Applications Open: UND Innovation Moonshot Industry Challenges
UND is launching a new opportunity for students and researchers eager to take on real-world industry challenges. The Industry Challenge Sprints are designed for participants who want hands-on innovation experience without needing an existing company, intellectual property or startup background.
If you’re curious about solving complex problems, collaborating across disciplines and working on challenges that matter, this program is for you.
What Are the Industry Challenge Sprints?
The Industry Challenge Sprints are a structured, team-based innovation experience focused on industry-aligned problem solving. Over six guided sessions, participants will move through key phases of innovation:
- Discovery– Understanding the problem space and key stakeholders
- Validation– Testing assumptions and refining insights
- Solution Development– Designing practical, scalable solutions
You can join with a team or apply individually and have a team formed for you. Participants will collaborate with peers from diverse academic backgrounds while receiving structured guidance throughout the sprint.
2026 Industry-Sponsored Challenges
Participants will work on one of two high-impact challenges:
Affordable Mass
Sponsored by Northrop Grumman.
Explore how the U.S. aerospace and defense industrial base can shift toward “Affordable Mass”, producing large volumes of capable, low-cost, rapidly replaceable systems rather than relying on a small number of high-cost platforms.
This challenge focuses on scalability, supply chain simplification and innovative approaches to strengthen industrial resilience and operational flexibility.
Rural Housing in North Dakota
Sponsored by a UND alum.
Address North Dakota’s housing crisis by identifying:
- What types of housing are most needed
- Where development should occur
- How housing can be delivered faster and more affordably
Participants will explore practical, data-informed solutions that support workforce growth and strengthen communities across the state.
Fresh Produce Access in Rural North Dakota
Sponsored by the Department of Nutrition & Dietetics.
Address limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables in rural communities by identifying:
- How to increase year-round access to affordable, locally grown produce
- Ways to capture and repurpose flared natural gas from oil production
- Scalable greenhouse solutions powered by redirected energy resources
Participants will explore practical, sustainable solutions that improve health outcomes, reduce energy waste and strengthen rural communities across the state.
Program Schedule
All sessions will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. on the following dates:
- March 19
- March 26
- April 2
- April 9
- April 26
- April 27
Participants are expected to attend all six sessions to fully engage in the sprint experience.
Who Should Apply?
This opportunity is open to:
- UND undergraduate and graduate students
- UND researchers/faculty
No prior startup, business, or IP experience is required. Whether you’re in engineering, business, health sciences, liberal arts, or another discipline, your perspective is valuable.
Why Participate?
By joining the Industry Challenge Sprints, you will:
- Gain hands-on innovation and problem-solving experience
- Build skills in design thinking, customer discovery, and validation
- Collaborate across disciplines in a team environment
- Work directly on challenges with real-world impact
- Strengthen your resume with industry-aligned experience
This is a unique opportunity to engage with meaningful challenges while developing practical innovation skills that translate across industries.
Application Deadline: Wednesday, March 4 at 5 p.m.
Ready to be part of the Moonshot and turn ideas into impact?
Apply now and take the first step toward solving real industry challenges.
For questions, contact: und.moonshot@und.edu
