How to Enter the Challenge

Participants can register by visiting the Challenge.gov website. Participants should carefully review Challenge information and submission requirements on the website, including the intellectual property rules and assessment criteria. Participants are encouraged to follow the Challenge on Challenge.gov to obtain any updates and reminders of upcoming deadlines.

Submission Requirements

Phase 1

The submitted proposals must be written in U.S. English and submitted using Challenge.gov no later than January 9, 2023. Applicant or applicant organizations shall submit no more than 2 proposals, and no proposal shall describe more than one topic. Each proposal will be no more than 2,000 words, double spaced, 11-point type size, with 1-inch margins. Include in proposals plans for meeting Section 508 accessibility standards.

Phase 2

Analyses shall be a journal article-style written narrative in U.S. English in no more than 4,000 words and submitted using the Challenge.gov website no later than July 31, 2023

Eligibility Rules for Participating in the Challenge

To be eligible under this Challenge, an individual (whether participating singly or in a group) or entity:

1. Shall have registered (Challenge.gov) to participate in the Challenge.
2. Shall have complied with the rules set forth in this announcement for participation in this Challenge.
3. Shall be incorporated and maintain a primary place of business in the United States (in the case of a private entity), 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.
4. May not be a Federal entity or Federal employee acting within the scope of their employment. (All Federal employees should consult with their agency Ethics Official to determine whether the Federal ethics rules will limit or prohibit the acceptance of a prize).
5. May not be an employee of AHRQ or any other company, organization, or individual involved with the design, production, execution, judging, or distribution of the Challenge, or their immediate family (spouse, parents and step-parents, siblings and step-siblings, and children and step-children), or household members (people who share the same residence at least 3 months out of the year).
6. May not use Federal funds from a grant to develop Challenge applications unless consistent with the purpose of the grant award.
7. May not use Federal funds from a contract to develop Challenge applications or to fund efforts in support of a Challenge submission.
8. Shall not be deemed ineligible because the individual or entity used Federal facilities or consulted with Federal employees during a competition if the facilities and employees are made equitably available to all individuals and entities participating in the competition.
9. Shall not be required to purchase liability insurance as a condition of participation in this competition.

Additional Rules of Participation

By participating in this Challenge, each individual (whether participating singly or in a group) or entity:

1. Agrees to follow all applicable Federal, State, and local laws, regulations, and policies.
2. Agrees to comply with all terms and conditions of participation in this Challenge.
3. Agrees that the submission will not use HHS or AHRQ logos or official seals, except as authorized by HHS or AHRQ. Notwithstanding this authorized use of AHRQ/HHS branding, participants will not claim endorsement by AHRQ/HHS.
4. Understands that all materials submitted to AHRQ as part of a submission become AHRQ records. Any confidential commercial or financial information contained in a submission must be clearly designated as such at the time of submission.
5. Agrees that a winning submission may only be announced by AHRQ and in a time, place, and manner determined by AHRQ in its sole discretion. Winners will be permitted to publicize and publish their winning submissions in accordance with instructions provided by AHRQ. The winner and runner up from Phase 2 will be posted on the AHRQ website.
6. Agrees that the submission must not infringe upon copyright or any other rights of any third party.
7. 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 prize contest, whether the injury, death, damage, or loss arises through negligence or otherwise.
8. Agrees to indemnify the Federal Government against third-party claims for damages arising from or related to Challenge activities.
9.  Understands that circulation of findings could be worldwide, and that the Federal Government will not compensate the participants for any use; winners shall receive a one-time cash prize as set forth in this announcement. The winner and runner up from Phase 2 will be posted on the AHRQ website.
10. Understands that AHRQ reserves the right to cancel, suspend, and/or modify this prize contest, or any part of it, for any reason, at AHRQ’s sole discretion. AHRQ also reserves the right not to award any prizes if no entries are deemed worthy.
11. Understands that AHRQ will not select a winner that is named on the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS).

Intellectual Property (IP) Rights

1. Each participant retains title and full ownership in and to their submission. Participants expressly reserve all intellectual property rights not expressly granted.
2. By participating in the Challenge, each participant (whether participating singly or in a group) acknowledges that he or she is the sole author or owner of, or has a 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 participant is aware.
3. In addition, each participant (whether participating singly or in a group) grants to the U.S. Government a paid-up, nonexclusive, royalty-free, irrevocable worldwide license in perpetuity, and the right to reproduce, publish, post, link to, share, display publicly (on the web or elsewhere) and prepare derivative works, including the right to authorize others to do so on behalf of the U.S. Government.
4. Each participant must clearly delineate any intellectual property and/or confidential commercial information contained in a submission that the participant wishes to protect as proprietary data, in accordance with Additional Rules of Participation No. 4.
5. If the submission includes any third-party works (such as third-party content or open-source code), the participant must be able to provide, upon request, documentation of all appropriate licenses and releases for use of such third-party works. If the participant cannot provide documentation of all required licenses and releases, AHRQ reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify the submission.