WASHINGTON, D.C. - On July 27th, 77 innovators from around the globe will descend on Washington DC to display their ideas in an open market place for the final stage of a competition that aims to find novel ways to deliver new technologies and services to mothers and newborns who live in rural areas of the world and don't have access to health facilities.

On July 28th, the award nominees and an honorary People’s Choice Award will be announced at a high-level forum. These award nominees will enter into final negotiations before awards can be issued. Voting for the People’s Choice Award is happening now on our website listed below. Voting will open July 15 and close on July 27th at 5pm EST.

To read more about the project, the 77 finalists and their ideas, please visit http://savinglivesatbirth.net.

What:

Development Exchange Award Ceremony - 77 Innovators from non-profit organizations, universities and university affiliates, and for-profit organizations.

Who:

Dr. Rajiv Shah, USAID Administrator
Vishwajeet Kumar, Founder & CEO, Community Empowerment Lab
Calestous Juma, Harvard University, Professor of the Practice of International Development; Director, Science, Technology, and Globalization Project

When:

Development Exchange: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m., Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Award Ceremony: 9a.m. – 12 p.m., Thursday, July 28, 2011

Where:

Ronald Reagan Building (Atrium Hall)
Washington, D.C.

For more information about this event, please contact: Ryan Cherlin at rcherlin@usaid.gov

**This event is open to credentialed press only.
Development Exchange: Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Access times for cameras: 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.: from the 14th Street entrance.

Award Ceremony: Thursday, July 28, 2011
Pre-set time for video cameras: 8:00 p.m. from the 14th St. entrance.

For more information about USAID and its programs around the world, please visit: www.usaid.gov.