2023 Transcend Madison Innovation Competition
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Important competition details for required events and project eligibility are listed below.
The 2023 Transcend Madison Competition will be held on April 13th and 14th at the Discovery Building.
Transcend Madison, created by Transcend UW, is the campus's first-ever student-led innovation competition. Each year we give away up to $55,000 worth of prizes and this year's presenting sponsor Discovery to Product (D2P) has helped make it all possible. This event was made with one goal in mind: to bring students all across UW Madison together to demonstrate their novel ideas and creations.
This is a competition for the doers. We judge heavily on execution: taking the necessary steps to turn your idea from nothing into reality.
Team & Project Eligibility:
All team members must be degree-seeking University of Wisconsin-Madison students enrolled in the Spring 2023 term. Alumni who graduated from UW-Madison in December 2022 are still eligible to compete.
You must meet the following criteria to be eligible for competition.
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Teams can be as small as 1 person with a maximum of 5 people.
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Individuals are only eligible to participate in 1 team at competition.
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Projects are ineligible if they fit any of the following categories:
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Are a part of a course you are currently enrolled in
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Are part of a paid or graded research experience
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Are part of a thesis project
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Are the primary intellectual property of other individuals or groups that are not eligible to participate in the competition (ex. work done for an internship, family business etc.)
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Mandatory Event Attendance:
In order for a team to maintain eligibility for the competition, the team must attend both of the following events which will be hosted this Spring. The third is optional and highly recommended.
Events:
Intellectual Property Seminar (March 21st and 22nd, 6-7pm each night)
Project Review Session (March 28th 6-9pm, 29th 6-9pm, and 30th 6-8pm)
Pitch Coaching (optional but highly recommended) (February 27th)
Each team is required to check-in at the events to receive credit for the team. At least one member must attend. All teams are required to stay for the duration of the scheduled event or session. Failure to stay may render your team ineligible for competition.
2023 Competition Structure
April 13th
- All teams will participate in the poster session.
- All teams will pitch in the placement round.
- Based on placement round performance, judges will place teams in the general track, advanced track or top five for day two.
April 14th
- Top 5 competitors will pitch again.
- Advanced Track competitors will pitch again.
- All general track competitors will pitch again.
- Judges will evaluate all second day pitches and assign rewards.
- Only teams in the top 5 will be eligible for first, second and third place prizes.
- Teams not competing in the top 5 will be eligible for all other prizes.