#USA #Bethesda #dietary supplements #NIH #HeroX

NIH and HeroX Call for Innovative Solutions for Supplement Education

In a bid to address the growing concerns surrounding dietary supplements, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements is launching an innovative initiative named Supplements, Facts First: A Digital Adventure for Every Age Challenge. With more than half of Americans currently taking these supplements, the need for transparent, reliable information regarding their use has never been more pressing.

Facilitated by HeroX, a renowned crowdsourcing platform, this challenge aims to transform static, evidence-based resources into dynamic, engaging experiences that resonate with users across various platforms, including social media, mobile apps, and streaming services.

Challenge Overview

The competition spans three distinct phases and offers an impressive total of $869,000 in prizes, encouraging a diverse range of participants—from mobile developers and UX designers to health educators—to devise solutions that can enhance public understanding of dietary supplements.

The three-phase structure is as follows:

1. Phase 1: Concept Community Design
Deadline: April 6, 2026, 5:00 PM EST
Prizes: Up to 8 winners will earn $40,000 each.

2. Phase 2: Working Prototype
Deadline: April 20, 2027, 5:00 PM EST
Prizes: Up to 5 winners can receive $50,000 each.

3. Phase 3: Ready-to-Launch Solution
Deadline: December 6, 2027, 5:00 PM EST
Prizes: Grand Prize of $150,000, runner-up $84,000, and third place $65,000.

Successful participants will receive expert mentorship, NIH technical support, and valuable user feedback throughout the development process. This initiative is open to individuals and teams globally, with the requirement that the team captain be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident.

Educational Transformation

This challenge encourages bold creativity in communicating supplement education, welcoming innovative ideas such as gamified applications, interactive social media projects, AI chatbots, video series, and the use of emerging technologies like augmented reality and voice assistants. With the growing complexity of health information, the NIH is taking a progressive step toward making it accessible and fun for people of all ages.

The diverse formats aim to make understanding dietary supplements engaging, helping users to incorporate them safely into their health regimens. Entrants are encouraged to think outside the box, align their solutions with the needs of modern consumers, and enhance overall public health literacy.

How to Participate

To compete, interested parties must register on the official challenge website and submit their projects by the Phase 1 deadline. With an emphasis on transforming traditional supplement knowledge into appealing formats, this initiative provides a unique opportunity for innovators to contribute positively to public health.

This collaborative effort between the NIH and HeroX not only seeks to enlighten people about supplements but also celebrates the spirit of innovation and community problem-solving in health education.

By harnessing the power of collective intelligence, the Supplements, Facts First Challenge stands to bridge the gap between complex supplement information and the everyday user, ultimately empowering individuals to make informed health decisions. For more details, visit HeroX's website.