Engineering Students Wanted for BioDesign Sprint Competition

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NWA BioDesign interns work closely with medical partners to identify potential challenges and develop distinctive innovations that hold promise as marketable medical solutions.

Engineering students interested in creating solutions to real-world issues in healthcare are encouraged to participate in the upcoming BioDesign Sprint, a competition offering a cash prize pool of $12,000. 

Focused on brainstorming and designing medical devices, the BioDesign Sprint is part of the Northwest Arkansas BioDesign Sprints (NABS) program, led by the U of A Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the College of Engineering and HealthTech Arkansas to identify as many problems and create as many solutions as possible in the healthcare field.   

Degree-seeking students in the College of Engineering can register to form teams between two and five students, to innovate on one of three healthcare challenges identified by local healthcare partners, over a week's time. 

They'll have access to mentors and advisers, as well as 3D printers for prototyping. Registrants will also receive access to XO Medtech's Playbook — a self-paced, on-demand course with 40-plus lessons on the most critical topics for early-stage innovators.  

The competition kicks off on Thursday, Oct. 25, and concludes with a pitch competition showcasing their designs on Monday, Nov. 4. Register here. 

During the week, teams can take part in a practice pitch session with feedback to refine ideas and presentation skills and receive guidance from 3D-printing experts on basic prototyping techniques and feedback on designs to help teams build their solutions.  

The first-place team will receive $5,000. Second place will get $3,000, and third place will take home $2,000. Fourth place will receive $1,000, and there will be an audience choice award for $1,000.  

Grace Schmidt, a senior computer science major who has worked with several NABS projects, described her time in the program as an "eye-opening" experience. 

"This program gave me the ability to directly interact with healthcare professionals in the area and provide solutions to their vast array of problems." 

She also praised the program for developing a skill set that's not always taught in traditional academic settings. 

"Many skills like public speaking, presentation development and developing an entrepreneurial mindset are not something that is taught within the classroom, and I am thankful this program was available to help me develop those skills," Schmidt said. 

Competition Details 

The sprint will kick off on Oct. 24 at 6 p.m. with a series of challenges gathered from Arkansas Children's Hospital and Washington Regional Medical Center staff.

Teams will have access to the Brewer Family Entrepreneurship Hub during the length of the sprint and will pitch their solutions at 6 p.m. Nov. 4 in room 144 of the J.B. Hunt Center on campus. 

Spencer Jones from XOMedtech will be offering a pitch practice to provide feedback and refine ideas and presentation skills. 

Jeff Jouett and Brandon Ray Rogers, prototyping experts at the U of A, will be available to provide guidance on 3D printing. 

About the U of A Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation: The Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation creates and curates innovation and entrepreneurship experiences for students across all disciplines. Through the Brewer Family Entrepreneurship Hub, McMillon Innovation Studio, Startup Village, and Greenhouse at the Bentonville Collaborative, OEI provides free workshops and programs — including social and corporate innovation design teams, venture internships, competitions, and startup coaching. A unit of the Sam M. Walton College of Business and Division of Economic Development, OEI also offers on-demand support for students who will be innovators within existing organizations and entrepreneurs who start something new.