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    "title" : "Accelerating the Use of Prizes to Address Tough Challenges |Digital.gov",
    "description": "Accelerating the Use of Prizes to Address Tough Challenges",
    "home_page_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/","feed_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/07/20/accelerating-the-use-of-prizes-to-address-tough-challenges/index.json","item" : [
    {"title" :"Accelerating the Use of Prizes to Address Tough Challenges","summary" : "Later this year, the Federal government will celebrate the fifth anniversary of Challenge.gov, a one-stop shop that has prompted tens of thousands of individuals, including engaged citizens and entrepreneurs, to participate in more than 400 public-sector prize competitions with more","date" : "2015-07-20T01:46:00-04:00","date_modified" : "2025-01-27T19:42:55-05:00","authors" : {"tom-kalil" : "Tom Kalil","jenn-gustetic" : "Jenn Gustetic"},"topics" : {
        
            "challenges-and-prize-competitions" : "Challenges and prize competitions"
            },"branch" : "bc-archive-content-3",
      "filename" :"2015-07-20-accelerating-the-use-of-prizes-to-address-tough-challenges.md",
      
      "filepath" :"news/2015/07/2015-07-20-accelerating-the-use-of-prizes-to-address-tough-challenges.md",
      "filepathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/blob/bc-archive-content-3/content/news/2015/07/2015-07-20-accelerating-the-use-of-prizes-to-address-tough-challenges.md",
      "editpathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/edit/bc-archive-content-3/content/news/2015/07/2015-07-20-accelerating-the-use-of-prizes-to-address-tough-challenges.md","slug" : "accelerating-the-use-of-prizes-to-address-tough-challenges","url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/07/20/accelerating-the-use-of-prizes-to-address-tough-challenges/","content" :"\u003cdiv class=\"image\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg\n    src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2014/04/600-x-165-ChallengeGov-logo.jpg\"\n    alt=\"Full logo for Challenge.gov with the tagline: Government Challenges, Your Solutions.\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eLater this year, the Federal government will celebrate the fifth anniversary of \u003ca href=\"https://www.challenge.gov/\"\u003eChallenge.gov\u003c/a\u003e, a one-stop shop that has prompted tens of thousands of individuals, including engaged citizens and entrepreneurs, to participate in more than 400 public-sector prize competitions with more than $72 million in prizes.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe May 2015 report to Congress on the Implementation of Federal Prize Authority for Fiscal Year 2014 highlights that \u003ca href=\"https://www.challenge.gov/\"\u003eChallenge.gov\u003c/a\u003e is a critical component of the Federal government’s use of prize competitions to spur innovation. Federal agencies have used prize competitions to \u003ca href=\"http://www.fnih.org/press/releases/fnih-support-worldwide-competition-focused-improving-accuracy-lung-cancer-screening\"\u003eimprove the accuracy of lung cancer screenings\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"http://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases/apr-22-2015-securing-water-food-grand-challenge-development-announces-winners\"\u003edevelop environmentally sustainable brackish water desalination technologies\u003c/a\u003e, encourage local governments to allow entrepreneurs to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sba.gov/about-sba/sba-initiatives/startup-day#competition\"\u003elaunch new startups in a day\u003c/a\u003e, and \u003ca href=\"http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/sandyrebuilding/rebuildbydesign\"\u003eincrease the resilience of communities\u003c/a\u003e in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Numerous Federal agencies have discovered that prizes allow them to:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePay only for success and establish an ambitious goal without having to predict which team or approach is most likely to succeed.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReach beyond the “usual suspects” to increase the number of citizen solvers and entrepreneurs tackling a problem.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBring out-of-discipline perspectives to bear.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIncrease cost-effectiveness to maximize the return on taxpayer dollars.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInspire risk-taking by offering a level playing field through credible rules and robust judging mechanisms. \u003cdiv class=\"image\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg\n    src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2015/03/600-x-451-Globe-and-Computer-Keyboard-ratchanida-thippayos-iStock-Thinkstock-148465075.jpg\"\n    alt=\"Globe and computer keyboard\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo build on this momentum, the Administration will hold an event this fall to highlight the role that prizes play in solving critical national and global issues. The event will showcase public- and private-sector relevant commitments from Federal, state, and local agencies, companies, foundations, universities, and non-profits. Individuals and organizations interested in participating in this event or making commitments should send us a note at \u003ca href=\"mailto:challenges@ostp.gov\"\u003echallenges [at] ostp.gov\u003c/a\u003e by August 28, 2015.