James Dyson Award 2023: Entries open now; Indian students eligible for prize money of 5 lakhs

The James Dyson Award, an annual engineering competition with a sustainability focus run by Dyson's charity, is now open and accepting submissions from young inventors who have ideas to improve our planet.

Since 2005, the Award has challenged entrepreneurial undergraduates and recent graduates of engineering to tackle a global problem, from environmental issues to improving healthcare practices. Past winners have developed solutions to advance plastic recycling (Plastic Scanner) and the biodegradability of materials (MarinaTex, AuREUS), as well as bettering at-home medical diagnostics (Blue Box, HOPES).

To date, the competition has awarded 390 inventions with prize money, and over 70% of past global winners are commercialising their winning inventions. We need more game-changing ideas to tackle global environmental and medical problems, and James Dyson thinks young people have the answers and drive to make a difference.

Sir James Dyson, the Founder, said: "We are looking for young engineers who are hard-wired to solve problems sustainably, often using less energy and fewer materials, and who want to improve the world through their ideas. Young people have ideas that can change things for the better, and they should be encouraged. The James Dyson Award gives them the platform to pursue their inventions, and I look forward to judging this year's entries. Good luck!" 

Sir James Dyson chooses the competition's global winners; they receive vital funding and high-profile recognition – key first steps to take their ideas into real-life practical application.

National winners of the award can expect prize money of £5,000 (approx. INR 5 lakhs) to support the development of their invention. Global winners receive a larger amount of £30,000 (approx. INR 30 lakhs). In addition, both national and global winners can expect to receive media attention, which has proven to be valuable for past winners in promoting their ideas. Furthermore, winners will have access to events and networking opportunities with past winners to share experiences and potentially form mentorship relationships.

Each participating country and region will award a National winner (£5,000 - approx. INR 5 lakhs) and two National runners-up. An external panel chooses the National winners in collaboration with Dyson. Those that win a National accolade proceed to the International shortlist and awarding stages, where James Dyson selects his global winners.

What makes a good entry?

The best inventions solve a real-world problem that impacts our planet. They provide clear and intelligent solutions. Successful past winners were Arjun B S and Ajay Krishnan A, two Bangalore-based engineering students, who won the James Dyson Award 2022 for their unique innovation EpiSHOT – a reusable epinephrine autoinjector for patients suffering from severe and potentially fatal systemic allergic reactions. Their design addresses the gap of high price tags of single-use injectors, safety concerns for self-use, and ease of operation.

On winning the award, Arjun BS inventor of EpiSHOT, said, "With the help of the prize money, we aim to further modify EpiSHOT for commercialization. We strongly believe that the James Dyson Award will be our stepping platform to get recognized, educate, and mass materialize our lifesaving innovation."

EpiSHOT is a safe, reusable, and easy-to-use autoinjector for treating life-threatening allergic reactions like anaphylaxis. It underwent multiple design iterations and clinical consultations to ensure its affordability and re-usability within two minutes of first use. It addresses a crucial need in India, where there is currently no immediate solution for anaphylaxis.

*Prize money is subject to the exchange rate.