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ARSX2022 - Circular Economy in Agriculture

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Congratulations ARSX Awardees!

We are incredibly excited to share this year's three $100,000 ARSX2022 - Innovations for a Circular Economy in Agriculture challenge awardees.  ARSX2022 challenged scientists and researchers to propose high-risk, high-reward ideas that will help to make a paradigm shift from a linear to a circular economy in agriculture.  Three teams stood out above the rest and are this year's awardees:

ARSX is a challenge open to ARS scientists and post-doctoral fellows to help them develop and test bold and aspirational ideas.  The theme this year centered around circular economies for agriculture and food systems.  The ideas generated in this initiative contribute to a paradigm shift to an emerging circular economy.  Developing regenerative processes and closing gaps in existing loops can both maximize use of and protect our natural resources.

Congratulations to the 2022 awardees and all the amazing finalists!  You can view short video overviews of all the ARSX2022 finalist's proposals here.

The planning for ARSX2023 begins today!  Submit your challenge ideas for next year's competition here.

ARSX Overview

ARSX is a high-risk, high-reward research funding competition that encourages ARS scientists to put forward their breakthrough ideas for a transformative solution to a serious agricultural problem! 

The theme for ARSX2022 is the Circular Economy in Agriculture. We are looking to make a paradigm shift from a linear to a circular economy. Your ideas will transform our approach from linear processes that take starting materials and end up with products and waste streams to integrated processes in a circular economy that take starting materials and produce products and starting materials for other processes. By developing regenerative processes and closing gaps in existing loops, we can use our natural resources more efficiently.

This challenge will award up to three teams submitting the most compelling proposals up to $100,000 each to demonstrate proof of concept for their ideas. If you've had a bold and/or unconventional idea in this area in the back of your mind, now is the time to act!  

In ARSX2022, the teams submitting the 10 most compelling ideas will be selected as Phase 1 winners (finalists). These teams will have several weeks to participate in an innovation forum, to refine their ideas, and to build out their pitches. At the end of Phase 2, finalists will present their pitches to a panel of judges and an audience of their peers and colleagues. ​The judges will award up to $100,000 each to the top three teams.

In addition to the three $100,000 prizes, this challenge offers participants a chance to build new relationships across disciplines and geographies, and Phase 1 winners will have access to both group and individual pitch coaching.

How to Get Involved

Register at the HeroX website.*

Check out the past events. 

ARSX2022 - Close the Loop: Innovations for a Circular Economy in Agriculture

ARSX2021 - Harvest for a Healthier Future

ARSX2020 - Disruptive Pests and Pathogens