WASHINGTON D.C. - The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced the opening of the "LAUNCH: Beyond Waste" challenge. A partnership with NASA, the U.S. Department of State, and NIKE, Inc., LAUNCH's mission is to showcase and support innovations with the potential to drastically improve human and environmental sustainability. This challenge aims to transform waste management, waste prevention, and waste reuse in the developing and developed worlds.

"Waste is one of the largest hidden challenges facing many developing countries-one that is rarely discussed but that is having an outsized impact on people's daily lives," said Dr. Alex Dehgan, Science and Technology Adviser to the Administrator at USAID. "Innovative solutions, businesses, and programs that fundamentally reimagine and transform waste into opportunity are desperately needed. USAID is excited to continue to play a central role in LAUNCH so that we can support the entrepreneurial efforts best positioned to transform global approaches to waste."

The submission period for prospective innovators' proposals to LAUNCH is open from April 1-May 15, 2012. LAUNCH Partners will review proposals from entrepreneurs and innovators from around the world and finalists will be announced in early June. They will be invited to attend the LAUNCH: Beyond Waste Forum from July 20-22 in Pasadena, Calif.

"LAUNCH: Beyond Waste" is the fourth challenge in a series. Previous LAUNCH program cycles focused on water, health and energy.

To learn more about LAUNCH or to apply to the LAUNCH: Beyond Waste challenge, visit: http://links.launch.org/beyond-waste