Knight News Challenge OI Engine: How the Platform Works from Knight Foundation on Vimeo.

We’re now accepting submissions for Knight News Challenge: Health. During the next two weeks, ending at 5 p.m. ET on Sept. 17, we invite anyone and everyone to submit a project with an answer to the question, “How can we harness data and information for the health of communities?” Related Links 

“40 ideas advance in News Challenge: Health“

“What’s next in Knight News Challenge: Health” by Chris Sopher

“Bring your best ideas; deadline nears for News Challenge: Health” by Chris Sopher

“Knight News Challenge on Health opens for entries“

“Knight News Challenge: Health opens with inspiration phase, additional prizes from collaborators” by Raina Kumra and John Bracken

“Announcing key collaborators and details of Knight News Challenge: Health” by John Bracken and Chris Barr

“Join us to brainstorm ideas around News Challenge: Health” and There’s still time to brainstorm around News Challenge: Heath” by Chris Sopher

“Data: Why we care” by Esther Dyson

“Data provides a focus for community action” by Bryan Sivak

“News Challenge: Make APIs not apps, health CEO says” by Lucky Gunasekara

“How data-driven solutions can transform health” by Lexie Komisar

“Robert Wood Johnson Foundation announces new prize for News Challenge: Health” by Paul Tarini

“California HealthCare Foundation: The data stops here” by Andy Krackov

“Data essential to promoting healthy habits” by Nirav R. Shah

“Media company harnesses health data for stories that connect with communities” by David Kansas

“Pizza tracker versus patient tracker” by M. Bridget Duffy

More than 100 community needs, success stories, data sources and more were submitted over the past two weeks during the inspiration phase of the News Challenge. These community-curated resources help us all think about where we are now and where we might go in addressing health and information needs. If you are working on your New Challenge submission, we encourage you to revisit these resources and have them challenge your thinking. If you haven’t developed an idea yet, the inspirations can give your brainstorming a kickstart or offer models to implement in your own community.

Whether or not you submitted an inspiration, we hope you’ll participate in the News Challenge by submitting an idea for funding or leaving feedback on someone else’s. Again, the deadline to apply is 5 p.m. ET Tuesday, Sept. 17. However, the earlier you submit your idea, the more time you will have for others to find it, critique it, share it and help you improve it. Here are some tips for constructing your application.

We have invited 10 individuals to help us read entries, improve ideas and make connections. They will be identified on the site by a “reader” badge and will be sharing their insight and expertise. Please be friendly with them in the comments.

Once the submissions phase closes, our panel of external advisers will help select our finalists, who will be invited to submit more information. Winners will be announced in January.

If you proposed an idea during the inspirations phase that you would like to submit as an entry, please contact me, Chris Barr, to have its status changed so that it can be considered for the contest.

If for some reason you’d prefer not to share your idea openly, you can submit your entry  by emailing [email protected].

Knight has committed $2 million to the challenge. In addition, two collaborators, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the California HealthCare Foundation, have each pledged $100,000 for companion awards. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation will award prizes of $50,000, $30,000 and $20,000 for the top three projects that “best combine public health data and health care data to improve the health of communities.” California HealthCare Foundation will award $100,000 to one or more projects focused on helping county and city officials use health data for policymaking.

Other collaborators include the Health Data Consortium and the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation’s Health Matters Initiative.

Anyone from anywhere, including individuals, nonprofits and companies, may apply.

We’ll also be touring the country with our collaborators over the next week and half to brainstorm around the News Challenge theme in local communities. If you can’t make one of the in-person events, you can tune in to virtual office hours, which will be held Sept. 5 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. ET and Sept. 10 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. ET. You can access the meeting here (ID 752 815 136), or participate via phone at 888-240-2560.

Chris Barr, media innovation associate at Knight Foundation