What is the Disaster Challenge?
The Disaster Challenge is a national challenge (External link) 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.
What's a wicked problem?
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?
Find out more on naturalhazards.com.au/disaster-challenge/ (External link)
The 2023 Disaster Challenge is coordinated by Natural Hazards Research Australia and is hosted with support from universities and emergency management organisations in Victoria: the Australian Red Cross, AFAC, the Country Fire Authority, the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action Victoria, Emergency Management Victoria, Fire Rescue Victoria, Inspector-General for Emergency Management, Monash University, RMIT University, the University of Melbourne, and the Yarra Ranges Shire Council