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Published on May 3, 2023 at 11:45 am
Got a solution to a climate problem in Northeast Florida? It could be good enough to win up to $10,000 in funding to take it to the next step.
Jacksonville University is launching the JU Climate Innovation Challenge to invite community members to submit innovative solutions to environmental challenges and win funding to make their ideas come true.
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The JU Climate Innovation Challenge is a Shark Tank-style grant competition open to residents of all ages. Entries can be submitted from Monday through July 21 at climate@ju.edu, school officials said.
“There is a lot of talk about climate change, and now Jacksonville University’s Climate Innovation Challenge is hoping to motivate people to do something about it. Specifically, we are seeking to make a positive impact on our home here in Northeast Florida,” JU College of Law Dean Nick Allard said. “Even small ideas can generate ripples of progress that can become waves of change.”
The grant competition welcomes participants and projects from various fields. Those include the arts, humanities, sciences, medical and health services, engineering, business, military offices, law, public policy and government.
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Possible projects include mitigating an environmental problem, raising public awareness of the effects of climate change, investigating the causes of and solutions to global climate change, or promoting positive community action, JU officials said. Submissions can take the form of an invention, scientific study, performing or creative arts, and other mediums.
“This competition unites Northeast Florida around the multifaceted issue of global climate change and utilizes the community’s different skill sets to drive positive change to our environment,” JU College of Arts and Sciences Dean Christopher Corbo said.
People whose proposals are selected will learn in early September. Those chosen to move forward to the semi-finals will be invited to present their ideas to an expert panel in a public forum.
The challenge is being conducted through a partnership between the colleges of Arts and Sciences and Law, as well as JU’s Marine Science Research and Public Policy institutes.
Jacksonville University will host an online information session for interested applicants at 4 p.m. May 15. For more information, visit the JU Climate Innovation Challenge website.
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