Biden Administration Launchesbr $500,000 Mask Innovation Contest.br On Wednesday, the Biden administrationbr announced a $500,000 contest to bolster involvementbr in the United States’ ongoing fight against COVID-19. .br Inventors are beingbr encouraged to submitbr designs for effectivebr everyday face masks. .br The contest is looking for designsbr that are both “effective and comfortable” br in order to encourage more people to wear masks. .br We know that properly and consistentlybr worn face masks help reduce the spreadbr of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratorybr infections, but many people are reluctantbr to wear them for a variety of reasons, Nikki Bratcher-Bowman, HHS acting Assistant Secretarybr for Preparedness and Response, via Complex.br The contest is in partnership with the Biomedicalbr Advanced Research and Development Authority and thebr National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.br It will be carried out in two phases: the first phasebr asks for designs that meet “specific criteria”br and solve the “hurdles” of wearing a mask. .br Up to 10 ideas will be selectedbr to split a $100,000 prize. .br Participants in phase two will be required tobr pitch prototypes that meet criteria on filtration, br fit, comfort and large-scale manufacturing. .br Up to five winners will be chosenbr to split that $400,000 prize.