Challenge.gov Fact Sheet

Select Prizes and Challenges Launched September 7, 2010 and Featured on Challenge.gov

Recipes for Healthy Kids Challenge (Department of Agriculture). Today, Department of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced the Recipes for Healthy Kids Challenge as part of First Lady Michele Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative. The Recipes for Healthy Kids Challenge brings together school nutrition professionals, chefs, students, and parents to develop creative, nutritious, tasty, and kid-approved recipes that schools can easily incorporate into school menus. The goal is to help increase students' intakes of dark green and orange vegetables, dry beans and peas, and whole grains. Winning teams will be invited to prepare their nutrition-packed recipes alongside White House chefs. For more information, contact: Justin DeJong (Justin.DeJong@oc.usda.gov).

Challenge to Innovate (Department of Education). The NEA Foundation in partnership with the Department of Education’s Office of Innovation and Improvement will launch Challenge to Innovate (C2i). The C2i challenge asks America’s public school educators to help to identify, solve, and implement the best solutions to the most pressing classroom based problems. Phase I asks educators to share their most pressing classroom instructional problems. Phase II seeks creative solutions to the top five problems that can be implemented in just 3-4 months for no more than $500. The top 10 solutions will receive a $2,500 award to their school from the NEA Foundation. In the last phase of C2i, the top three solutions will be posted on DonorsChoose.org website, where teachers will be invited to apply for up to $500 to adopt a winning solution. For more information, contact: Betty Paugh-Ortiz at BPaughOrtiz@nea.org

Developer’s Challenge for Consumer Apps to Visualize Health Care Quality Measures (Department of Health and Human Services). Today, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Chief Technology Officer Todd Park announced a new challenge in partnership with the Health 2.0 Developer Challenge, an initiatve run by Health 2.0 LLC. This challenge promotes creation of consumer web tools and mobile health applications using HHS health care quality indicator databases such as “Hospital Compare,” “Nursing Home Compare” and, “Dialysis Facility Compare.” With enhanced consumer visualization capabilities, these health care data indicators could be made more useful and meaningful through geospatial mapping comparisons, graphic representation, or other means of displaying meaningful information to aid selection of health care options. For more information, contact: Todd Park (todd.park@hhs.gov).

Game Day Challenge (Environmental Protection Agency). Announced by the Environmental Protection Agency today, the Game Day Challenge challenges colleges across the country to compete to see who can reuse and recycle the most waste at football games. For more information, contact: Alisha Johnson (Johnson.alisha@epa.gov, (202) 564-4373).

Kids.gov “How do I Become President?” Infographic Challenge. (General Services Administration). Kids.gov is frequently asked “How can I become the President when I grow up?” Kids and professional designers are invited to answer this question by creating an infographic or poster that explains the presidential election process. The best overall infographic will be selected by a panel of expert judges - including Visual Journalist and Senior Graphics Editor at the Wall Street Journal, Sarah Slobin and Co-founder of Daytum.com, Nicholas Felton – and win $2,500. It will also be printed as posters for distribution to schools and libraries across the country. The Kids.gov team will also award $2,500 for the best infographic created by a kid. For more information, contact: Gregory Romano (Gregory.Romano@gsa.gov).

Carbon Monoxide Poster Contest (Consumer Protection Safety Commission). The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is challenging middle school students nationwide in grades 6, 7, and 8 to create posters to teach families about the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning in the home. Carbon monoxide is called the “Invisible Killer” because you cannot see it or smell it and it can kill victims quickly. In fact, more than 150 people die each year in the United States from accidental, non-fire carbon monoxide poisoning associated with consumer products, and that number is on the rise. Three finalists from each grade level will win $250 each. The best overall poster will win an additional $500. CPSC’s poster contest closes on December 31. For more information, contact: Patty Davis (pdavismitchell@cpsc.gov, (301) 504-7052).

Additional Prizes and Challenges Featured on Challenge.gov

Progressive Automotive X Prize (Department of Energy). The Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE will award $10 million in prizes to the teams that win a rigorous competition for clean, production-capable, and super-fuel-efficient vehicles that exceed 100 MPGe. The Deparment of Energy issued $5.5 million in Recovery Act grants to support technical expertise for the Prize and to expand outreach and education efforts. Established automakers, start-ups, universities, inventors, and even a high school have been among the diverse mix of 111 teams that entered the competition. In the final stage, 15 vehicles from 12 teams remain in the running. The $10 million purse will be awarded in Washington, DC on September 16th. For more information, contact: Jen Stustman (Jen.Stutsman@hq.doe.gov).

Careers Videos for America’s Job Seekers (Department of Labor). The Department of Labor is inviting members of the public to produce and submit short videos focusing on the daily activities and necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities of any of 15 high-growth occupations including energy auditors, carpenters, and wind turbine service technicians. The top three videos in each field will receive a $1000 prize. For more information, contact: Michael Trupo (Trupo.Michael@dol.gov, (202) 693-3414).

Green Flight Challenge (National Aeronautics and Space Administration). This challenge is offering a $1.5 million prize purse for the best full-scale aircraft that can fly 200 miles in less than 2 hours using the energy equivalent of less than 1 gallon of gasoline per occupant. For more information, contact: David Steitz (David.Steitz@nasa.gov, (202) 358-1703).

Apps for Healthy Kids (Department of Agriculture). Launched by First Lady Michele Obama as part of the Let’s Move! campaign in March 2010, the Apps for Healthy Kids competition challenges the most creative, talented, and kid-savvy innovators across the country to build games and tools that inspire and empower kids and their parents to get active and eat healthy. Inspired by the challenge, local chapters of the International Game Developers Association organized weekend-long game jams in eight cities across the United States. $60,000 in prizes and the chance to shine in front of the Apps for Healthy Kids all-star panel of judges attracted 160 entries and more than 40,000 supporters by the time the submission period closed on June 30th. Winners to be announced in late September. For more information, contact: Justin DeJong (Justin.DeJong@oc.usda.gov).

