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The GO Competition is a series of prize challenges to accelerate the development and comprehensive evaluation of grid software solutions. The first GO Competition, Challenge 1, is an algorithm competition focused on the security-constrained optimal power flow (SCOPF) problem for the electric power sector. Awardees under this FOA will be required to participate in Challenge 1. As described in detail in Appendix A1 to this FOA and on the GO Competition website (https://gocompetition.energy.gov/), Challenge 1 is anticipated to launch in the Fall of 2018. Participation in the GO Competition Challenge 1 will be open to anyone that satisfies the applicable requirements in Rules Document specified on the GO Competition website (https://gocompetition.energy.gov/competition-rules), not just those awarded under ARPA-E DE-FOA-0001952. The purpose of this FOA is to provide grants: (i) to further incentivize and identify innovative research for solution methods applicable to Challenge 1, and (ii) to enable broader diversity in team domain expertise, i.e., to encourage teams to participate that do not traditionally focus on the particular problems that are targeted but otherwise have innovative approaches for this class of mathematical programs. While Challenge 1 focuses on a power systems problem, the Challenge and this FOA target a much broader audience (e.g., those specialized in operations research, applied mathematics, optimization methods and algorithms, controls etc.). Existing grid software was designed for a power grid centered on conventional generation and transmission technologies.

The U.S. Department of Energy seeks to understand the key technical and other barriers that may prevent long-term access to low-cost water supplies that could be best addressed through challenges and prize competitions. For the purposes of this Request for Information (RFI), challenges and prize competitions are tools and approaches the Federal government and others can use to engage a broad range of stakeholders, including the general public, in developing solutions to difficult problems. Challenges and prize competitions rely on competitive structures to drive innovation among participants and usually offer rewards (financial and/or other) to winners and/or finalists. DOE may use the information provided through this RFI to develop challenges and prize competitions to address key water issues. This RFI is not designed to solicit input on DOE's broader R&D efforts on affordable water. The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to gather feedback from stakeholders prior to DOE potentially issuing a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). This RFI is not a FOA; therefore, DOE is not accepting applications at this time. All responses to this RFI must be provided as an attachment (in Microsoft Word format) to an e-mail message addressed to waterprizerfi@ee.doe.gov. Responses must be received no later than 5:00 pm EDT on May 14, 2018. The full content of the announcement can be found on the EERE Exchange website at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/

The Epilepsy Foundation has announced its seventh annual epilepsy "Shark Tank" competition for the most innovative ideas in epilepsy and seizure treatment and care. Some examples of novel ideas include a system to detect seizures with the capacity to provide early warning to the patient or family; a treatment that stops a seizure from progressing; a system that helps patients manage their daily treatment; a device that prevents physical injury that patients may experience when in seizure; or an entirely new product concept with the promise to dramatically improve the lives of people with epilepsy. Selected finalists will receive international recognition and compete for grants totaling $150,000 to support the development and commercialization of important new products, technologies, or therapeutic concepts. As many as six finalists will be selected to present at the 2018 Epilepsy Pipeline Conference (San Francisco, February 22-23, 2018). Each presenter will have five minutes to present the concept, followed by five minutes of questioning. The Shark Tank event will feature live voting among audience members and a panel of judges (Sharks) representative of industry, advocacy, investors, and the research and medical communities. The winning project, or projects, deemed to be the most innovative will be announced at the conclusion of the competition. To be eligible, applicants must demonstrate an ability to move the proposed plan to completion, showing how the prize can accelerate any step along the path to market. Inventors who submitted ideas for previous Shark Tank competitions are encouraged to re-submit their ideas if substantial progress has been made.

The Epilepsy Foundation has announced its seventh annual epilepsy "Shark Tank" competition for the most innovative ideas in epilepsy and seizure treatment and care. Selected finalists will receive international recognition and compete for grants totaling $150,000 to support the development and commercialization of important new products, technologies, or therapeutic concepts. As many as six finalists will be selected to present at the 2018 Epilepsy Pipeline Conference (San Francisco, February 22-23, 2018). Each presenter will have five minutes to present the concept, followed by five minutes of questioning. The event will feature live voting among audience members and a panel of judges (Sharks) representative of industry, advocacy, investors, and the research and medical communities. The winning project(s) deemed to be the most innovative will be announced at the conclusion of the competition. To be eligible, applicants must demonstrate an ability to move the proposed plan to completion, showing how the prize can accelerate any step along the path to market. Inventors who submitted ideas in previous Shark Tank competitions are encouraged to re-submit their ideas if substantial progress has been made.

