Reimagining Respiratory Protection

Deadline: 2019-02-15
Award: $100,000
Open to: Everyone*

The Reimagining Respiratory Protection QuickFire Challenge invites participants to come up with innovative solutions that help better protect the public from infectious agents and the threat of pandemics.

Respirators have remained largely unchanged for almost 50 years, despite major shortcomings identified within the current design and increasing threats of air pollution and airborne epidemics. In an age of disruption spurred by technological advances, it’s time to take action - to attempt to prevent needless suffering and save lives by improving respiratory safety.

The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a component of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Johnson & Johnson Innovation, JLABS, working with Janssen Research & Development, LLC, announce the Reimagining Respiratory Protection QuickFire Challenge. We’re calling on innovators to revolutionize respiratory protection, to submit novel ideas to better protect against the inhalation of harmful infectious agents. Is there a household item that could transform into a lifesaving face mask during an emergency? Could new textiles or wearable technologies be incorporated into face masks to improve performance?