How can we responsibly and equitably use AI in health to accelerate basic research, diagnose conditions, develop novel treatments, predict and prevent disease, and lead to better health outcomes and cures?

Challenge Overview

Healthcare in the U.S. is in an exciting period of innovation—in research, drug development, diagnostics, devices, surgical procedures, health data and much more. At the same time, we face growing complications in the healthcare system, like high costs, inequitable care, access to care, and inefficiencies. Consequently, health outcomes in the U.S. rank among the worst of high-income countries. Making sense of the complexity and developing ethical and effective solutions and system reforms are among the most significant hurdles in the 2020s to optimizing human health and achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 for Good Health & Well-Being.

Artificial Intelligence (AI), Large Language Models (LLM), and advanced and quantum computing are poised to transform healthcare end-to-end, from drug and vaccine discovery, development and production to diagnostics, care delivery, and patient outcomes and interactions. AI is already being deployed to design more efficient clinical trials, conduct predictive analytics, and improve diagnoses—among other uses. Work remains to address data and privacy concerns, fairness and representativeness in algorithms, and public trust, yet it’s clear that AI used responsibly has the potential to dramatically improve human health and ultimately to transition the U.S. healthcare system from one bootstrapped by sick care to one focused on well care.

The Cure Xchange Challenge seeks U.S.-based applicants who are working across disciplines and sectors on innovative, Equitable AI solutions for better health outcomes through improvements in:

• Collecting, analyzing, curating, and making sense of big data to ensure high-quality inputs, outputs, and insights.

• Using data sharing and interoperability of systems.

• Creating models and systems that process massive data sets to identify specific targets for precision drugs and treatments.

• Developing and refining models that use high-quality data to predict and personalize a person’s future health risks with plans to prevent or reduce these risks.

• Augmenting and assisting human caregivers.

• Creating and streamlining human-centered processes for delivering, providing equitable access to, managing and paying for healthcare. 

• Creating user-friendly interfaces to improve communication between experts and patients, including providing better information, results, and reminders.

• Creating a versatile data framework that connects broadly disparate, multimodal data sets to identify patterns or insights to serve as hypotheses for improvements in health systems or global surveillance systems.

Do you have a solution that addresses health AI for good in the US?  

Winners will receive: 

• Seed money from a pool of up to $1 million, which includes prize money and in-kind resources including space, mentorship, and support programming

• 1 Year Residency at Cure's second floor in the heart of New York City

• Mentoring from Cure’s Executive Advisory Board and connections to entrepreneurs, public health experts, and executives

• Access to the Cure ecosystem, which provides educational programming, visibility, and networking opportunities with cross-sectoral experts

FAQ

Table of Contents

Who can apply to the Cure Xchange Challenge: Health AI for Good?

What type of solutions are eligible?

How are we CrowdSolving the Cure Xchange Challenge: Health AI for Good?

How will my solution be evaluated?

How much funding should I request in the application?

What is the Timeline?

What will I receive if my solution is selected?

Is my application confidential?

What might the residency entail?

If selected for the Residency, will I retain IP and ownership of my project?

Who can apply to the Cure Xchange Challenge: Health AI for Good?

Applicants must be U.S.-based and/or willing and able to participate in a one-year New York City-based Cure Residency starting February 2024. U.S. visa sponsorship for the Cure Residency is not provided by Cure or MIT Solve. Innovators in Residence must be able to reside in New York City on their own accord.

Applicants can be an individual, student, team, or an early-stage organization of any type, including but not limited to nonprofit, for-profit, or hybrid organizations. U.S. law prevents MIT Solve and Cure from awarding funds to persons ordinarily resident in Iran, Cuba, Syria, North Korea, Crimea, Russia, or Belarus, or from parties blocked by the U.S. Treasury Department. 

Applicants to previous MIT Solve Challenges are invited to apply.

What type of solutions are eligible?

Applications must be written in English and solutions must be early-stage as defined below.

Early-stage solutions include:

• Concept: An idea being explored for its feasibility to build a product, service or business model based on that idea.

• Prototype: A solution or organization that is building and testing its product, service or business model. If for-profit, a new company getting off the ground that has raised little or no institutional capital (less than $500,000) in pre-seed fundraising.

• Pilot: A solution or organization that is deploying a tested product, service or business model in at least one community. If for-profit, a young company that is working to gain traction and that has raised less than $2 million in institutional capital in seed funding.

