Conference: Fostering Innovation through Enhanced Understanding of Healthcare Equity and Inclusion: A National Design Competition in Rehabilitation and Assistive Devices

该奖项支持在夏季生物力学，生物运输和生物工程会议（SB3C）上举办的全国设计竞赛，来自全国各地的本科团队提交他们的康复和辅助设备设计。摘要将由教师专家审查，前六名的团队将被邀请参加会场，并在一个特别的讲台上介绍他们的工作。每位入围者都将获得旅行和原型开发方面的支持。比赛的一个创新元素是一个互补的研讨会，针对与医疗保健公平及其对技术创新的影响有关的问题。参加会议的本科生通过参与比赛将学习生物固体力学，生物流体力学，设备设计，康复，细胞和分子力学，功能组织工程，生物传热传质和生物工程教育。该项目旨在促进学生参与设备设计和开发过程，同时提高对医疗保健差异问题的认识。本科生设计竞赛将进一步扩大其利益和影响，通过促进包括来自历史上的黑人学院和大学（HBCU）和主要的本科院校的团队。作为该项目的一部分开发的材料将与参与之前和未来比赛的教师导师分享。参加会议的本科生将参加一个研究驱动的活动，包括技术会议，研讨会和教师，临床医生，监管和工业代表的演讲，他们在设备设计，康复，残疾和许多其他领域具有专业知识。资金将使旅行的学生谁否则可能不会参加学术会议成为可能。参加会议为学生提供了宝贵的交流机会，包括研究生院和就业联系。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并且通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响力审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award supports a national design competition to be hosted at the Summer Biomechanics, Biotransport, and Bioengineering Conference (SB3C) where undergraduate teams from across the country submit their designs for rehabilitation and assistive devices. The abstracts will be reviewed by faculty experts and the top six teams will be invited to attend the venue and present their work in a special podium session. Each of the finalists will receive support for travel and prototype development. An innovative element of the competition is a complementary workshop that targets issues related to healthcare equity and its impact on technological innovation. Undergraduate students attending the conference through their involvement in the competition will learn about bio-solid mechanics, bio-fluid mechanics, device design, rehabilitation, cellular and molecular mechanics, functional tissue engineering, bio-heat and mass transfer, and bioengineering education. This project aims to promote student engagement in the device design and development process while raising awareness of healthcare disparity issues. The undergraduate design competition will further broaden its benefits and impact through fostering the inclusion of teams from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and primarily undergraduate institutions. The materials developed as part of this project will be shared with faculty mentors involved in prior and future competitions. Undergraduate students attending the conference will participate in a research-driven event with technical sessions, workshops, and presentations by faculty, clinicians, regulatory, and industrial representatives who have expertise in device design, rehabilitation, disabilities, and numerous other areas. Funding will make travel possible for students who otherwise might not attend an academic conference. Attendance at the conference provides valuable networking opportunities for the students, including contacts for graduate school and employment.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.