World Solve

Current approaches to solutions for safe and equitable management of the growing volumes of nuclear waste either underperform under variable field conditions or generate externalities that undermine long-term sustainability and equity. Closing the gap requires coordinated advances in science, systems design and enabling institutions.

A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for institutional designs that increase public trust in scientific institutions and advice. Scientific understanding, engineering readiness and institutional capacity remain insufficient to translate promising concepts into durable impact under real-world constraints of cost, skills and governance.

Current approaches to sensing and response systems for detecting engineered pathogens at ports of entry either underperform under variable field conditions or generate externalities that undermine long-term sustainability and equity. Closing the gap requires coordinated advances in science, systems design and enabling institutions.

A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for prognostic monitoring of aging dams and bridges under climate extremes. Scientific understanding, engineering readiness and institutional capacity remain insufficient to translate promising concepts into durable impact under real-world constraints of cost, skills and governance.

Current approaches to affordable methods for detecting and treating the major causes of vision and hearing impairment either underperform under variable field conditions or generate externalities that undermine long-term sustainability and equity. Closing the gap requires coordinated advances in science, systems design and enabling institutions.

The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for architectural and urban designs that reduce the urban heat island effect under extreme warming creates cascading risks across interconnected human and natural systems. Key missing elements include durable performance, low lifetime cost, and governance arrangements capable of sustaining impact beyond pilot stages.

A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for mangrove designs accelerating accretion under rapid sea-level rise. Scientific understanding, engineering readiness and institutional capacity remain insufficient to translate promising concepts into durable impact under real-world constraints of cost, skills and governance.

A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for education approaches that build scientific literacy and critical thinking from early childhood. Scientific understanding, engineering readiness and institutional capacity remain insufficient to translate promising concepts into durable impact under real-world constraints of cost, skills and governance.

A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for design principles for digital public services that remain inclusive of low-literacy users. Scientific understanding, engineering readiness and institutional capacity remain insufficient to translate promising concepts into durable impact under real-world constraints of cost, skills and governance.

A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for robust methods for measuring and improving subjective well-being at population scale. Scientific understanding, engineering readiness and institutional capacity remain insufficient to translate promising concepts into durable impact under real-world constraints of cost, skills and governance.

Achieving architectural and urban designs that maximize cooling and minimize energy under heat extremes at meaningful scale demands simultaneous progress in fundamental research, engineering integration and socio-technical systems that work for low- and middle-income settings. Existing efforts remain fragmented relative to the magnitude of the challenge.

The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for biotechnologies enabling plants to thrive under elevated CO2 salinity and heat stress creates cascading risks across interconnected human and natural systems. Key missing elements include durable performance, low lifetime cost, and governance arrangements capable of sustaining impact beyond pilot stages.

Current approaches to designs for energy systems that remain functional during multi-day extreme weather events either underperform under variable field conditions or generate externalities that undermine long-term sustainability and equity. Closing the gap requires coordinated advances in science, systems design and enabling institutions.

Current approaches to interventions that reduce the burden of infectious diseases through environmental and behavioral action either underperform under variable field conditions or generate externalities that undermine long-term sustainability and equity. Closing the gap requires coordinated advances in science, systems design and enabling institutions.

Current approaches to therapies that extend healthspan by targeting fundamental aging processes either underperform under variable field conditions or generate externalities that undermine long-term sustainability and equity. Closing the gap requires coordinated advances in science, systems design and enabling institutions.

Current approaches to planetary protection detection for forward and backward contamination either underperform under variable field conditions or generate externalities that undermine long-term sustainability and equity. Closing the gap requires coordinated advances in science, systems design and enabling institutions.

A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for institutional arrangements that accelerate the diffusion of clean energy technologies in LMICs. Scientific understanding, engineering readiness and institutional capacity remain insufficient to translate promising concepts into durable impact under real-world constraints of cost, skills and governance.

Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for affordable methods for detecting and treating the major causes of childhood undernutrition are still lacking. Progress is hindered by incomplete mechanistic knowledge, high capital and operational barriers, and the absence of deployment models suited to the contexts of greatest need.

A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for low-bandwidth digital tools that deliver high-quality education in connectivity-poor areas. Scientific understanding, engineering readiness and institutional capacity remain insufficient to translate promising concepts into durable impact under real-world constraints of cost, skills and governance.

Current approaches to nature-based solutions for landslide and erosion control on steep agricultural lands either underperform under variable field conditions or generate externalities that undermine long-term sustainability and equity. Closing the gap requires coordinated advances in science, systems design and enabling institutions.