Winning innovations will be developed and tested at
Miami’s new Frost Science and aim to solve global challenges
MIAMI, FL – November 13, 2015 – CappSci and the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science (Frost Science) announced today that Andrew Baker, Rivah Winter and Prasoon Diwakar have been selected as the winners of the 2016 CappSci Inventors™ Coral Prize and Carcinogen Prize. CappSci Inventors™ is a $1 million grant to be distributed over five years to 10 inventors, offering fresh approaches to solving major global problems.
Baker and Winter, both Miami residents, were selected for their project on Stress Hardening Corals, which primes corals with heat-tolerant symbionts to increase stress resistance and make reef restoration more effective as ocean temperatures rise. Diwakar, a resident of Indiana, won for his proposed Laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Detector, a portable instrument for real-time detection of carcinogens in airborne material as well as solid or liquid samples.
The first-of-its-kind in the nation, CappSci Inventors™ provides winners with a $100,000 grant to support a 12-month residency at Miami’s new Frost Science to build-out and test their early stage technology. Inventors will engage the public within an open laboratory housed in the Innovation Labs at Frost Science, launching summer 2016. Museum visitors can observe the inventors in action, stay updated on the project’s progress through interactive daily logs, and share ideas and suggestions with inventors and a team of apprentices. Accompanying exhibits will explain the underlying science and current state-of-the-art in coral restoration and carcinogen detection. Winners will also receive mentorship and guidance from CappSci, Frost Science, and other experts.
“We believe CappSci Inventors™ will create value here in Miami around good ideas that have the potential for global impact,” said Ted Caplow, CEO of CappSci. “This program seeks to mobilize the energy of the crowd to accelerate the development of ground-breaking technology within a structured and scientific framework, filling a critical channel in Miami’s growing innovation pipeline.”
The inaugural winners, Prof. Andrew Baker, Dr. Rivah Winter and Dr. Prasoon Diwakar, were chosen from dozens of global entries and were among six finalists who participated in a rigorous and robust onsite evaluation process, which included input from Miami-Dade County Public Schools students, the local innovation and start-up community, and an expert judging committee. Winners were selected based on their invention’s technical potential and suitability for public participation in a museum setting.
“We are very excited to partner with CappSci to welcome such a committed group of innovators with in-depth expertise into our Innovation Labs at Frost Science,” said Gillian Thomas, President and CEO of Frost Science. “The visitor interface is a critical component of the program and showcases the capacity of the Innovation Labs to engage the entire community in addressing 21st century challenges.”
This unique partnership between CappSci and Frost Science will expand and enhance the visitor experience at the museum, while serving as a platform to display the inventors and their work to potential investors and collaborators. For more information on CappSci Inventors™ visit www.cappsci.org.
About CappSci
CappSci is an applied science company that uses competition and innovation to seek solutions to major global problems. CappSci’s programs include CappSci Inventors, the Children’s Prize, and the Miami Science Barge, a public floating marine sustainability lab that won the inaugural 2015 Knight Foundation Cities Challenge.
About Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science
Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science aims to make a difference in people’s lives by inspiring them to appreciate the impact that science and technology can have on every facet of our world. In 2016, the museum will continue to inspire visitors in a new state-of-the-art facility designed by Grimshaw Architects currently under construction at Museum Park, in the heart of downtown Miami. The museum will be structured around a lushly landscaped indoor and outdoor Living Core Aquarium of terrestrial and aquatic environments, featuring a Gulf Stream aquarium experience totaling over 500,000 gallons of salt water. The facility will also feature the state-of-the-art full dome Frost Planetarium, the Knight Learning Center, Innovation Labs and Cafe, Baptist Health South Florida People and Science Gallery, and an Exploration Center featuring permanent interactive exhibits: Feathers to the Stars and The River of Grass. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and a member of the Association of Science and Technology Centers. The Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science is funded with the support of Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners. Learn more at www.miamisci.org or call (305) 646-4200.
