The most innovative wireless technologies in the world have one thing in common: They all began with a bright idea. The InterDigital Innovation Challenge (I2C) is an opportunity for individuals or teams from any North American college or university to compete for $175,000 in prizes by testing out proposals and prototypes for wireless technologies before a panel of esteemed judges from industry and academia.

But in this increasingly connected world, it isn't enough to merely think big -- you must also create big 'buzz' for your idea. That's where the I2C Community comes in: The team or individual who best harnesses the power of social media to earn the "popular vote" will automatically move onto the final round, where all finalists are eligible for an additional $5,000 popular vote prize.

I2C is a collaboration between InterDigital and the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2) at the University of California, San Diego. Both Interdigital and Calit2 have made it their mission to nurture public research and accelerate innovation in wireless products and technologies, with a particular emphasis in:

• Radio signal propagation and processing
• Radio modem innovations
• Radio network management and systems innovations
• Compression and data management techniques
• Energy improvement in radio processing
• Wireless and network virtualization

Submissions to the InterDigital Innovation Challenge will be accepted through March 30, 2012. Now's the time to let your bright ideas shine.

InterDigital® develops fundamental wireless technologies that are at the core of mobile devices, networks, and services worldwide. We solve many of the industry's most critical and complex technical challenges, inventing solutions for more efficient broadband networks and a richer multimedia experience years ahead of market deployment. InterDigital has licenses and strategic relationships with many of the world's leading wireless companies.

For more information, visit the InterDigital website: www.interdigital.com

The California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2) was founded as a partnership between the State of California, the University of California and private industry to foster innovation and create knowledge that will help drive California's economy. Calit2, which has divisions at the UC San Diego and UC Irvine, is uniquely positioned to support the development of advances in wireless telecommunications research. Five of the eight endowed chairs funded by Calit2's industry partners are primarily focused on wireless research, from wireless access networks and mobile computing to telecommunications and information technology, as well as communications policy. The UCSD division of Calit2 also has a suite of laboratories dedicated to research on a variety of wireless systems, including power amplifiers, antennas, base stations and more which comprise the core wireless resources and services and services available to enable and catalyze innovation.

For more information, visit the Calit2 website: calit2.net

The I2C prizes will be awarded following a review process conducted by a judging panel comprised of participants from academia and industry, as selected by Calit2. The following criteria will be used to evaluate the innovative and technological merit of the proposals:

• Innovation of idea
• Probable commercial viability of the technology
• Likely milestones necessary to develop and commercialize the technology
• Marketplace attractiveness
• Likely intellectual property outcomes, if any

Rules and Judging Criteria »

Intellectual property contained in the applicants' proposals will be the property of the applicant or applicants' institution and will be managed and protected in accordance with their policies. Neither Calit2 nor InterDigital will have intellectual property rights in any applicants' proposal as a result of the submission to the Program. Calit2/UCSD employees who are subject to the normal UCSD intellectual property policy.

More on Intellectual Property »

We highly encourage multidisciplinary teams and urge you to ask questions, share your ideas, report problems or give praise on our Community Wall.

Start a Conversation »

Looking for a little guidance on how to strengthen your proposal? Need an advisor to help you fashion a marketing message for your idea? Check out the resources available to you from our participating collaborators.

List of Available Resources »