In 1714 the British government threw down the gauntlet to solve the greatest scientific challenge of the century – how to pinpoint a ship’s location at sea by knowing its longitude. Three hundred years later the Longitude Prize 2014 is a challenge with a £10 million prize fund to help solve one of the greatest issues of our time. It is being run and developed by Nesta, with the Technology Strategy Board as launch funding partner.

There are six potential areas highlighted all very worthy causes, however there can only be one prize winner and this is your chance to vote for your preferred project.

The Challenges

WATER How can we ensure everyone can have access to safe and clean water? Water is becoming an increasingly scarce resource. 44 per cent of the world’s population and 28 per cent of the world’s agriculture are in regions of the world where water is scarce. The challenge is to alleviate the growing pressure on the planet’s fresh water by creating a cheap, environmentally sustainable desalination technology.

ANTIBIOTICS How can we prevent the rise of resistance to antibiotics? The development of antibiotics has added an average of 20 years to our life. Yet the rise of antimicrobial resistance is threatening to make them ineffective. This poses a significant future risk as common infections become untreatable. The challenge is to create a cost-effective, accurate, rapid, and easy-to-use test for bacterial infections that will allow health professionals worldwide to administer the right antibiotics at the right time.

DEMENTIA How can we help people with dementia live independently for longer? It is estimated that 135 million people worldwide will have dementia by 2050, which will mean a greater personal and financial cost to society. With no existing cure, there is a need to find ways to support a person’s dignity, physical and emotional wellbeing. The challenge is to develop intelligent, affordable integrated technologies that revolutionise care for people with dementia, enabling them to live independent lives.

FLIGHT How can we fly without damaging the environment? If aircraft carbon emissions continue to rise they could contribute up to 15 per cent of global warming from human activities within 50 years. This needs to be addressed in order to slow down climate change and its detrimental effects on the planet. The challenge is to design and build an aeroplane that is as close to zero-carbon as possible and capable of flying from London to Edinburgh, at comparable speed to today’s aircraft.

FOOD How can we ensure everyone has nutritious, sustainable food? One in eight people worldwide do not get enough food to live a healthy and fulfilled life. With a growing population and limited resources, providing everybody with nutritious, sustainable food is one of the biggest global problems ever faced. The challenge is to invent the next big food innovation, helping to ensure a future where everyone has enough nutritious, affordable and environmentally sustainable food.

PARALYSIS How can we restore movement to those with paralysis? In the UK, a person is paralysed every eight hours. Paralysis can emerge from a number of different injuries, conditions and disorders and the effects can be devastating. Every day can be demanding when mobility, bowel control, sexual function and respiration are lost or impaired. The challenge is to invent a solution that gives paralysed people close to the same freedom of movement that most of us enjoy. Find out more & vote