FIRST Future Innovator Award sponsored by the Abbott Fund

The FIRST Future Innovator Award (FFIA) award recognizes creativity in effectively solving a real-world, complex problem through the invention of a unique solution beyond the requirements of the FIRST competition season. This award directly links to the FIRST mission to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders and to the FIRST vision to transform the culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated.

Award Overview

The FFIA will be judged by a panel of leading experts in the fields of engineering and patent law, including Dean Kamen, and representatives from Abbott and others, to determine the winning idea.

The winner will be announced at the FIRST Championship. A winning student and one adult chaperone will win transportation and hotel cost to attend Championship (if the team is not already going). A winning student will be granted an award presented by the Abbott Fund and also will have the opportunity to meet with a venture capitalist firm for a real-world experience in discussing their invention and possible business application.

The FFIA competition is open to all FRC and FTC teams officially registered for the current 2012/2013 FIRST competition season. Teams may apply at the FFIA PORTAL. The FFIA portal for student submissions will open at Noon Eastern Time on Thursday, November 8, 2012 and close for submissions at Noon Eastern Time on Thursday, March 14, 2013.

Award Criteria

Applicants make a formal electronic submission(s) of an invention pertaining to the National Academy of Engineering’s 14 Grand Challenges or related to one of the four broad themes of the challenges: 1) Sustainability; 2) Health; 3) Security; or 4) Joy of Living. The invention does not need to ‘solve’ one of the Grand Challenges, of course, just be related to one in some way. Even a very small part of the solution is a step forward. http://www.engineeringchallenges.org

Each of the Grand Challenges falls under one or more of four broad themes:1) Sustainability; 2) Health; 3) Security; and 4) Joy of Living.

Here is the list of Grand Challenges, with links to more detail on each:
1. Make Solar Energy Economical
2. Provide Energy From Fusion
3. Develop Carbon Sequestration Methods
4. Manage The Nitrogen Cycle
5. Provide Access To Clean Water
6. Restore And Improve Urban Infrastructure
7. Advance Health Informatics
8. Engineer Better Medicines
9. Reverse-Engineer The Brain
10. Prevent Nuclear Terror
11. Secure Cyberspace
12. Enhance Virtual Reality
13. Advance Personalized Learning
14. Engineer The Tools Of Scientific Discovery

Ideas submitted for an FFIA in prior years will not be accepted unless the idea has been greatly improved/changed and could be considered new.

Submissions will be reviewed and evaluated by a designated judge panel independent of current FIRST Program competition season judged awards.

FIRST strongly encourages all teams to file for patent protection by filing a provisional patent application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), before submitting for the Future Innovator Award.

  • Additional information regarding provisional patent applications can be found at www.uspto.gov
  • Once an idea is shared through submission for this award, patent protection can only be sought in the United States and cannot be sought in any other jurisdiction, unless a provisional patent has been filed before submission.

Award Judging

At the 2013 FIRST Championship, the winner of the FIRST Future Innovator Award, sponsored by the Abbott Fund, will be announced and shown at the awards ceremony.

Submission will be judged on the following criteria:
1. Complexity of the problem to be solved by the invention
2. Effectiveness of the invention in solving the problem
3. Uniqueness of the invention
4. Simplicity of the invention
5. Practicality of developing and implementing the invention
6. Whether the invention was utilized for a FIRST -related activity
7. The degree to which to invention addresses one of the 14 Grand Challenges or the 4 Challenge Themes
8. Judge’s Discretion (This criterion gives Judges the ability to take in to consideration elements of the invention not well captured above)

Additional Documentation & Video

How to Apply for a Patent
Patent Process Video by Abbott
Submission Tips Video by Abbott
2012 Award Presentation at CMP

Questions can be submitted to maxid@maxval-ip.com