About IDea Incubator

IDea Incubator is a “Shark Tank”-style competition designed to encourage early-stage ventures of original inventions, products or concepts for improving ID care. Finalists share their concepts with the ID community and judges in the fields of business, medicine, technology and the pharmaceutical industry each year during IDWeek.

The 2024 IDea Incubator category winners will each receive $10,000 and compete for an additional $5,000 and the Innovator of the Year award at this year’s IDea Incubator live event taking place at IDWeek 2024.  

Competition Rules

• IDea Incubator is open to both IDSA members and nonmembers.
• Any group, company or organization that applies must have at least one IDWeek 2024 attendee. This attendee must be the primary submitter and may be a scientific attendee, exhibitor, invited speaker or guest.
• All applications will be reviewed by committee to choose the category winners.
• Category winners will be asked to create a pitch video for the People’s Choice award-winning idea and to present their innovation at the IDea Incubator live event at IDWeek 2024.

Awards

• Each individual category winner will receive a cash prize of $10,000. This award is determined by the IDea Incubator review panel.
• The Innovator of the Year award winner will receive a cash prize of $5,000 as well as an accelerator package with access to startup coaching that will provide guidance for launching or scaling the innovation, setting up legal protections, budgeting and marketing. This award is determined by the judging panel at the live IDea Incubator award event at IDWeek 2024.
• The People’s Choice award will be awarded to the video with the most popular votes; this award winner will receive an award as well as additional promotion of the award through IDSA communication channels. This award is determined by the most votes received for the pitch videos. 

The IDea Incubator provides the opportunity for all applicants to receive feedback from judges in the business, technology and medicine industries and gives category winners the opportunity to present their idea in front of the ID community at IDWeek 2024.

The IDSA Foundation and its affiliates are not responsible for any intellectual property submitted and/or presented through the IDea Incubator. Any individual, group, organization or company is solely responsible for securing intellectual property protection.

Awards Categories

Innovation In Patient Care and Practice Award

The IDSA Innovation in Patient Care and Practice Award recognizes groundbreaking contributions to the field of infectious diseases, specifically focusing on advancements that directly enhance patient care and clinical practice.

Applicants for this award should showcase innovations that have the potential to impact patient outcomes, health care delivery and overall public health tangibly and positively. This can encompass a wide range of achievements, including but not limited to novel therapeutic approaches, prevention strategies or interventions that can measurably elevate and improve the standard of care for infectious diseases.

The judging criteria will emphasize the following key elements:

1. Clinical Impact: Assessing the real-world implications of the innovation on patient well-being, disease management and health care practices.
2. Scientific Rigor: Evaluating the robustness of the scientific foundation supporting the innovation, including evidence-based methodologies and research methodologies.
3. Practical Applicability: Recognizing innovations that are not only groundbreaking but also practical and feasible for integration into existing health care systems and practices.
4. Collaboration and Interdisciplinarity: Acknowledging the collaborative efforts that have facilitated the development and implementation of the innovation, particularly interdisciplinary approaches that enhance its effectiveness.

The recipient of this award will receive a $10,000 cash award and will present their innovation at the IDea Incubator Innovator of the Year live pitch competition event during IDWeek 2024, Oct. 16-19, in Los Angeles, CA. Exact date TBD. The Innovator of the Year winner will receive an additional $5,000 cash award as well as an accelerator package to assist in the launch or scaling of the innovation.

Innovation In Technology and Telehealth Practice Award

The IDSA Innovation in Technology Advancement and Telehealth Practice Award recognizes groundbreaking contributions to the field of infectious diseases, specifically focusing on outstanding innovations that have demonstrated exceptional creativity, efficacy and adaptability in utilizing technology and telehealth practices to address the challenges posed by infectious diseases.

Applicants for this award should showcase innovations that have made a substantial impact on the diagnosis, treatment, prevention or management of infectious diseases through the integration of cutting-edge technologies and telehealth solutions. This could include breakthroughs in data analytics, artificial intelligence, telemedicine platforms, remote monitoring tools and other technological advancements that enhance the efficiency and accessibility of infectious diseases care.

The judging criteria will emphasize the following key elements:

1. Clinical Impact: Assessing the real-world implications of the innovation on patient well-being, disease management and health care practices.
2. Scientific Rigor: Evaluating the robustness of the scientific foundation supporting the innovation, including evidence-based methodologies and research methodologies.
3. Practical Applicability: Recognizing innovations that are not only groundbreaking but also practical and feasible for integration into existing health care systems and practices.
4. Collaboration and Interdisciplinarity: Acknowledging the collaborative efforts that have facilitated the development and implementation of the innovation, particularly interdisciplinary approaches that enhance its effectiveness.

The recipient of this award will receive a $10,000 cash award and will present their innovation at the IDea Incubator Innovator of the Year live pitch competition event during IDWeek 2024, Oct. 16-19, in Los Angeles, CA. Exact date TBD. The Innovator of the Year winner will receive an additional $5,000 cash award as well as an accelerator package to assist in the launch or scaling of the innovation.

