HHS Launches $4M EMPOWER Prize Challenge to Boost Living Kidney Donation
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has initiated the 2026 KidneyX EMPOWER Prize Challenge, a $4 million national competition aimed at fostering innovations to support living kidney donors. This initiative addresses the critical shortage of kidney donations, with over 100,000 Americans currently on the waitlist and more than a dozen dying each day while waiting for a transplant. Despite the effectiveness of living kidney donations, the number of donors has stagnated at fewer than 7,000 annually for the past two decades. The challenge targets five key barriers: public awareness, donor interventions, donor readiness, donor-centered outcomes, and center practices. The goal is to overcome financial, logistical, and educational hurdles that deter potential donors. 
