By Xoel Cardenas, Sr. Communications Specialist, Office of the Vice President for Research; and Sequoia Shixuan Hennigs-Cornell, Writing Intern, Technology Licensing Office

Imagine a University of Utah version of “Shark Tank” where a group of experts listen to teams displaying and pitching their innovations in order to be awarded thousands of dollars in funding.

You don’t have to imagine it because an event like that just took place at the U.

The second annual Remote and Austere Conditions (RAC) Grand Challenge live pitch event was held on March 7th at the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House. The event is a research competition where teams propose innovative research solutions for problems faced by rural communities and military personnel in remote or isolated conditions.

This year, 17 teams competed — up from 16 at last year’s event — with most of the proposal projects’ functions driven by the daunting challenge of helping people with limited resources or who are essentially off-grid.

During the all-day event, 13 distinguished judges from national security, academia, industry, medicine, and engineering asked questions to the presenters and ultimately decided which teams were to receive seed grants of up to $250,000.

From pulling purified water from thin air for IV use to launching life-saving emergency supplies with cutting-edge prototypes, the RAC Grand Challenge was packed with creative innovations form U of U minds. In the end, ten team were awarded funding.

Congratulations to all participants and winners — your dedication drives us toward a brighter, more innovative future! Special thanks to the Applied Medical Engineering (AM&E) Laboratory and the Office of the Vice President for Research for organizing this impactful event.

Click the video to watch some of the highlights from the event!