Could one of television’s most iconic characters be coming back to the small screen? After a fashion, perhaps.

NPR reports that MacGyver creator Lee Zlotoff is sponsoring a competition to create a TV show starring a female engineering hero. Zlotoff has teamed up with the National Academy of Engineering and the USC Viterbi School of Engineering to launch a crowdsourcing competition to develop ideas.

Five contest winners will get $5,000 and will each be paired up with a Hollywood producer to develop their own pilot script.

It’s not necessarily a reboot of the classic series, about a genius engineer who uses his knowledge and skills to get out of dangerous situations. (The original MacGyver starred Richard Dean Anderson [Stargate SG-1], and aired on ABC from 1985 to 1992.) The campaign video (below) describes the character as “not another MacGyver — something new,” an iconic female character who can help inspire a new generation of women engineers.

The next MacGyver won’t necessarily be white, either. Zlotoff says that the show remains incredibly popular in South America. And the NPR piece notes that most female engineers in the world live in Asia.

“I think the character could be from anywhere,” producer Lori McCreary (Madam Secretary) says. “I love the idea of anyone, of any race, coming in and showing us what’s possible.”

Sponsors are also open to shows of just about any genre. The point is to create a character who will inspire the next generation — and specifically women — the way that MacGyver inspired so many in its day.

The contest deadline is April 17, and team submissions are welcome. Learn more and find out how to enter at TheNextMacGyver.com.