The western U.S. is a place of incredible natural beauty, but it is also home to many frontier communities with limited access to resources. Over 170 years ago, the University of Utah emerged as the first public university west of the Missouri River and it quickly identified frontier populations as a key community in need of research solutions. Indeed, the first research program at the university focused on enhancing the lives and well-being of Utahns living in rural and remote areas. The legacy continues today as the university is a leading academic institution in remote and austere conditions (RAC) research. To honor and advance this legacy, the U hosted its first-ever RAC Grand Challenge on July 19^th in search of innovative projects focused on novel techniques, technologies, and methods for remote and austere environments.

“The University of Utah is well equipped for a grand challenge like this,” said Taylor Randall, president of the University of Utah and opening speaker at the inaugural event. “Utah is a place with pristine beauty. But our state’s geography and environment can make it challenging for some residents to access needed resources. That’s where we can step in. The U and its research are committed to serving all 3.5 million Utahns, regardless of how remote their community may be.”

Randall also announced the launch of an Applied Medical Engineering Lab (AME Lab), which will be focused on developing the future of medical care technologies to treat any patient with any injury or illness in any location.

The event showcased sixteen proposals, with most of the proposal projects’ functions driven by the daunting challenge of helping people with limited resources or who are essentially off-grid. Research teams and individuals competed in an ambitious pitch competition for $1 million in funding, with up to $250,000 available per award for the most promising proposals. The presentations were judged by a distinguished panel of experts from industry and government agencies, including the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, National Security Agency, and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

When asked what makes the RAC Grand Challenge so exciting, Doreen Hamilton, technical director of the National Security Agency in Utah and one of the judges of the competition, said it’s seeing the researchers that are at the forefront of their academic fields look for applications to help the human condition, and the diverse cross-section of academia that is contributing to these efforts.

Hamilton said it’s important to fund projects like those featured at the RAC Grand Challenge because people living in remote and austere areas are underrepresented and far less likely to benefit from traditional research. Moreover, Hamilton stressed that RAC research benefitted those serving in remote areas, such as soldiers, first responders, and rescue workers.

“We are in a democracy in which we are working towards all people having equal access to the basic cares that we all hope to enjoy, and that means we have to consider all environments, and often those are underrepresented,” she said. “When it comes to our military members, they also are under incredible stress and so we need the nation’s greatest minds looking into how we can help them promote life in all of those austere environments.”

Some of the proposed projects include a wearable temperature monitoring system for frostbite prevention and research; a portable intelligent robot arm that combat medics can use for emergency medical assistance in remote environments; and a drone-delivered tele-assisted defibrillation system — just to name a few.

Jake Jensen, associate vice president for research, said the U of U is currently a world leader in remote and austere conditions research. Through events like the RAC Grand Challenge, the U hopes to push the research agenda forward while enhancing the safety and well-being of populations living or working in challenging areas with limited or no resources.

“I have been studying remoteness my entire life and I can tell you that it’s fascinating, but it also dominates everything when you’re in it,” he said. “It’s the defining characteristic of that environment. That you are away from things. As a Montanan, I love that. But it’s also a dangerous thing and something that requires innovation for survival. The University of Utah is dedicated to serving anyone that finds themselves in a remote area. It’s part of what we do. It’s part of our DNA.”

A list of the winning proposals can be found below.

About the RAC Challenge

The Office of the Vice President for Research developed the Remote and Austere Conditions Grand Challenge as a pioneering initiative to stimulate and support innovative research focused on developing new techniques, technologies, and methods for remote and austere environments. The RAC Grand Challenge aims to drive advancements and societal impact that address the unique challenges of these environments.

List of winning Remote and Austere Conditions Grand Challenge proposals (in no particular order):

Project: Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) Detection in Remote and Austere Environments

Principal Investigator: Kai Kuck, Ph.D.

Team: Natalie Silverton, M.D.; Guillaume Hoareau, Ph.D.; Deisy Carvalho Fernandes, Ph.D.; Lt. Col. Ian Stewart, M.D.

Project: Treating Traumatic Pain in Remote and Austere Conditions

Principal Investigator: Derek Sakata, M.D.

Team: Chris Reilly, Ph.D.; Joseph Orr, Ph.D.; Nate Goergen, M.D., Ph.D.; Tatjana Warren Ph.D., CRNA

Project: Lyophilized Human Amniotic Fluid to Rapidly Treat Remote Patients Suffering Myocardial Infarction

Principal Investigator: Craig Selzman, M.D.

Team: Jan Pierce, MBA; John Phillips, Ph.D.; Grace Lee, M.D.; Hadi Javen, M.D.; Ian Nickel, M.D.; Derek Dosdall, Ph.D.; Armen Karamanian, M.D., Ph.D.; Guillaume Hoareau, DVM, Ph.D.; Jose Tonna, M.D.; Robin Shaw, M.D., Ph.D.; Sarah Franklin, Ph.D.; Hui Li, M.D., M.S.

Project: Eradicating Hepatitis C Through a Novel Self-collection Process

Principal Investigator: Ben Bradley M.D., Ph.D.

Team: Robert Ohgami, M.D., PhD; Erwin Berthier, Ph.D.

Project: Venturi Vacuum Suction Devices: A Novel Approach to Field and Tactical Suction Devices

Principal Investigator: Theodore (TJ) Hartridge, D.O.

Team: Scott Mcintosh, M.D.; Todd Harman, Ph.D.; Jacob Hochhalter, Ph.D.; Spencer Loveless

Project: FrostByte: A Wearable Temperature Monitoring System for Frostbite Prevention and Research

Principal Investigator: Scott McIntosh, M.D.; Jake George, Ph.D.

Team: Brendan Miliner, M.D.; Robert Brickley, M.D.; TJ Hartridge, M.D.; Darrin Young, Ph.D.

Project: Freeze-Dried Mitochondria: Next Gen Trauma Care in Remote and Austere Settings

Principal Investigator: Guillaume Hoareau, DVM, Ph.D.

Team: David Granger, Ph.D.; Thomas Edward, DVM, M.S.; Evan Ross, M.D.; Kelly Mann, DVM

Project: The Three-Armed Medic: Enabling Emergency Medical Assistance in Remote and Austere Environments via a Portable, Intelligent, and Lightweight Robot Arm

Principal Investigator: Alan Kuntz, Ph.D.

Team: Daniel Brown, Ph.D.; Scott Youngquist, M.D.; Dr. Alexander Colonna

Project: Bi-bougie: Safe, Reliable, Effective Intubation

Principal Investigator: Jake Hochhalter, Ph.D.

Team: Holly Ledyard, Ph.D.; Pai Wang, Ph.D.; Krishna Logakannan, Ph.D.; Russell Johnson

• Xoel Cardenas Senior Communications Specialist, Office of the Vice President of Research
  385-495-7133 xoel.cardenas@utah.edu