Grand Challenge of Transformative Technology - Responsible Innovation Awards 2023/24

This 2023/24 Special Initiative from the Grand Challenge of Transformative Technology offered up to £20,000 to support innovative interdisciplinary projects for work on the development of technology that can lead to positive societal outcomes as well as those that consider the impacts that technology has on society. The call was open to both brand-new collaborations and ideas and applications that build on previous Grand Challenges funded projects and collaborations.

The review panel was delighted to receive over 50 applications from faculties across UCL as well as Professional Services. Funding was approved for four applications, with a total funding of nearly £70,000 awarded.

Summary details of the projects awarded are below:

• Crowdmapping for Food Security in Ethiopia: Scaling up

Amount awarded: £19,971.53 

Led by Prof Muki Haklay (UCL, Dept of Geography) and Dr Jonathan Cooper (UCL ARC), the project builds on previously funded Grand Challenges project to scale up the innovation for crowdmapping changes in condition of resources and facilities that communites depend on. 

• Digital persuasive game innovation to improve patient management of Urinary Track Infection in the NHS and Africa

Amount awarded: £19,872 

Prof Patty Kostkova (UCL IRDR) and Dr Ai-Nee Lim (Whittington Health NHS Trust) lead a new collaboration to address UTI through serious games prototype intervention. 

• Building a decision support system for university students and researchers with Artificial Intelligence

Amount awarded: £20,000 

Dr Sahan Bulathwela (UCL Computer Science) and Prof Mutlu Cukurova (UCL Knowledge Lab, IOE) builds on a previous Grand Challenges funded project under the UN SDGs: Pathways to Achievement category to develop a an informed system to help students and faculty navigate their personal SDG agenda. 

• Exploring Sustainable Futures Game

Amount awarded: £10,000 

Led by Prof Joanna Williams (BSP) and Dr Gemma Adams (Beesworx and Cranfield University), this project scopes the potential to develop a new prototype of a sustainable futures multi-media game for policy-makers, building on the currently existing Exploring Sustainable Futures Game developed and offered by Cranfield University.