Blue Clarity | ExpeditionHacks | Eligibility Rules for Participating in the Challenge
Purpose of the ExpeditionHacks hackathons along with description of the topics, themes and technologies used in the hackathons. Developers, designers, and entrepreneurs are encouraged to participate in hackathons to create innovative approaches using disparate data sets and using artificial intelligence, machine learning to provide solutions for first responders, national security, combating human trafficking, and conserving the environment.
ExpeditionHacks, purpose, developers, entrepreneurs, innovate, innovative approaches, machine learning, artificial intelligence, hackathon, human trafficking
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Eligibility Rules for Participating in the Challenge

Eligibility Rules for Participating in the Challenge

 

Eligibility

(1) To be eligible to participate in and win a prize under this challenge, a Participant (whether an individual, or group of individuals participating as a Team, or entity):

    • Shall have registered to participate in the challenge under the rules promulgated by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) as published in this announcement;
    • Shall have complied with all the requirements set forth in this announcement;
    • In the case of a private entity, shall be incorporated in and maintain a primary place of business in the United States, and in the case of an individual, whether participating singly or in a group, shall be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States. However, non-U.S. citizens and non-permanent residents can participate as a member of a team that otherwise satisfies the eligibility criteria. Non-U.S. citizens and non-permanent residents are not eligible to win a monetary prize (in whole or in part). Their participation as part of a winning team, if applicable, may be recognized when the results are announced. Teams comprised entirely of non-U.S. citizens and/or non-permanent residents, or entities not incorporated in and not maintaining a primary place of business in the United States, will be eligible to be recognized with an honorable mention.
    • Shall not be a federal entity or federal employee acting within the scope of their employment;
    • Shall not be an employee of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS, or any other component of HHS) acting in their personal capacity;
    • Who is employed by a federal agency or entity other than HHS (or any component of HHS), should consult with an agency ethics official to determine whether the federal ethics rules will limit or prohibit the acceptance of a prize under this challenge;
    • Shall not be a judge of the challenge, or any other party involved with the design, production, execution, or distribution of the challenge or the immediate family of such a party (i.e., spouse, parent, step-parent, child, or step-child).
    • Shall be 18 years of age or older at the time of submission.
    • Shall use a .edu email address to qualify for the student prize and certify on their registration that all team members are  in an accredited undergraduate, graduate or professional training program.  Note that students and student teams are also eligible for the grand, second and third prizes, but each individual or team will only be awarded a single prize.

 

Use of Federal Funds

(2) A Participant may not use Federal funds from a grant award or cooperative agreement to develop their challenge submissions or to fund efforts in support of their challenge submissions unless use of such funds is consistent with the purpose, terms, and conditions of the grant award or cooperative agreement. Participants intending to use Federal grant or cooperative agreement funds must register for and participate in the challenge as an Entity on behalf of the awardee institution, organization, or entity. If a Participant uses Federal grant or cooperative agreement funds and wins the challenge, the prize must be treated as program income for purposes of the original grant or cooperative agreement in accordance with applicable Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (2 CFR § 200).

 

Federal Contractors

(3)  Federal contractors may not use federal funds from a contract to develop their challenge submissions or to fund efforts in support of their challenge submissions.

 

Risks

(4)  By participating in this challenge, each Participant agrees to assume any and all risks and waive claims against the federal government and its related entities, except in the case of willful misconduct, for any injury, death, damage, or loss of property, revenue, or profits, whether direct, indirect, or consequential, arising from participation in this challenge, whether the injury, death, damage, or loss arises through negligence or otherwise.

(5)  Based on the subject matter of the challenge, the type of work that it will possibly require, as well as an analysis of the likelihood of any claims for death, bodily injury, property damage, or loss potentially resulting from challenge participation, no Participant participating in the challenge is required to obtain liability insurance or demonstrate financial responsibility in order to participate in this challenge.

(6)  By participating in this challenge, each Participant agrees to indemnify the federal government against third party claims for damages arising from or related to challenge activities.

 

Federal Facilities and Federal Employees

(7)  A Participant shall not be deemed ineligible because the Participant used federal facilities or consulted with federal employees during the challenge if the facilities and employees are made available to all participants participating in the challenge on an equitable basis.

 

Copyrights and Licensing

(8)  By participating in this challenge, each Participant warrants that they are sole author or owner of, or has the right to use, any copyrightable works that the submission comprises, that the works are wholly original with the Participant (or is an improved version of an existing work that the Participant has sufficient rights to use and improve), and that the submission does not infringe any copyright or any other rights of any third party of which the Participant is aware.

(9)  By participating in this challenge, each Participant selected to win a prize under this challenge grants to the NIH and NCATS an irrevocable, paid-up, royalty-free nonexclusive worldwide license to reproduce, publish, post, link to, share, and display publicly the submission on the web or elsewhere. Each Participant will retain all other intellectual property rights in their submissions, as applicable. Additionally, challenge winners (both cash and noncash prize winners), by participating in this challenge, grant a paid-up, royalty-free, nonexclusive license to NIH and NCATS to use, disclose, reproduce, prepare derivative works, distribute copies to the public, and perform and display publicly, in any manner and for any purpose, and to have or permit others to do so, the tool created as part of their submission, in perpetuity.

 

Participant Agreements | Terms and Conditions

(10)  Each Participant agrees to follow all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and policies.

(11)  Each Participant participating in this challenge must comply with all terms and conditions of these rules, and participation in this challenge constitutes each such Participant’s full and unconditional agreement to abide by these rules. Winning is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements herein.

(12) Participants may participate in this challenge either in an individual capacity, or as part of a team, or on behalf of an entity. Participants may not participate in this challenge in more than one capacity (either as an Individual, as part of a Team, or on behalf of an Entity) simultaneously.