Healthy Longevity Global Grand Challenge

Dramatic breakthroughs in medicine, public health, and social and economic development have resulted in unprecedented extensions of the human lifespan over the past century. As of 2018, for the first time ever, people over the age of 65 outnumber those under five. By 2050, 1 in 6 people worldwide will be over the age of 65, and the global population of the “oldest old”—people aged 80 and older—is expected to triple.

Recognizing the urgency but also the immense opportunity presented by this demographic shift, the U.S. National Academy of Medicine (NAM) launched the Healthy Longevity Global Grand Challenge—a worldwide movement to improve physical, mental, and social well-being for people as they age. The initiative has two components: (1) the Global Roadmap for Healthy Longevity, an evidence-based report authored by an international commission on the challenges and opportunities presented by global ageing; and (2) the Healthy Longevity Global Competition, a series of awards and prizes to catalyze breakthrough innovations to extend the human healthspan. 

Healthy Longevity Global Competition

The Global Competition is a multi-year international competition seeking bold and transformative innovations to extend human health and function. The Global Competition employs a progressive model of awards and prizes:

Phases of the Global Competition

Catalyst Phase (originally 2020-2022; now extending to 2025)*

• Catalyst Awards will seed the movement by stimulating bold, innovative ideas to extend the human healthspan.
• Ideas may originate from any field(s) and focus on any stage of life provided they promote health as people age.
• As at the end of 2022, the NAM and its global collaborators have issued a total of 429 Catalyst Awards worth over $21 million USD.
• An annual Global Innovator Summit provides awardees with an opportunity to showcase their work and connect with fellow innovators, researchers, policymakers, and potential investors around the world.

Accelerator Phase (2021-2025+)

• Accelerator Awards will reward Catalyst Awardees and Finalists who have made significant progress on advancing their ideas, and preferably achieved proof of concept.
• Accelerator Awards may be worth $185,000 to $1 million USD, or more, and may include monetary and in-kind supports to help the Awardees to bring their ideas forward. Award specifics vary by sponsor.
• Accelerator sponsors currently include Johnson and Johnson Innovation, Eisai, and the European Investment Bank (in partnership with kENUP Foundation). Additional sponsors may be added along the way.

Grand Prize Phase (Beyond 2025)

• One or more grand prizes of up to $5 million USD each will be awarded for achievement of a breakthrough innovation(s) that extends the human healthspan.
• The Grand Prize Phase will be open to anyone and administered by the NAM.

*Given the great success and significant momentum built over the first three Catalyst cycles (2020-2022), the Catalyst Phase will be extended through 2025! The global collaborators will fund and administer three additional cycles of awards. The concept and philosophy of the Catalyst Awards will remain the same, with awards intended as seed funding to advance early-stage, innovative projects.

Healthy Longevity Catalyst Awards by Ministry of Health, Singapore

Singapore has been participating in the Healthy Longevity Catalyst Awards (HLCA) since 2020  to provide seed funding to catalyse transformative ideas and innovation to advance healthy longevity. Three cycles of HLCA were launched between 2020 to 2022, and a total of 42 projects were approved for funding. Singapore is pleased to extend our collaboration with NAM for another three years, from 2023 to 2025. Apart from the US NAM, there are currently 8 other global collaborators, including institutions from China, the EU, Japan, and United Kingdom. 

Frequency

There will be one round of Catalyst Award competition per year. Please click on the current grant call for more details:

Winners of the Healthy Longevity Catalyst Awards

The list of global winners for the Catalyst Phase of the Healthy Longevity Global Grand Challenge can be accessed here.  

In collaboration with

For enquiries on the Healthy Longevity Catalyst Awards in Singapore, please email us at tricia.teosk@mohh.com.sg