Diagnostic Technologies for Unknown Pathogen Identification – Supported By MTEC

The IDSA MTEC Diagnostic Technologies for Unknown Pathogen Identification Award recognizes groundbreaking contributions to the field of infectious diseases, specifically focusing on advancements of pathogen-agnostic diagnostics of unknown pathogens.

Infectious diseases remain an enduring military threat and as such pose a significant risk to the operational effectiveness of current and future forces. Rapid detection and identification of infectious diseases is essential to selecting and applying appropriate countermeasures and allows better planning and infectious disease prevention responses. Pathogen-agnostic diagnostics are an appealing solution to address a broad range of infectious disease threats and to prepare against future outbreaks of novel infectious diseases. Such diagnostics seek to detect a wide range of microorganisms, namely pathogenic viruses, bacteria and fungi in tandem. In principle, a truly agnostic diagnostic could even detect the presence of such pathogens de novo, without being limited by an established knowledge base.

As pathogen-agnostic diagnostics of unknown pathogens begin to mature in the clinical setting, translation of these methodologies into a point-of-care instrument or far-forward setting is instrumental. Operational readiness requires that these technologies be appropriate for remote and isolated areas in difficult environmental conditions.

Applicants for this award should showcase innovations that have the potential to impact the diagnosis of pathogens in highly communicable bacterial and viral diseases, multidrug-resistant organisms or vector-borne diseases.

The judging criteria will emphasize the following key elements:

1. Demonstrating Military Relevance: Proposed innovation shall focus on providing medical solutions to pathogen-agnostic diagnostics of unknown pathogens that have the potential to support readiness and care in future battlefield scenarios, as well as civilian populations living in remote or isolated settings.
2. Foundation of Data: Proposed innovation should not be exploratory in nature and should have a foundation of preliminary data.
3. Robustness: The innovation should demonstrate clinical utility for species identification, screening and diagnosis of unknown pathogens. The innovation should have the future potential to make standalone diagnostic claims.
4. Practical Applicability: Recognizing innovations that are not only groundbreaking but also practical and feasible, especially in far-forward military environments. The innovation should demonstrate the ability for future translation into a far-forward deployed setting, for example, portability and sturdiness and reliability under extreme conditions, as well as the ability to be used by nontechnical personnel.

The recipient of this award will receive a $10,000 cash award and will present their innovation at the IDea Incubator Innovator of the Year live pitch competition event during IDWeek 2024, Oct. 16-19, in Los Angeles, CA. Exact date TBD. The Innovator of the Year winner will receive an additional $5,000 cash award as well as an accelerator package to assist in the launch or scaling of the innovation.

2023 Awardees

	1st Place: Portable HIV Drug Resistance Testing in Resource-Limited Settings Edsel Salvana MD, DTM&H, FPCP, FIDSA was awarded Innovator of the Year and the People’s Choice award for his Portable HIV drug resistance testing in resource-limited settings. This PCR test allows testing to take place in the field with limited resources. Click here to view his pitch video
	2nd Place: Smartphone Application to Support People With HIV And Opioid Use Disorder Jacqueline Hodges MD, MPH was awarded Second Place for her smartphone application to support people with HIV and opioid use disorder. This app provides resources and support for patients navigating services for these complex medical issues. Click here to view her pitch video
	3rd Place: Product Using Novel Small Molecules Discovered In The Ocean For The Treatment Of AMR Infections Target Biofilm Cynthia Burzell, PhD and Marilyn Bruno PH.D., J.D. of Aequor were awarded Third Place for their product using novel small molecules discovered in the ocean for the treatment of AMR infections target biofilm. Click here to view their pitch video

2022 Awardees

1st Place: UV Light Guides to Reduce the Bioburden of Endoscope Luminal Channels

Leonard Mermel, DO, ScM, AM (Hon), and Jimmy Bak were awarded the grand prize for their innovation using UV light guides to reduce the bioburden of endoscope luminal channels. Their reusable light guides provide a higher level of disinfecting than current FDA-approved methods.

---

2nd Place: IV Valve Connector Shield to Fight Against Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections

Juan Walterspiel, MD, FAAP, received second place for his IV valve connector shield to fight against central line-associated bloodstream infections. Dr. Walterspiel’s simple innovation addresses safety features currently not in use and could reduce the 23% of IV connectors that are contaminated.

---

3rd Place: Prep Dispensing Machine and App

Rachel Rivera, MD, went home with the third-place prize for her PrEP dispensing machine and app. Her innovation, similar to a vending machine, would help expand access to PrEP in communities and connect patients with local providers.

