September 2014: The US State Department, together with the US Agency for International Development (USAID), US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and corporate partner NIKE have issued a “global challenge” seeking innovations in green chemistry. The LAUNCH platform aims to identify and foster breakthrough ideas in the field of green chemistry.

The initiative is seeking ideas to transform the system of materials and manufacturing, and that can have dramatic social, environmental and economic impact internationally.

LAUNCH has adopted the US Environment Protection Agency’s (EPA) definition of “green chemistry” based on 12 principles: prevention; atom economy; less hazardous chemical synthesis; designing safer chemicals; safer solvents and auxiliaries; design for energy efficiency; use of renewable feedstocks; reduce derivatives; catalysis; design for degradation; real-time analysis for pollution prevention; and inherently safer chemistry for accident prevention.

Submissions close 24 September 2014. [LAUNCH Press Release]