Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award

Deadline: 30 April 2024

Apply for the 4th Cycle of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award to recognize individuals, pioneering organisations, and research centres, for their innovative models that produce clean water using renewable energy.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award supports research and development of new and innovative technologies that produce, distribute, store, monitor, desalinate and purify water using renewable energy to support the global position of the UAE in developing solutions for challenges that are faced by poverty- and disaster-stricken communities worldwide.

The biennial Award encourages leading corporations, research centres, institutions, the youth and innovators from across the world to compete in finding sustainable and innovative solutions to the problem of water scarcity. Until today and in three cycles, they awarded bright minds from around the world for their pioneering in water desalination and purification systems to overcome the world’s water crisis.

Categories

Innovative Projects Award
- Intended Applicants:
  - Governmental, semi-governmental, private and non-governmental organisations.
- Additional Requirements:
  - The organisation should be a legal entity, with a registered trade license and bank account. Please also attach a copy of the company/organisation trade license or equivalent when submitting your application.
  - The project should be scalable, and eligible for impact investment.
- Small Projects Award
  - In addition to the category description, the project must have a capital expenditure (CAPEX investment not including operational expenses) of USD 2.5 million or below and/or benefit 15,000 persons or less. (Water Production should be 450,000 L/day or less).
  - Prize Money and Distribution:
    - Prize money will be awarded to the institution/entity directly (not the project team). The prize in this category will be awarded as follows:
      - Total Prize Value is $240,000 and is distributed as follows:
        
        1st Place: $120,000
        
        2nd Place: $72,000
        
        3rd Place: $48,000
- Large Projects Award
  - In addition to the category description, the project must have a capital expenditure (CAPEX investment not including operational expenses) over USD 2.5 million and/or benefit more than 15,000 persons. (Water Production should exceed 450,000 L/day).
  - Prize Money and Distribution:
    - Prize money will be awarded to the institution/entity directly (not the project team). The prize in this category will be awarded as follows:
      - Total Prize Value is $300,000 and is distributed as follows:
        
        1st Place: $150,000
        
        2nd Place: $90,000
        
        3rd Place: $60,000
Innovative Individual Award
- Intended Applicants:
  - Individual applicants
- Distinguished Researcher Award
  - In addition to the category description, the applicant shall have attained outstanding achievements of lasting significance for sustainable use and protection of the world’s water resources, with at least 10 years of contribution to the water industry research, with a focus on renewable energy powered water innovation demonstrated by their scientific publication track record (e.g. by number of citations, h-index, journal impact factor and awards) and/or project deployment.
  - Prize Money and Distribution:
    - Prize money will be awarded to the individual applicant.
    - Prize Value: $20,000 (1 winner)
- Youth Award
  - In addition to the category description, the applicant must be under the age of 35, and have demonstrated the deployment of a solution related to developing and enabling renewable energy powered potable water production, distribution and/or management of proven environmental, scientific, social or technological significance, and demonstrated relevance to water issue(s) locally or globally.
  - Prize Money and Distribution:
    - Prize money will be awarded to the individual applicant.
    - Prize Value: $20,000 (1 winner)
Innovative Research & Development Award
- Intended Applicants:
  - Individuals or teams from non-profit, educational and academic institutions and research centres that are independent or annexed to governmental or semi-governmental organisations.
- Additional Requirements:
  - Please attach any letters of recommendation from the organisation(s) endorsing the project when submitting your application.
- National Institutions Award
  - In addition to the category description, the application must be submitted by the project team, and endorsed by their UAE institution (research/educational/corporate/non-profit institution) and any third-party sponsor(s) if applicable.
  - The application must demonstrate that the concept or solution was developed, tested, prototyped, or deployed in the UAE.
  - Prize Money and Distribution:
    - Prize money will be awarded to the sponsoring institution/entity directly (not the project team). A prize distribution agreement between the sponsoring institution and the project shall be provided and submitted to the Applications Team. The sponsoring institution shall be responsible for further distribution of the prize as per the prize distribution agreement.
    - Total prize value is $200,000 and is distributed as follows:
      - 1st Place: $100,000
      - 2nd Place: $60,000
      - 3rd Place: $40,000
- International Institutions Award
  - In addition to the category description, the application must be submitted by the project team and endorsed by the non-UAE institution (research/educational/corporate/non-profit institution) and any third-party sponsor(s) if applicable.
  - Prize Money and Distribution:
    - Prize money will be awarded to the sponsoring institution/entity directly (not the project team). A prize distribution agreement between the sponsoring institution and the project shall be provided and submitted to the Applications Team. The sponsoring institution shall be responsible for further distribution of the prize as per the prize distribution agreement.
    - Total prize value is $200,000 and is distributed as follows:
      - 1st Place: $100,000
      - 2nd Place: $60,000
      - 3rd Place: $40,000
Innovative Crisis Solutions Award
- Intended Applicants:
  - Small enterprises, research institutions, and NGOs.
- Additional Requirements:
  - The organisation should be a legal entity, with a registered trade licence and bank account. Please also attach a copy of the company/organisation trade licence or equivalent when submitting your application.
- Innovative Crisis Solutions Award
  - Prize Money and Distribution:
    - Prize money will be awarded to the institution/entity directly (not the project team).
    - Prize Value: $20,000 (1 winner).