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCommitments may include the announcement of specific, ambitious incentive prizes and/or steps that will increase public- and/or private-sector capacity to design high-impact prizes and challenges. For example:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFederal, state, and local government agencies could increase their capacity to design and implement ambitious prizes by recruiting full-time prize experts, establishing agency-wide policies for incentive prizes, and providing prize-related mentoring and training to their employees. Agencies could also identify and make available assets that they have—such as datasets, user facilities, and expertise in testing and evaluation—that could be used to support incentive prizes.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCompanies and foundations could partner with the public sector to sponsor incentive prizes using the partnership authority provided by the America COMPETES Act. For example, GE, the NFL, Under Armor and NIST are using a challenge to \u003ca href=\"http://www.nist.gov/mml/20150129_head_health.cfm\"\u003eadvance the development of technologies that can detect early stage mild traumatic brain injuries and improve brain protection\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFoundations could sponsor fellowships for prize designers in the public sector to encourage the development and implementation of ambitious prizes in areas of national importance. Foundations could also sponsor workshops that bring together companies, university researchers, non-profits, and government agencies to identify potential high-impact incentive prizes.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUniversities could establish courses and online material to help students and mid-career professionals learn to design effective prizes and challenges.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eResearchers could conduct empirical research on incentive prizes and other market-shaping techniques (e.g. Advance Market Commitments, milestone payments) to increase our understanding of how and under what circumstances these approaches can best be used to accelerate progress on important problems.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWorking together, we can use incentive prizes to inspire people to solve some of our toughest challenges.\u003cem\u003eTom Kalil is Deputy Director for Technology and Innovation at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.\u003c/em\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eJenn Gustetic is Assistant Director for Open Innovation at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLearn More:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/05/08/public-sector-prizes-and-challenges-show-increased-sophistication-ambition-and-use-f\"\u003ePublic Sector Prizes and Challenges Show Increased Sophistication, Ambition and Use: A Fiscal Year 2014 Progress Report\u003c/a\u003e (May 2015, OSTP Blog)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/04/17/21st-century-public-servants-using-prizes-and-challenges-spur-innovation\"\u003e21st Century Public Servants: Using Prizes and Challenges to Spur Innovation\u003c/a\u003e (April 2015, OSTP Blog)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/competes_prizesreport_fy13_final.pdf\"\u003eImplementation of Federal Prize Authority: Fiscal Year 2013 Progress\u003c/a\u003e (May 2014)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/competes_prizesreport_dec-2013.pdf\"\u003eImplementation of Federal Prize Authority: Fiscal Year 2012 Progress Report\u003c/a\u003e (December 2013)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/competes_report_on_prizes_final.pdf\"\u003eInitial Report from OSTP to Congress on Prizes and America COMPETES in FY2011\u003c/a\u003e (March 2012)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://cio.gov/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2012/09/Prize_Authority_in_the_America_COMPETES_Reauthorization_Act.pdf\"\u003eFact Sheet and FAQ on Prize Authority in the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/assets/inforeg/challenge-and-prizes-faqs.pdf\"\u003eFAQ on PRA \u0026amp; Prizes and Challenges\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/assets/memoranda_2010/m10-06.pdf\"\u003eOpen Government Directive\u003c/a\u003e (December 8, 2009)\u003cem\u003eThis post was originally published on \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/07/17/accelerating-use-prizes-address-tough-challenges-0\"\u003eThe White House blog\u003c/a\u003e by\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eTom Kalil, Deputy Director for Technology and Innovation at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eJenn Gustetic, Assistant Director for Open Innovation at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n"}
  ]
}