Mercatus Launches Prize Fund to Combat COVID-19

The Mercatus Center at George Mason University announced today a series of prizes through its Emergent Ventures program for innovators working to combat COVID-19. Tyler Cowen, faculty director of the Mercatus Center and founder of Emergent Ventures, sees the prizes as a way to stimulate innovation in the face of a pandemic.

Emergent Ventures will offer prizes in the following areas:

Best innovation in social distancing – $100,000 prize
Most important innovation or improvement for India – $100,000 prize
Best investigative journalism on coronavirus – $50,000 prize
Best blog or social media tracking/analysis of the virus – $100,000 prize
Best coronavirus policy writing – $50,000 prize
Best effort to find a good treatment rapidly – $500,000 first prize, $200,000 second prize

Apply on Funding Site

Mandatory Requirements

Created in	United States
Implemented In:
Region	Africa, Asia and Pacific, Europe and Eurasia, Latin America / Caribbean, North America, Middle East and North Africa and Low and Middle Income Countries
Country	N/A
Focus Areas	Infectious & Vector Diseases (Health)

Open Eligibility

Application Directions

There is no application for these prizes; Emergent Ventures will award them when a significant success is spotted. In most cases, the awards will apply to actions taken after the announcement of this prize.