* What is/are the goal(s) of your project?
* How will you use the funds?
* Who are you? Provide brief bios of team members.