Idea submissions for the Nittany AI Challenge are due at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, January 25. Students that have an idea about how artificial intelligence can be used in health, education, humanitarianism, and the environment are encouraged to send in a proposal.

The eight-month-long competition is open to students from all campuses, majors, and skill sets. You can submit your idea here in roughly two pages of text.

There is no limit on the number of team members, but it’s typically around four to six people. Successful teams are frequently a mix of technical and non-technical members.

A prize pool of $50,000 will be distributed throughout the challenge and up to 20 proposals will receive $500 toward prototype development.

The prototype due date is on March 15, and 10 prototypes will receive $1,500 toward developing a minimum viable product. The due date for that is August 8, and teams can win up to $25,000 to advance their projects.

“The selection process of the Nittany AI Challenge is all about impact,” Brad Zdenek, program manager and innovation strategist for the Nittany AI Alliance, said. “Very often that type of impact starts with the passion of the team, addressing a need that they have personal experience with, a frustration or injustice that they have seen or felt firsthand. It doesn’t start with the technology; it starts with the ‘why.’”

The Nittany AI Alliance will help folks with last-minute questions about their proposals at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, January 25, in room 64 in the Willard Building.

You can check out the full idea submission criteria here.