Breath Of Fresh Air

This event invites big vision individuals from multiple disciplines beyond healthcare, to create innovative and long-term sustainable solutions that impact patients, healthcare professions, or the broader ecosystem to improve outcomes for those living with lung cancer.

In addition to the above contribution this event will also support our UNSW researchers in developing their entrepreneurial skills and strategies to achieve research impact. Enabling them to take back what they learned from the event and apply it to their own research.

If you have lungs, you can get lung cancer^. The burden of lung cancer on patients and the healthcare system is growing.

While it’s the 5th most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia, it remains the leading cause of cancer deaths^.
13,810 people were diagnosed with lung cancer in 2021 - that’s 37 per day, 42% of lung cancer is diagnosed at stage IV, where the survival rate is only 3.2% after 5 years^.

Furthermore, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are twice as likely to be diagnosed with, and die from Lung Cancer than non-Indigenous Australians^.

Innovative solutions are urgently needed to address the disparities in care and outcomes for lung cancer patients, and to diagnose these patients earlier when their disease is more treatable.

The Innovation Challenge framework brings people together to collaborate to help solve a problem within a restricted timeframe.

Working in multi-disciplinary teams, participants will generate ideas with the support of subject matter and innovation experts, and consider factors for success. The Challenge concludes with a Pitching Session where teams present their final idea to a panel of judges and be in for a chance to win a prize.

There are $7000 of cash prizes to be won:

• First place $4000

• Runner Up $2000

• People’s Choice $1000

The prize will be split equally across all team members.
(prize money provided by UNSW).

You don’t need to be a lung cancer expert to participate in this Challenge.

Persons with experience and knowledge, and a genuine interest in the problem challenge are invited to submit an expression of interest to join this challenge.
We’re particularly interest in hearing from those who have expertise in other disease areas or cancers that they feel will be of value to the problem being addressed.

Others, such as clinicians, engineers, chemists, scientists, students, business experts, health economists, industry experts/mentors, legal experts, regulatory experts, government, local health districts/implementation are invited to submit an expression of interest highlighting relevant skill set.

During this Challenge participants will hear from expert speakers and receive guidance from mentors from diverse areas of expertise as well as workshops to maximise your creative problem-solving capabilities to create innovative and sustainable solutions.

Refer to the Challenge Support section to view speakers, mentors and judges supporting this Challenge.

AstraZeneca and the UNSW Founders Program are committed to the success of your ideas.
All teams and individuals will be supported as appropriate to the teams needs and the idea. This support may extend to other UNSW support services.

Ask our friendly UNSW Founders team what support is available to you.
founders@unsw.edu.au

^ Lung Foundation Australia. The Next Breathe: Accelerating Lung Cancer Reform in Australia