The world needs more effective, functional and affordable technology solutions to clinical medical problems. With the BMEidea competition, the nation's leading competition for biomedical and bioengineering students, we challenge students to pioneer a health-related technology that addresses a real clinical need. Competition entries are judged on: Technical, economic and regulatory feasibility Contribution to human health and quality of life Technological innovation Potential for commercialization Strong BMEidea submissions define a problem and demonstrate the development of a device, product, or technology designed to solve it. BMEidea awards are presented each year at the MD&M East Medical Device Trade Show and Convention. Competition winners will receive cash awards as well as access to resources to be used for further development and commercialization of their products. In addition, the first place institution will get to display the BMEidea trophy in their winning department for the year.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting innovative proposals in the area of global scale, multimodal geospatial data cloud platform and analytics development. Proposed research should investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in science, devices, or systems. Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice. GCA is a 24-month, three-phase program. At present, DARPA seeks innovative proposals covering the tasks in Phase 1 (6 month base effort) and Phase 2 (12 month costed option) of the program. Proposals must address both Phase 1 and Phase 2. Phase 3 will be the subject of a separate procurement. For Phases 1 and 2, DARPA seeks proposals in two technical areas (TAs). TA-1 (Scalable Geospatial Data Platform) will provide access to geospatial data and an extensible computing platform on which TA-2 performers can efficiently access and process massive amounts of curated geospatial data. TA-2 (Analytical Applications and Competitions) will create software for use in one or more of the analytics competitions (predicting food shortages, locating fracking construction detection, illegal fishing detection, open call) using data and platforms provided by TA-1 proposers. In Phase 1, DARPA anticipates making up to three awards for TA-1 and up to 16 awards for TA-2. A proposer may respond to one or both technical areas but a separate proposal is required for each TA. A TA-2 proposer can propose to one or more competition areas, using costed options if proposing to more than one competition.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - as part of its People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) Award Program - is seeking applications proposing to research, develop, and design solutions to real world challenges involving sustainability. The P3 competition highlights the use of scientific principles in creating innovative projects focused on sustainability. The P3 Award Program was developed to foster progress toward sustainability by achieving the mutual goals of improved quality of life, economic prosperity and protection of the planet-people, prosperity, and the planet-the three pillars of sustainability. The EPA offers the P3 competition in order to respond to the technical needs of the world while moving towards the goal of sustainability. Please see the People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) Student Design Competition website for more details about this program.

This announcement solicits applications for two (2) separate competitions, HRSA-17-013 Autism Field-Initiated Innovative Research Studies and HRSA-17-014 Autism Longitudinal Data Project.  The purpose of the Autism Field-Initiated Innovative Research Studies and the Autism Longitudinal Data Project competitions are to support the conduct of empirical research that advances the evidence base on interventions to improve the health and wellbeing of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), with a special focus on addressing the needs of underserved populations.  These competitions will address the critical need that exists for research on the barriers to screening, diagnosis, and receipt of evidence-based interventions.

The Division of Engineering Education and Centers (EEC) seeks to enable a world-leading system of engineering education, equally open and available to all members of society, that dynamically and rapidly adapts to meet the changing needs of society and the nation's economy. Research areas of interest include, but are not limited to:Diversifying pathways to and through engineering degree programs. Research projects that align with this theme explore how engineering programs can engage and develop students with a broad range of backgrounds, interests, and experiences; investigate how informal or real world experiences germane to engineering--such as military service or being a "maker"--impact, improve, or accelerate learning; or investigate how to fundamentally restructure courses, curricula, or programs to substantially boost student success, especially for under-represented populations and veterans. Understanding how to increase the diffusion and impact of engineering education research. Research projects are sought that discover how to improve the process by which engineering education research is translated into practice; how to accomplish organizational and cultural change in institutions of engineering education that leads to improved learning outcomes; or identifying and overcoming barriers to widespread adoption of engineering education research. Research projects that partner with other engineering education stakeholders (e.g. private companies, NGOs, or professional societies) to measure the value and impact of engineering education research on practice are also sought.Understanding engineering education in broader, organizing frameworks such as innovation, globalization, complex engineered systems, or sustainability. Research in this theme explores learning from perspectives and contexts that cut across disciplines and in which learners integrate expertise from multiple fields. Research projects that align with this theme include discovering proce

