Calling All College Students: The Biomimicry Institute Student Design Challenge

Harvard University researchers developed new aerodynamic principles from the Swallowtail butterfly, who moves forward by moving up and down, curiously: © K Hunt, image via josboys.typepad.com For the third year in a row, the Biomimicry Institute, a non-profit organization that promotes the study and imitation of designs found in nature, is sponsoring the Biomimicry Student Design Challenge.  This year the Challenge, which is open to college students world-wide, is to use biomimicry to design a solution that results in more efficient use of energy and ultimately reduces greenhouse gases.  No small feat, but the Institute provides students with plenty of resources on biomimicry....

The Institute actually offers training programs brought to you on video and through other resources available online through the its website.  Your contribution for receiving this training and entering the Challenge is a mere $25 per team, which should consists of no less than two and no more than eight students, ideally from multi-disciplinary studies.  It is recommended that each team have at least one biology student as a member (to keep the engineers in line, no doubt).

The solution must be entirely new and not connected to a business endeavor.  It should be related to a need in your local or national geographic area, though the need may extend beyond that area.  An award of $5000 will be given to the best solution, and that will be chosen based on certain judging criteria.

You don't have to have an idea when you register, but you must do so by October 1, 2011 and make your submissions by December 21, 2011.  Get all the information you need about this contest right here. Don't skip a word.