PInCh: Round One Details
For ten years, the Pitt Innovation Challenge (PInCh®) has supported creative solutions to big health problems, working to make Pittsburgh a hub of health science innovation. We want to hear your idea for a solution that impacts health!
To apply to PInCh 2023, bring together your team (led by a full-time University of Pittsburgh faculty member as Principal Investigator) and create a two-minute video that:
- Defines a challenging health problem.
- Presents your team's innovative solution.
- Introduces the team of problem solvers.
The two-minute video must be uploaded to My Pitt Video (Lecture Capture / Panopto) and linked within Powered by PInCh®, with Share settings to “Public (Unlisted)” – do not password-protect your video.
How to upload to My Pitt Video:
Visit the PInCh Resources & Education Page for a video tutorial.
First-time PInCh applicants and those who have not received awards previously are highly encouraged to contact us while planning your video: pinch@pitt.edu.
Problem Statement & Significance: Is the problem well-defined, and does it clearly address a critical barrier in the field?
Solution Description: Is the solution clearly defined, and does it successfully address the defined problem?
Innovation: If successful, will the solution shift the concepts, methods, research, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field?
Team: Is the team well-equipped with a breadth of experience (among academic and community organizations) to successfully address the defined problem?
- Log in to the Powered by PInCh® contest management system.
- Pitt users: Log in using your Pitt Passport account or HSConnect account.
- Non-Pitt users: Create an account by selecting "Log in using your Powered by PInCh account", then "Register as a new user" on the top right of the screen. If you have previously created a Powered by PInCh account, please use those details to log in.
- Complete your profile to tell us who you are.
- Invite team members by using the “Invite Team Member” link and entering their email addresses. They will receive an email with a link to Powered by PInCh®. Each project must have a Principal Investigator who is a full-time Pitt faulty member.
- Create a new project profile by providing:
- Short public project title (50 characters)
- One-sentence description of your solution
- Brief project abstract (300 words)
- Category of your solution (Program or Technology)
- Program: Implementation-anchored mission targeting a community health problem.
- Technology: Product development-anchored mission addressing a production, fabrication, or technological barrier in the market.
- Submit a link to your video by following the instructions in the above “PInCh Round 1 Submission Requirements” section.
Pitt-owned intellectual property is not a requirement for the PInCh program. We welcome collaborations with external organizations, as long as a Pitt faculty member serves as Principal Investigator for the application.
The PInCh team is happy to help you navigate next steps for Intellectual Property at Pitt – please contact us (pinch@pitt.edu). We will help you get in touch with the Innovation Institute at the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship to learn more about the Invention Disclosure process.
For our tenth year, we are awarding Bonus Awards to anyone who engages with the Makerspaces at the Pitt Swanson School of Engineering Innovation & Entrepreneurship program.
Bonus Award eligibility is not a requirement for PInCh – it is separate from PInCh awards selection, only assessed during the final round of the competition. Bonus-eligible projects will receive additional funding, but will not otherwise have a competitive advantage.
