Sharjah Police offers Dh20,000 top prize for ideas to tackle coronavirus

Entries will be accepted until March 20

Sharjah cut the capacity of public venues and temporarily closed others in the fight against the coronavirus. Pawan Singh / The National

Sharjah Police are offering tens of thousands of dirhams in prize money for ideas to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

The innovation award is open for Arabic and English language entries until March 20.

The ideas must help improve prevention, recovery, vaccination and coronavirus screening.

The award comes at a time when more is needed to fight the disease, the force said.

“This [award] aims to generate new ideas and find solutions to use in the fight against the pandemic,” said Col Tariq Al Midfa, director of strategy and performance development at Sharjah Police.

“It is also an opportunity to involve members of the public of all ages in drawing up plans.”

The award is divided into two categories - one for ideas and the other for projects.

In the ideas category, winners will be awarded Dh8,000, Dh5,000 and Dh2,000 for first, second and third places.

In the projects category, the winners will be awarded Dh20,000, while second and third places involve prizes of Dh15,000 and Dh10,000.

Projects need to relate to the country and must have the potential to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

“Applicants must provide a prototype of their projects and a study that details cost and risks,” Col Al Midfa said.

Aspiring participants can read out more here.