What types of solutions are eligible for The Amgen Prize: Innovation for Patients with Rare Diseases?

The most important thing is that your solution addresses the focus of The Amgen Prize: using innovation to improve the journey for patients with rare diseases, from diagnosis to treatment and holistic care. We encourage people of all backgrounds to submit their applications.

Applicants must be a nonprofit tax-exempt organization in the U.S., or its equivalent outside of the U.S. as determined by Amgen. Eligibility for this award is subject to Amgen’s sole determination.

While The Amgen Prize is open to any nonprofit organization or NGO in the world to apply, US law prevents MIT Solve from awarding funds to persons ordinarily resident in Iran, Cuba, Syria, North Korea, Crimea area, Russia, and Belarus, or from parties blocked by the US Treasury Department. 

The Amgen Prize encourages applications from nonprofit organizations or NGOs led by people with rare diseases, as well as applications from organizations led by people from other underrepresented groups and identities. All qualified applicants will receive consideration.  Protected characteristics such as race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, ancestry, national or ethnic origin will not be a factor in determining whether or not a group is eligible for The Amgen Prize or a factor in awarding The Amgen Prize. 

Applicants to previous Solve Challenges, including the 2021, 2022, and 2023 Horizon Prize, are invited to apply for The Amgen Prize. Winning solutions for previous Horizon Prizes are not eligible to participate in The Amgen Prize. 

Solution applications must be written in English. The Challenge considers solutions at various stages of development:

• Prototype: An initial working version of a solution that may be in the process of getting initial feedback or testing with users (i.e. running a pilot). Until the solution transitions from testing to consistent availability, we would still consider it a Prototype. (Often zero users/direct beneficiaries)

• Pilot: The solution has been launched in at least one community, but is still iterating on design or business model. (Often 10+ users/direct beneficiaries)

• Growth: An established solution available in one or more communities with a consistent design and approach, ready for further growth in multiple communities or countries. Nonprofits and NGOs should have an established set of donors and/or revenue streams.

• Scale: A standard solution operating in many communities or multiple countries and is prepared to scale significantly by improving efficiency. 

Please note that we will not review or select Concept-stage solutions.

• Concept: An idea being explored and researched for its feasibility to build a product, service, or business model, including prototypes under development. Until the solution has a functioning prototype, we would still consider it a Concept.