Develop scalable rehabilitation systems that combine community workers, telemedicine, low-cost devices, and culturally appropriate exercises for stroke survivors far from specialists.
Repository of problems worth solving
World Solve is a public institutional repository for identifying real unresolved problems across science, society, health, governance, economics, and local systems. Each entry is intended to be citable, inspectable, and actionable.
Reliable detection of sepsis in clinics without laboratory capacity
Create robust low-resource triage systems that recognize early sepsis using inexpensive sensors, clinical workflows, and locally calibrated machine-learning models.
Preventing heat-related kidney disease among outdoor workers
Determine how heat, dehydration, pesticide exposure, and labor conditions interact to cause chronic kidney disease, then build practical prevention systems for agricultural and construction workers.
Low-cost diagnostics for fungal infections resistant to standard treatment
Develop point-of-care diagnostics for invasive and drug-resistant fungal infections, especially among immunocompromised patients in regions lacking advanced laboratories.
Affordable neonatal jaundice detection outside hospitals
Create accurate, validated screening tools that detect dangerous neonatal bilirubin levels in homes and rural clinics without requiring expensive laboratory equipment.
Field-ready systems for distributed methane leak detection and auto-mitigation systems.
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for distributed methane leak detection and auto-mitigation systems. 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.
Systemic solutions addressing education and training systems that prepare populations for climate-driven livelihood transitions.
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for education and training systems that prepare populations for climate-driven livelihood transitions. 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.
Breakthrough approaches to mechanisms for ensuring that the benefits of the bioeconomy are shared with biodiversity-rich countries.
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for mechanisms for ensuring that the benefits of the bioeconomy are shared with biodiversity-rich countries. 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.
Scalable solutions for safe and effective methods for large-scale insect protein production and use.
Despite recognition of its importance, reliable methods for safe and effective methods for large-scale insect protein production and use 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.
Reducing single-use plastic reliance in food retail across United States.
Food retail in United States remains heavily dependent on single-use plastic packaging, and affordable, scalable biodegradable alternatives have not reached price parity for small vendors.
Practical realization of real-time systems for detecting and responding to the illegal trade in timber and forest products.
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for real-time systems for detecting and responding to the illegal trade in timber and forest products. 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.
Scalable solutions for real-time attribution of extreme weather events to climate change for adaptation planning.
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for real-time attribution of extreme weather events to climate change for adaptation planning. 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.
Scalable solutions for autonomous microgravity assembly of large habitats and infrastructure.
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for autonomous microgravity assembly of large habitats and infrastructure 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.
Integrating refugee populations into host labor markets near Pakistan.
Refugees hosted near Pakistan frequently possess professional qualifications that are not recognized locally, forcing skilled individuals into informal or unrelated low-wage work.
Robust methods enabling technologies for the continuous monitoring and verification of methane emissions from multiple sectors.
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for technologies for the continuous monitoring and verification of methane emissions from multiple sectors. 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.
Practical realization of psychological first-aid and mental health systems scalable after mass trauma.
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for psychological first-aid and mental health systems scalable after mass trauma 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.
Overcoming barriers to affordable methods for the continuous monitoring of environmental and occupational health hazards.
A persistent gap exists in realizing practical, scalable solutions for affordable methods for the continuous monitoring of environmental and occupational health hazards. 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.
Development of systems for verifying the absence of forced labor throughout complex global supply chains.
Achieving systems for verifying the absence of forced labor throughout complex global supply chains 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.
Scalable solutions for real-time systems for predicting and mitigating the cascading impacts of climate extremes.
The absence of robust, context-adapted solutions for real-time systems for predicting and mitigating the cascading impacts of climate extremes 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.
Scalable solutions for methods for restoring the health of oceans and marine ecosystems under multiple stressors.
Current approaches to methods for restoring the health of oceans and marine ecosystems under multiple stressors 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.