WHO CAN RESPOND TO THE CALL FOR CHALLENGES AND/OR PROJECT IDEAS?

Only researchers and innovators working at WAITRO member organizations can submit challenges and/or project ideas. Are you not sure if you are a WAITRO member? Please check the list of WAITRO members. If your research and technology organization is not a member yet, learn more about WAITRO membership and how to become a member.

HOW DO I SUBMIT MY CHALLENGE AND/OR PROJECT IDEA?

WAITRO encourages researchers and innovators to submit their challenge and/or project idea directly on SAIRA (www.saira.eco). If you need assistance, please contact d.reinertz@waitro.org or a.wohlrab@waitro.org

CAN I SUBMIT MORE THAT ONE CHALLENGE AND/OR PROJECT IDEA?

Yes, you can post as many water-related challenges or project ideas as you want. However, we request you not to post any challenges or project ideas unless you actually plan to collaborate on them and intend to implement them.

ARE THERE ANY COSTS?

Sending challenges and/or project ideas as well as using WAITRO’s innovation platform SAIRA is free of charge for researchers and innovators working at WAITRO member organizations.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Applications will be reviewed by a judging committee of experts. If you are selected to pitch, you will present your project to the public. Therefore, please ensure that you do not include any information you want to keep confidential, in your presentation.

TEAMING UP ON SAIRA IS A PREREQUISITE FOR YOUR APPLICATION. Learn more about the eligibility, evaluation criteria, the application process, assessment procedures and the required application documents in this manual.

WHAT IS SAIRA?

SAIRA is WAITRO’s innovation platform that aims at connecting researchers and innovators of WAITRO member organizations.

WHY WAITRO USES SAIRA FOR THIS CALL FOR CHALLENGES AND/OR PROJECT IDEAS?

Through SAIRA, WAITRO’s new collaborative approach offers every single researcher and employee of WAITRO’s member organizations opportunities to benefit from their membership.

HOW DO I UPLOAD MY CHALLENGE OR PROJECT IDEA?

Please consider the manual. If you still have any questions, please contact the WAITRO Secretariat.

WHO WILL SEE MY CHALLENGE OR PROJECT IDEA?

Your challenges and/or project ideas will be visible to other researchers and innovators working at WAITRO member organizations only.

CAN I UPLOAD NON-WATER-RELATED CHALLLENGE OR PROJECT IDEAS?

SAIRA is not only for the submission of water-related challenges and/or project ideas. WAITRO researchers and innovators can use SAIRA free of charge for challenges and/or project ideas in any research areas.

WHAT IS A CALL FOR CALL FOR TECHNOLOGIES AND PARTNERS?

A call for CALL FOR TECHNOLOGIES AND PARTNERS issued by WAITRO is an opportunity for member organizations to propose solutions or contributions in a specified research area (s). All calls have a specific focus, requirements and deadlines that have to be adhered to prior to submitting an application. The WAITRO INNOVATION CHALLENGE 2020 is a call for water or water-related CHALLENGES AND/OR PROJECT IDEAS and is a starting point for an applying RTO to initiate a collaboration with WAITRO member(s) to jointly work on a specific solution/idea.

WHY DO I NEED A PARTNER?

WAITRO facilitates action-oriented science, technology and innovation partnerships among members that contribute to sustainable development. That’s why you need to find a research partner for your challenge and/or project idea. On WAITRO’s innovation platform SAIRA, researchers from around the globe are able to respond to your challenges and/or project ideas.

HOW TO BUILD PROJECT TEAMS

After the submission of challenges and/or project ideas, researchers from around the world (WAITRO members) will be able respond to submitted challenges and/or ideas. The matchmaking takes places on SAIRA.

WHAT PROJECT PROPOSALS SHOULD LOOK LIKE

Together with the new partner, researchers develop a joint project proposal. WAITRO fosters applied research and innovation that is conducted to answer practical questions and address water-related challenges that help achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Project proposals should focus on an intended outcome that is specific and measurable.

WHAT TO EXPECT

The WAITRO Innovation Award provides (pre-seed) funding for project related activities. WAITRO acknowledges two outstanding project proposals in the field of innovation and supports their implementation through monetary prizes of US$ 25,000. The WAITRO Innovation Award 2020 will reward project proposals focusing on solving water-related challenges around the globe.

BENEFITS 

While we do not expect that 25,000 USD will take a project to completion, this source of seed-funding should enable you to get your project off the ground. Selected project teams will receive publicity on WAITRO’s website, get the chance to participate in an online pitch training and the opportunity to promote their idea at the WAITRO General Assembly and 50th WAITRO Anniversary in October 2020.

The WAITRO General Assembly and the 50th anniversary celebrations will take place online. During the event the finalists will get the chance to present their project ideas to the audience and potentially win the WAITRO Global Innovation Award.

The innovative online event will take place in October 2020. The exact dates will be published shortly.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

Gain visibility, make new connections, present your project proposals and win the WAITRO Innovation Award. Receive US$ 25,000 for project related activities!

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The presentation has to be given in English.