Competition Seeks Big Data Applications

The creators of innovative ways to turn research data into products or services could win a $230,000 prize from the National Institutes of Health and the Wellcome Trust, a U.K.-based charity. The recent proliferation of “big data” in biomedical research spurred the idea for the Open Science Prize. NIH and the Wellcome Trust hope the prize will prompt technology and science experts to create products or services that make data easier to find and use. “With the Open Science Prize, we hope to tap into the innovative spirit of the global open science community to use open data to deliver global health benefits,” says Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust. The competition includes two phases. In the first phase, a team of judges will select up to six teams to receive $80,000 each to turn their big data ideas into prototypes. Applications are due Feb. 29, 2016. The finalists will be required to submit their final prototype by Dec. 1, 2016. The $230,000 winner will be announced in early 2017.