2021 Awardees

1st Place: Molecular Imaging Of Bacterial Infections

Sanjay Jain, MD, Filipa Mota, PhD, and Alvaro Ordonez, MD, of Johns Hopkins University took home the grand prize for their innovation Molecular Imaging of Bacterial Infections. The team developed F-FDS, a patent-pending, bacteria-specific PET imaging technology that differentiates Gram-negative bacterial infections from other diseases, such as cancer metastases and tumors. Unlike more traditional approaches for diagnosing infections, F-FDS does not require surgery or biopsy, it has nearly 100% specificity, and it can detect infections anywhere in the body with rapid results available within the same day.    READ MORE

---

2nd Place: Cell-Based Bio-Electric Biosensor for The Detection Of The Sars-Cov-2 S1 Spike Protein Antigen

Kyriaki Hatziagapiou, MD, PhD, Spyridon Kintzios, PhD, and Sofia Mavrikou, PhD, received second place for their innovation Cell-Based Bio-Electric Biosensor for the Detection of the SARS-CoV-2 S1 Spike Protein Antigen. The team developed a low-cost, easy-to-use test that uses bioelectric recognition assay technology to provide a fast and accurate diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory pathogens with results provided within three minutes.

---

3rd Place: Neonatal Antibiotic Stewardship App (Nasa)

David Kaufman, MD, and Josh Odrich, both from the University of Virginia, received third place for the Neonatal Antibiotic Stewardship App (NASA). The free web-based app offers 24/7 evidence-based guidance for neonatal providers to stop or narrow the spectrum of antibiotics that are prescribed in neonatal intensive care units with the hopes of reducing infants’ risks for lifelong adverse effects.

---

2020 Awardees

1st Place: Outpatient Automated Stewardship Information System (Oasis)

Doctors Frost and Munsiff were awarded the 2020 grand prize for OASIS, which will help health care systems implement the CDC Core Elements of Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship in a cost-effective manner that requires substantially less time than traditional meth­ods.    READ MORE

---

2nd place: PPE VR Training Simulator

Dr. Farrukh Jafri and entrepreneur Taylor Freeman received the second-place award for their virtual reality program to train people how to properly don and doff PPE. 

READ MORE

---

3rd Place: PAL-ERGY

Doctors Atluri, Rampur & Pottinger received the third-place prize for PAL-ergy, a customizable mobile app designed to assist providers in handling allergies to beta-lactam antibiotics, such as penicillin, according to their institutional guidelines.  

READ MORE

2019 Awardees

1st Place
Awarded the grand prize for the OPAT monitoring device were Sai Dodda, Pharm.D., clinical coordinator, and Chris Sleckman, M.S., engineer, both of HIVE, a student-run biotech startup at Washington University in St. Louis.

The winning innovation is a sensor that detects when IV medication is connected to a patient’s peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) line, meaning the patient is beginning therapy. The data is then sent in real time to the patient’s doctor and home health agency to help them monitor use and intervene when patients aren’t compliant.

Additionally, health care providers are alerted if the medication is not administered at the correct time. Because OPAT is significantly less costly than in-hospital therapy, the researchers estimate the device would prevent $2,000 in costs for every day of hospital readmission avoided.

READ MORE

---

2nd Place
Mark Sendak, M.D., MPP, of Duke Institute for Health Innovation and Cara O’Brien, M.D., of Duke University, were awarded second place for Sepsis Watch, a software model that predicts sepsis within four hours of a patient being admitted to the emergency department to ensure timely delivery of treatment. It is being used in several hospitals and preliminary research has shown a 15% improvement in 3-hour sepsis treatment bundle compliance.

---

3rd Place
Juan Walterspiel, M.D., FAAP, a pharma, biotech and medical device consultant and inventor, was awarded third place for his passive solution to prevent CLABSI, which leads to 10,000 deaths every year. The innovation is an inexpensive sleeve that fits over the end of the valve connector of the line to prevent contamination.

---

Honorable Mention:
Ige George, M.D., M.S., and Gerome Escota, M.D., both of Washington University School of Medicine, were awarded fourth place for their Twitter-based platform, @WuidQ, which is the first free open-access medical education resource to provide review of infectious diseases through board-style, multiple-choice questions.

2018 Awardees

1st Place
Audrey R. Odom John, M.D., Ph.D., chief of pediatric infectious diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the winner of the inaugural IDEA Incubator for her “malaria breathalyzer” diagnostic tool.

The prize money enabled her team to build a prototype to bridge the gap and secure $500,000 in National Institutes of Health funding to move the project forward with the goal of eventually using it to improve patient care.

---

2nd place
Qassim Mian, M.D., a third-year pediatrics resident at the University of Alberta won second place for a global development project that focuses on designing and implementing solar-powered oxygen systems in Uganda as a reliable and cost-effective measure to treat hypoxemic children with pneumonia. This project will be undergoing a transition-to-scale over the next few years and Qaasim is involved in developing, implementing and monitoring these systems.

---

3rd Place
Ana Luisa Neves, M.D., a Research Fellow at the Institute of Global Health & Innovation at Imperial College of London, co-developed momoby, a finger prick test aiming to bring healthcare to remote areas in low-income countries.