How are we CrowdSolving the Cure Xchange Challenge: Health AI for Good?

• Sourcing Solutions: Anyone who meets the criteria above may apply. Whether you have a concept or prototype, we’re looking for innovators and entrepreneurs with the most promising early-stage solutions and ideas to address improving healthcare through AI.

• Selecting Solutions: Once the submission deadline passes, judging begins. After an initial screening by MIT Solve staff, a Cure advisory panel will select the most promising solutions as finalists. These finalists will be invited to present their solutions at a virtual pitch event, following which the advisory panel will then select the winners.

How will my solution be evaluated?

The advisory panel for the Cure Xchange Challenge: Health AI for Good is comprised of leaders and experts with experience in AI, healthcare, policy, pharmaceuticals, and academia. After an initial screening by MIT Solve staff and Cure reviewers, the advisory panel will score each application using the following criteria on a five-point scale: 1) strongly disagree, 2) disagree, 3) neither disagree nor agree, 4) agree, 5) strongly agree. All criteria will be given equal weight:

• Relevance: The solution addresses at least one of the key dimensions of the Challenge and aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goal 3.

• Potential for Impact: The planned solution implementation has the potential to improve health care via responsible AI.

• Feasibility: The team has a realistic, practical plan for implementing the solution, including a plausible pathway to acquire good, curated data and an estimated budget that includes human capital needed to support the project.

• Innovative Approach: The solution includes a new technology, a new application of technology, a new business model, or a new process for addressing AI in healthcare.

• Inclusive Human-Centered Design: The inclusive design, implementation and internal operations of the solution reflect a prioritization of patients’ needs to achieve the most equitable outcomes.

• Scalability: The solution has a plan for financial viability and the potential to be scaled to affect the lives of more people.

• Residency Potential: The applicant clearly explains how the solution would benefit from the funding, resources and collaboration opportunities that the Cure Residency will provide.

How much funding should I request in the application?

Prize funding for the Cure Xchange Challenge is limited, shared amongst all winners, and allocated to each team based upon expressed need and available funds. Within the application, select a funding amount between $50k and $100k. Provide an explanation of why you selected this amount, how you anticipate the funding will be used, and how it will help you continue your work in 2024.

What is the Timeline?

• Sept. 12: Challenge opens

• Oct. 30: Deadline for applicants to submit a solution

• Mid-December: Finalists notified

• January 3 or 4: Pitch event for finalists

• Early to mid-January: Winners announcement

• February: Residency begins 

What will I receive if my application is selected?

Finalists will have the opportunity to present to the distinguished advisory panel during the selection process. The pitch event will be a virtual session with the advisory panel and staff of Cure and MIT Solve. 

Up to 15 Cure Xchange Challenge: Health AI for Good winners will receive: 

• Funding from a shared winner pool worth up to $1 million, which includes prize money and in-kind resources including space, mentorship and support programming. Funding will be awarded based on applicant need and solution stage. 

• A one-year residency at Cure's offices in the heart of New York City.

• Mentoring from Cure’s Executive Advisory Board and connections to industry leaders, entrepreneurs, public health experts and executives.

• Access to the Cure ecosystem, which provides educational programming, visibility and networking opportunities with cross-sectoral experts.

What might the residency entail?

The one-year residency includes physical space in Cure's offices. Beyond personalized space, Cure offers flexible space that can be used for multiple team members. This includes conference rooms, quiet rooms, event space, and an education center. Designated in-person collaboration moments within the residency might include milestone meetings, Cure events, and office hours with the Advisory Board. The dates and frequency of these moments will be established together with the cohort at the beginning of the program. As a member of the collaboration residency, it is preferred that at least one team member be in-person several times a week  to take advantage of all the resources available. Applicants need not permanently reside in New York City. Many residents in Cure’s ecosystem commute into the office from the surrounding metro region.

Is my application confidential?

No; all submissions and pitches are non-confidential. MIT Solve operates an open innovation platform and thus applications are public-facing as soon as they are submitted. When you fill out an application, a few questions (personal demographic information, etc.) are marked as 'not publicly viewable: for internal use only' – your answers to these specific questions will not be public-facing.

If selected for the Residency, will I retain IP and ownership of my project?

Yes. Cure will not take any stake or equity in your work.