Innovative research for wicked problems
A national challenge to encourage new ideas, new thinking and new research. What can you bring to disaster management in Australia?
A national challenge to encourage new ideas, new thinking and new research. What can you bring to disaster management in Australia?
At the heart of society’s approach to disaster resilience are the notions of shared responsibility and community-led action, backed by scientific evidence and lived experience. This requires informed, trusted and effective relationships between people and organisations involved in preventing, preparing, responding and recovering from disasters, including climate change.
There are many ways to build and sustain mutual trust, however trust can be eroded by the decisions and actions of people, communities and organisations. In its place people, communities and organisations can be disconnected, communication can break down and cynicism, doubt, isolation and non-participation can grow.
When trust is challenged the foundations of disaster resilience are threatened.
The Challenge
In a world where trust is both vital and fragile, how can we build and sustain trust across our whole society to drive the collective and coordinated actions that are fundamental to reducing the risks and impacts of disasters, and strengthening the safety, sustainability and resilience of all Australians?
The Disaster Challenge is a national challenge to encourage new ideas, new thinking and new research.
The Disaster Challenge calls out to early career researchers, postgraduate and undergraduate students across Australia – it is your chance to make a difference with innovative ideas and solutions for the wicked problems the country faces with natural hazards.
Hosted by Natural Hazards Research Australia with support from universities and emergency management organisations, the Disaster Challenge invites the best and brightest minds in our universities to put their creative talents into helping us solve the trickiest problems that surround how we deal with floods, bushfires, storms, cyclones and other natural hazards.
A wicked problem is one that is urgent, but difficult to solve because of incomplete, contradictory, or changing requirements that are often difficult to recognise or evaluate.
With a national final and prizes, what innovation can you and your team bring that Australia hasn’t done yet?
The Disaster Challenge 2024 is hosted with support from universities and emergency management organisations. It will take place in three phases. The first phase is to enter your concept – we want to hear your team’s idea for addressing the wicked problem.
The judges will then review and select the best entries for the Disaster Challenge Final using the judging criteria. Up to three finalists will be selected.
To bring your ideas to life, finalists will be supported with academic and industry mentors to assist them to take their idea to the next level. If required, finalists will have access to equal financial, academic and creative support to get the best out of their ideas, as well as support for up to three members of each finalist team to attend the Disaster Challenge Final.
Finalists will come together in Perth at a special public event on 3 or 4 October to pitch their brilliant ideas to a judging panel of disaster management experts.
Reasons to enter the Disaster Challenge
The winning team will receive:
Two runners up will receive $2,000 each per team.
The Disaster Challenge is about how you take your knowledge, your ideas, your thinking, and your experience and make a difference to disaster management.
Team participation can comprise a mix of postgraduate and undergraduate students, and early career researchers, from any combination of science disciplines. However, in order for teams to be as competitive as possible we strongly encourage a multi-disciplinary approach with teams of students and early career researchers with multi-disciplinary expertise wherever possible.
Participation is open to entrants from all Australian states and territories.
The Disaster Challenge aims to encourage as much diversity in solution designs as possible. Just as there are no single right answers to complex problems, the nature of the issued challenge demands teams look for highly innovative solutions. Applications are particularly encouraged from teams that include and represent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, culturally and linguistically diverse people, people with disability, LGBTIQ+ people, and people with family and caring responsibilities.
This is a research-informed challenge. It is about applying research knowledge to a wicked problem. Each entry will be evaluated against judging criteria. Your team does not need emergency management or disaster expertise. The Disaster Challenge is about innovation from all areas that can be used to benefit disaster management in Australia.
The problem is so wicked it does not allow for a simple response. Your entry needs to take into account the complexities of the problems, the trade-offs between various solutions, the people impacted for better or for worse, the costs involved and who needs to pay for it.
You are not expected to solve the entire problem. By their nature, wicked problems are notoriously difficult to resolve and cannot be solved in a single step. Instead, the Disaster Challenge is looking for ideas that can help Australia take a step in the right direction towards tackling this particular wicked problem.
The Disaster Challenge is not just looking for better technological solutions – better fire hoses, more satellites, information websites or apps, warning and alarm systems, bigger water bombing planes or fire/flood proof building materials. These may address problems, but they are not solutions to wicked problems.
We want to hear about your ideas for developing a solution.
Enter the Disaster Challenge by outlining you or your team’s idea on how to address the wicked problem. At this stage, we’re not expecting teams to present a complete solution – that comes later.
To get started, all you need to do is:
You can explain your concept in either written or short video format, using the Entry form. Note video entries are judged on the concept only, using the same judging criteria as written entries. Production qualities will not be taken into account – we just need to see and hear your idea.
Applications should address:
For full assessment criteria, see the Guide for Entrants.
Finalists will have an opportunity to work with a team of mentors to help take the idea to the next level. That’s where you will translate your idea into a solution that you can showcase at the Disaster Challenge Final, in front of people who work in emergency management, who are looking for better ways to improve public safety and reduce pain and suffering as a result of natural hazards.
“The Disaster Challenge gives participants the opportunity to work together across universities and disciplines around the country. They get to take on a challenge, be imaginative, creative and collaborative, with guidance from some brilliant mentors.”
Professor Cheryl Desha, Griffith University Disaster Management Network
“The great thing about the Disaster Challenge is that it really gives us the opportunity to hear from early researchers about some new and innovative ideas. As a disaster management sector, that gives us the opportunity to really push the limits and think about what is new and fresh coming our way that we can incorporate in to the way we do disaster management.”
Kath Ryan, Executive Manager Public Information and Warnings, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services. 2022 Disaster Challenge Final judge.
The 2024 Disaster Challenge is coordinated by Natural Hazards Research Australia and is hosted with support from universities and emergency management organisations.
Thank you to our 2024 Steering Group:
We acknowledge the traditional custodians across all the lands on which we live and work, and we pay our respects to Elders both past, present and emerging. We recognise that these lands and waters have always been places of teaching, research and learning.