National Park Service Principal Deputy Director Martha Williams | fws.org
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife (FWS) recently announced three new competitions to boost conservation efforts.
The challenge.gov website outlines the objective of each contest:
The Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize Competition for Promotion of Wildlife Conservation focuses on making wildlife conservation a topic that is accessible and interesting to a wide range of individuals.
The Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize Competition for the Protection of Endangered Species is focusing on solutions that can help animals survive habitat degradation or habitat loss.
The Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize Competition for Nonlethal Management of Human-Wildlife Conflict seeks solutions to help humans and wildlife co-exist and to reduce human-wildlife conflict.
“Looking at wildlife conservation through a new lens will help us find solutions to the most pressing problems facing our cherished wildlife resources and the habitats they – and ultimately we – depend upon,” National Park Service Principal Deputy Director Martha Williams said. “Through these exciting competitions, the Service seeks to engage non-traditional partners and provide opportunities for new partners and networks to source diverse solutions, catalyze new markets, and spark interest and imagination from people across the nation.”
A YouTube video announcing the competitions said that innovation will play a key role in solving these wildlife conservation issues.
The submission deadline for the competitions is April 30, with judging to occur from May to July. Winners will be announced in September.
The total prize purse for each of the six focus areas is $100,000 for the winning technology innovation. One or more semi-finalists may also be awarded up to $50,000 each at the discretion of the FWS. The FWS said in a release that it may also recognize additional participants with non-monetary, honorable mention awards.
