What is the International Laboratory Freezer Challenge?
The International Laboratory Freezer Challenge (Freezer Challenge) is a competition designed to promote best practices in cold storage management. The Freezer Challenge covers all forms of cold storage, including refrigerators, freezers, and cold rooms. Labs participating in the challenge will be asked to submit an online score sheet.
Who can participate in the Freezer Challenge?
Any laboratories in the world can participate by signing up at freezerchallenge.org. Laboratories are defined as a group of people and their physical space working under one manager, researcher, or scientific mission.
When will the Freezer Challenge take place?
The 2021 Freezer Challenge begins January 1, 2021 and continues to July 1, 2021. Score sheets are due by midnight PST on July 1, 2021. Labs are encouraged to work at their own pace during the intervening months to complete the challenge.
What are the benefits of participating in the Freezer Challenge?
Freezer Challenge participants will benefit from:
How is the Freezer Challenge scored?
Labs will receive points for taking the actions listed under 'The Challenge' part of the website, which mirror the Freezer Challenge scoresheet. In the vast majority of cases, each action per cold storage unit is worth 1 point unless otherwise described on the scoresheet. For actions that also have an energy savings component, we also estimate kwh/day saved. For the 2021 Freezer Challenge, once you submit your scoresheet, you will receive a preliminary estimate of your energy savings. The Freezer Challenge is scored by looking at a combination of factors, including points earned, kWh saved, points earned per cold storage unit, and kWh saved per cold storage unit. The goal is to reward the labs and organizations that have earned the most points and saved the most energy through the Challenge.
Will there be awards?
Yes! Awards are given to research institutions based on the total number of points and energy saved. Organizational awards reward those research institutions that have encouraged many laboratories to make the greatest difference during this challenge.
Awards are also given to individual laboratories who score the most points per number of refrigeration units. Lab awards reward those labs who have made the greatest effort to improve their sample management and reduce the impact of their cold storage methods. Organization and Lab winners will have their names and photos published in Nature.
The International Laboratory Freezer Challenge (Freezer Challenge) is a competition designed to promote best practices in cold storage management. The Freezer Challenge covers all forms of cold storage, including refrigerators, freezers, and cold rooms. Labs participating in the challenge will be asked to submit an online score sheet.
Who can participate in the Freezer Challenge?
Any laboratories in the world can participate by signing up at freezerchallenge.org. Laboratories are defined as a group of people and their physical space working under one manager, researcher, or scientific mission.
When will the Freezer Challenge take place?
The 2021 Freezer Challenge begins January 1, 2021 and continues to July 1, 2021. Score sheets are due by midnight PST on July 1, 2021. Labs are encouraged to work at their own pace during the intervening months to complete the challenge.
What are the benefits of participating in the Freezer Challenge?
Freezer Challenge participants will benefit from:
- Reducing energy consumption, costs, and environmental impact of the lab
- Learning and applying proper cold storage maintenance techniques to help avoid future failures
- Removal of unneeded or unviable samples from cold storage units, freeing up that space for new samples without having to purchase additional refrigerators and freezers.
- Reduced costs associated with maintaining extraneous cold storage units.
- Improved researcher access to and security for viable samples.
- Development of ongoing cold storage management practices that support efficiency and maximize lab space utility.
- Participation recognition, plus awards!
How is the Freezer Challenge scored?
Labs will receive points for taking the actions listed under 'The Challenge' part of the website, which mirror the Freezer Challenge scoresheet. In the vast majority of cases, each action per cold storage unit is worth 1 point unless otherwise described on the scoresheet. For actions that also have an energy savings component, we also estimate kwh/day saved. For the 2021 Freezer Challenge, once you submit your scoresheet, you will receive a preliminary estimate of your energy savings. The Freezer Challenge is scored by looking at a combination of factors, including points earned, kWh saved, points earned per cold storage unit, and kWh saved per cold storage unit. The goal is to reward the labs and organizations that have earned the most points and saved the most energy through the Challenge.
Will there be awards?
Yes! Awards are given to research institutions based on the total number of points and energy saved. Organizational awards reward those research institutions that have encouraged many laboratories to make the greatest difference during this challenge.
Awards are also given to individual laboratories who score the most points per number of refrigeration units. Lab awards reward those labs who have made the greatest effort to improve their sample management and reduce the impact of their cold storage methods. Organization and Lab winners will have their names and photos published in Nature.
What is the Freezer Challenge registration deadline?
Online access to the 2021 Freezer Challenge scoresheet will begin January 1, 2021 and be ongoing through the end of the Freezer Challenge.
When will the Freezer Challenge Score Sheets be available?
Online score sheets will be made available to participating labs starting on January 1, 2021.
When must Freezer Challenge Score Sheets be completed?
Online Freezer Challenge Score Sheets must be completed by midnight July 1, 2021.
Our lab has already done a lot of the actions listed on the score sheet - will we be awarded points for previous actions taken?
In some cases, yes, such as if you're ULT freezers are already set to -70 C. In a departure from how previous Freezer Challenges have been run, for many scoresheet elements we are asking participants in the 2021 Freezer Challenge to only report actions they've done since August 1, 2020. This is in an effort to reward the labs and organizations that have truly done the most since August 2020, all the way up through July 1, 2021. Many of the preventative maintenance best practices highlighted by the challenge, as well as sample management strategies, should be done on a regular basis in all laboratories, so we are encouraging that with this change.
I accidentally submitted my score sheet before it was completed - help!
No problem! Email us with "reopen scoresheet" in the subject line and let us know that you need access to your scoresheet again.
Who do I contact if I have additional questions?
All questions should be directed to info@mygreenlab.org.
