Innovation contest: The Missouri HIV Prevention Vending Machine Project

Join us in the mission to end the HIV epidemic in the U.S. Midwest! We invite passionate teams—from academic or non-academic backgrounds (or both) —to share their bold ideas for how we might use vending machines to provide and increase access to public-friendly HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) prevention services and resources. This is your chance to make a lasting impact. Let's work together to drive change!

Description

The state of Missouri is at a crossroads in the HIV response. As one of seven national “End the HIV Epidemic” priority states, the region is experiencing a persistent HIV epidemic (~ 500 new diagnoses and 200 deaths per year), about half in the St. Louis region. Social determinants such as poverty and housing, rising sexually transmitted co-infections, stigma, and injection drug use play an important role. Furthermore, limited public health investments (Missouri ranks 49 out of 50 states in public health spending) also contribute to the unremitting epidemic. Public health vending machines have been shown to reduce negative health outcomes such as unintentional drug overdose and new HIV infections, and made individuals more comfortable in accessing prevention services. In this setting, the Midwest Developmental Center for AIDS Research presents a transformative opportunity to magnify existing scientific investments, advance alignment with regional stakeholders, and enable new possibilities to end the HIV epidemic.

Eligibility

  • Open to academic teams (researchers, early career investigators, etc.) and non-academic teams (community organizations, activists, policymakers, religious leaders, etc.) interested in using innovative channels such as vending machines to promote and increase access to prevention services and resources for HIV and other STIs in Missouri, as we work to end the HIV epidemic in the Midwest of the United States.

  • Only team submissions are welcome. Your teams should be made of 2 to 4 individuals.

  •  Minimum application age is 14 years old.

2026 KEY DATES

Launch: February 1

Submission Deadline: March 9

Designathon finalists announced: March 20

Designathon: April 16-17

Winner announced: April 22 (at Show Me the Response Day Symposium)

How to Enter

Submit your entry via Google Form following the provided guidelines for image, text, or video submissions.

Submission Types:

We welcome these forms of submissions, which will include the maximum of a 500-word proposal, with a visual aid to show how your idea will work:

  • Essays

  • Presentations

  • Videos

  • Artwork

  • Mixed media content

  • Or any other creative format that expresses your ideas best!

Judging  Process

After all submissions are received, a panel of expert reviewers from diverse and relevant backgrounds will review the entries.

Teams with the five highest cumulative scores will be invited to participate in a 2-day Designathon, where they will receive expert insights to help refine their vending machine ideas. At the end of the Designathon, the teams will pitch their ideas to a panel of expert judges and the winning team will be awarded $10,000 to pilot their idea, using a generic vending machine that would be provided by the Midwest DCFAR.

    • Relevance: How effectively does your idea show the use of vending machines to promote and increase access to prevention services and resources in St. Louis to end the HIV epidemic?

    • Clarity: Is your idea easy to understand, in terms of how it might use vending machines to promote and increase access to prevention services and resources for HIV and other STIs in St. Louis

    • Innovation: How unique and original is your idea for promoting and increasing access to prevention services and resources for HIV & other STIs, via vending machines in St. Louis to end the HIV epidemic?

    • Feasibility: How practical is your idea for repurposing vending machines to provide and increase access to HIV & other STIs prevention services and resources in St Louis, towards ending the HIV epidemic in the US Midwest? Can it be easily expanded and sustained over time?

    • All submissions will be evaluated anonymously. Please do not include any identifying information on your entry or response, except for the demographic information at the beginning of the application

    • Submissions that have been submitted elsewhere, previously published, or accepted for publication are not eligible (even if revised or excerpted). This includes any appearance in print or online, such as in newspapers, newsletters, magazines, anthologies, books, websites, blogs, or social media. This rule applies regardless of print run size or circulation.

    • Submissions must have less than 10% AI detection.

    •  By participating, you grant us permission to use parts or all of your submissions in publications, promotional materials, social media, and other platforms related to the program.

      Noncompliance to these rules will result in disqualification at any stage of the review process.

  • 1st Place in Designathon: $10,000.00 in seed funding to implement service access ideas via vending machines

For additional inquiries, email disc@midwestdcfar.org.

Submit your idea