General Notices

Registration for the 2024 FORECAST Conference is open. This year’s conference will be hosted in-person and online on July 10-12, 2024 at Jamaica’s University of Technology, Papine Campus. The theme for this year’s conference is Advancing Science & Technology Innovation for National and Regional Development.

The registration costs are as follows:

-          Student Online & Early Bird - $60 USD (Registration Fee for Student)

-          International Online & Early Bird - $200USD (General registration)

-          Local Online & Early Bird - $120USD (Registration Fee for Staff Member)

-          Student In Person - $75USD (Registration Fee for Student)

-          International In Person - $250 USD (General Registration Fee)

-          Local Online In Person - $150USD (Registration Fee for Staff Member)

To register to attend this conference click here.

Conference Background

Under the 2020 Memorandum of Understanding signed by the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech, Jamaica) and The University of the West Indies (UWI), the institutions “agreed to mutually cooperate to host the Frontiers of Research in Caribbean Science and Technology (FORECAST) Conference to strengthen scientific research in Jamaica and the region.” Executed jointly by the faculties with responsibility for Science and Technology, the FORECAST Conference is convened biennially and offers multiple spaces for learning, discussion, training, and presentations to foster new research and development opportunities. The inaugural FORECAST Conference 2022 was successfully implemented virtually from August 10-12, 2022. The UWI assumed the lead role for the 2022 undertaking and as agreed, the University of Technology, Jamaica serves as host of FORECAST 2024. The University of Guyana and University of Trinidad and Tobago will partner with UTech, Jamaica, and The UWI for the 2024 iteration of the FORECAST Conference at UTech, Jamaica’s Papine Campus.

Conference’s Grand Innovation Challenge

This challenge offers the opportunity for participants to win attractive cash prizes in addition to a chance to present innovations to leading scientists and industry experts for guidance and potential investment. There will be special awards for Best Overall Innovation; and Best Innovation (High School), among others. The FORECAST Grand Innovation Challenge 2024 is to develop a feasible community-based innovation (prototype/product/concept) consistent with the theme “Resilience and Transformation: Innovating Connected Caribbean Communities.” The theme of the 3rd Grand Innovation Challenge underscores the critical importance of building resilience and driving transformation within Caribbean communities. This challenge seeks innovative solutions that align with key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those that support the resilience and sustainable development of these communities against environmental, economic, and societal challenges.

Open to:

-          CARICOM students (high school, undergraduate, graduate).

-          Teams of 2-5 members.

Participants must note that:

-          A mentor is required for guidance, but presentations must be exclusively student-led.

-          Innovations must be original.

Innovations should contribute to one or more of the following SDGs:

-          SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation): Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

-          SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure): Develop resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, and foster innovation.

-          SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

-          SDG 13 (Climate Action): Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

-          SDG 14 (Life Below Water): Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources.

-          SDG 15 (Life on Land): Protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, manage forests sustainably, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.

 Format:

-          Information Session – To offer insights into criteria, submission guidelines, thematic alignment with SDGs and clarify queries on May 21, 2024, at 5:00 pm Jamaican Time (4:00 pm ECT). Meeting ID: 934 0499 0786

-          First Round – Submission of GIC Entry Form available online under Grand Innovation Challenge by May 24, 2024.The initial round of judging will be augmented with AI assistance to ensure a comprehensive and objective evaluation of submissions. Qualified teams will be notified through the Team’s Contact Person via email by May 31, 2024.

-          Second Round – Qualified teams must craft and submit a comprehensive video presentation that not only showcases their innovation but also demonstrates its practical application and effectiveness in a real-world scenario by June 7, 2024.The finalists will be notified through the Team’s Contact Person via email by June 21, 2024.

-          Final Round – The finalists will deliver an engaging presentation of their innovation to a panel of judges at the FORECAST 2024 Conference on July 12, 2024, highlighting its potential impact and practicality within Caribbean communities.

Key Dates

-          Information Session: May 21, 2024

-          Entry Form Submission Deadline: May 24, 2024

-          First Round Notification: May 31, 2024

-          Video Presentation Deadline: June 7, 2024

-          Finalist Notification: June 21, 2024

-          Final Pitch at FORECAST 2024: July 12, 2024

Click here to register to participate in the Grand Innovation Challenge.