L Prize (Department of Energy). Directed by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the L PrizeSM competition is designed to spur U.S. lighting manufacturers to develop high-quality, high-efficiency LED replacements for today’s most widely used and inefficient products: 60W incandescent lamps and PAR 38 halogen lamps. The first entrant in each category to meet the stringent requirements will receive a cash prize and that entrant – along with up to two other entrants in the same category – will receive promotions and incentives from utilities and other program partners. The L Prize competition will drive significant energy savings – the L Prize 60W replacement lamp will use only 10 watts, a saving of 83% -- and promote U.S. technology leadership in LED lighting. For more information, contact: Jen Stutsman (Jen.stutsman@hq.doe.gov).

DC3 Digital Forensics Challenge (Department of Defense). The Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3) is holding its 5th annual DC3 Digital Forensics Challenge to encourage innovation from a broad range of individuals, teams, and institutions to provide technical solutions for computer forensic examiners. The 2010 DC3 Challenge offers 22 different, individual Challenges ranging from basic forensics to advanced tool development. It is part of the U.S. Cyber Challenge and the Cyber Security Challenge UK and sponsored by Oklahoma State University, SANS, IMPACT, EC-Council, John Hopkins Carey Business School, and CyberWatch. The 2010 DC3 Challenge offers 15 possible prizes for teams of 1 to 4 people based on their team affiliation and citizenships with over 530 U.S. teams and 350 International teams in 48 countries. Sign up to play at http://www.dc3.mil/challenge/2010/apply with winners announced on December 1st, 2010 on the 2010 DC3 Challenge website. For more information, contact Jim Christy (Jim.Christy@dc3.mil).

Apps 4 Africa (Department of State). Launched out of the innovation hub of Secretary Clinton’s office and in collaboration with an amazing group of local partners – Appfrica Labs, SODNET and iHub – Apps 4 Africa is a regional competition for the best digital tools built by developers in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania to improve the lives of people in their communities by creating innovative technological solutions to local challenges. Civil society organizations and the public submitted ideas for problems to be solved through the use of digital technology; issues like transparency and better governance, health, education, and more. Though guidelines limited submissions to regional developers, the competition ignited interest and mentorship by the technology-savvy from around the world including PhD students, CEOs, mobile programmers, and other experts from Silicon Valley to India, strengthening a growing ecosystem of local talent with global technologists and civil society organizations. The final date of submission was August 31st, 2010 and a panel of global experts on technology solutions in civil society are currently determining which of the many valuable tools will receive various prizes of cash, gadgets, and mentorship. For more information, contact: Katherine Townsend (Katherine.Townsend@State.gov).

Federal Virtual Worlds Challenge (U.S. Army). Launched by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory's Simulation & Training Technology Center, the annual Federal Virtual Worlds Challenge is an open, global challenge to the world for the best of the best implementations within virtual environments. The challenge is conducted to explore innovative and interactive solutions in virtual environments, and its criteria are intentionally unbounded to encourage creative results. This year the focus is on artificial intelligence. Winners receive a cash prize, travel accommodations to the GameTech Conference in Orlando, FL, and the opportunity to have their entries showcased at the conference. The Federal Virtual Worlds Challenge is open to all contestants, world-wide. For more information, contact Tami Griffith (Tami.Griffith@us.army.mil).

NASA Centennial Challenges (National Aeronautics and Space Administration). NASA recently announced three new Centennial Challenges with a total purse of $5 million. The Nano-Satellite Launch Challenge is to stimulate innovations in low-cost launch technology. The Night Rover Challenge is for energy storage technologies of value in extreme environments, such as the surface of the moon, or for electric vehicles and renewable energy systems here on Earth. The Sample Return Robot Challenge is to encourage innovations in automatic navigation and robots. For more information, contact: David Steitz (David.Steitz@nasa.gov, (202) 358-1703).

About Challenge.gov

• Challenge.gov is an online challenge platform administered by the U.S. General Services Administration in partnership with ChallengePost, a private contractor.
• Challenge.gov stems from a mandate in the March 8, 2010, OMB Memorandum on Prizes and Challenges. It promised that the Administration would: “…make available a web-based platform for prizes and challenges within 120 days. This platform will provide a forum for agencies to post problems and invite communities of problem solvers to suggest, collaborate on, and deliver solutions.”
• Tasked with fulfilling the 120-day mandate, GSA issued a Request for Information (RFI) for a no-cost government challenge platform. Eight organizations responded. GSA evaluated the offers and selected ChallengePost.
• What it Does:
  • Challenge “Wizard” for Posting Challenges: Once agencies have done the hard work of designing a prize competition or challenge, Challenge.gov makes it simple and free for the agency to post the rules and resources for the challenge, accept entries, and manage the selection process through judging or public voting.
  • Showcasing Challenges: Agencies will turn to different market solutions to meet their distinct needs. Therefore, some agencies may leverage existing niche communities in other innovation marketplaces, such as Ashoka Changemakers, TopCoder, or InnoCentive. Challenge.gov will showcase and drive participation in government challenges, regardless of the technology platform on which they are administered.
  • One-Stop Shop for Citizen Solvers: Through this platform, the public will be able to find all challenges/contests taking place across the Federal government and participate in those challenges that are of interest to them by proposing solutions, showing support, and sharing with their friends.