Looking for a challenge?

The XPrize Foundation holds various competitions to solve the world's toughest problems. Today, wildfires and carbon capture on the list. Explore their website and sign up for their newsletter to learn more.

https://www.xprize.org/

See also the XPrize Design Studio: https://www.xprize.org/designstudio

Mick and team are working to use tech to make the world better, one person or project at a time. You may not get paid in money, but you might create a prosthetic hand for a child in Africa who lost his hand in a war zone. Or you might create a cost-efficient treadmill so that sick children can recover and learn to walk. Oh, wait, Mick already did that. You'll have to work on another project, then.

https://www.notimpossible.com/

NASA has small business innovation research (SBIR) grants for solving various problems. From their website:

• Early-stage funding for research & development (R&D)
• Up to $1 million during your first three years, plus up to nearly $3 million or more through our Post Phase II opportunities
• We take zero equity, and you are in control of your intellectual property
• The experience of working with NASA experts on your technology
• The opportunity to join us on one of our many ambitious missions

Prize money to help NASA? Yes, please! 

https://www.nasa.gov/solve/index.html

https://www.xprize.org/designstudio has a category for space+exploration.

https://www.nasa.gov/sbir_sttr/