The objective is to solicit and competitively award research projects to develop advanced energy systems that will make substantial progress toward enabling cost-competitive, fossil-based power generation with near-zero emissions

The objective is to solicit and competitively award research projects to develop advanced energy systems that will make substantial progress toward enabling cost-competitive, fossil-based power generation with near-zero emissions

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of the P3-People, Prosperity and the Planet Award Program, is seeking applications proposing to research, develop, and design solutions to real world challenges involving the overall sustainability of human society. The P3 competition highlights the use of scientific principles in creating innovative projects focused on sustainability. The P3 Award program was developed to foster progress toward sustainability by achieving the mutual goals of improved quality of life, economic prosperity and protection of the planet -- people, prosperity, and the planet - the three pillars of sustainability. The EPA offers the P3 competition in order to respond to the technical needs of the world while moving towards the goal of sustainability. Please see the P3 website for more details about this program.

This BAA sets forth basic and applied scientific research areas of interest of the Army Research Laboratory. This BAA is issued under paragraph 6.102(d)(2) of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), which provides for the competitive selection of basic and applied research proposals, and 10 U.S.C. 2358, 10 U.S.C. 2371, and 10 U.S.C. 2371b, which provide the authorities for issuing awards under this announcement for basic and applied research. The definitions of basic and applied research may be found at 32 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 22.105.Proposals submitted in response to this BAA and selected for award are considered to be the result of full and open competition and in full compliance with the provision of Public Law 98- 369, "The Competition in Contracting Act of 1984" and subsequent amendments.

Centennial Challenges is a program of prize competitions to stimulate innovation in technologies of interest and value to NASA and the nation. The 3DP Habitat Challenge is a prize competition designed to encourage development of new technologies, or application of existing technologies necessary to manufacture an off-world habitat using mission recycled materials and/or local indigenous materials. The goal of the 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge is to foster the development of new technologies necessary to additively manufacture a habitat using local indigenous materials with, or without, recyclable materials.

Centennial Challenges is a program of prize competitions to stimulate innovation in technologies of interest and value to NASA and the nation. The 3DP Habitat Challenge is a prize competition designed to encourage development of new technologies, or application of existing technologies necessary to manufacture an off-world habitat using mission recycled materials and/or local indigenous materials. The goal of the 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge is to foster the development of new technologies necessary to additively manufacture a habitat using local indigenous materials with, or without, recyclable materials.

The NRL's Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) issued under the provisions of paragraphs 35.016 and 6.102(d)(2) of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR). Proposals may range from theoretical studies to proof-of-concept to include fabrication and delivery of a prototype. However, this is limited to research procurements for which it would be impossible to draft an adequate RFP in sufficient detail without restraining the technical response and thus hindering competition rather than expanding it. BAA topics include all NRL sites located in the Washington, DC area, the Stennis Space Center, MS, and Monterey, CA. Proposals submitted in response to a BAA announcement that are selected for award are considered to be the result of full and open competition and are in full compliance with the provisions of Public Law 98-369, "The Competition in Contracting Act of 1984." NRL is interested in receiving proposals for the research efforts described under this BAA. This announcement is an expression of interest only and does not commit the Government to make any award or to pay for any proposal preparation costs. The cost of proposal preparation for response to a BAA is not considered an allowable direct charge to any resultant contract or any other contract; however, it may be an allowable expense to the normal bid and proposal indirect cost specified in FAR 31.205-18.

The U.S. Department of Transportation today announced the opportunity for state and local stakeholders to apply for $500 million in discretionary grant funding through the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program. "The TIGER grant program is a highly competitive program whose winners will be awarded with the funding they need to rebuild the infrastructure of their communities," said Secretary Elaine L. Chao. "TIGER grants will continue to fund innovative projects that will improve the safety of America's passengers and goods." The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 appropriated $500 million, available through September 30, 2020, for National Infrastructure Investments otherwise known as TIGER grants. As with previous rounds of TIGER, funds for the fiscal year (FY) 2017 TIGER grants program are to be awarded on a competitive basis for projects that will have a significant impact on the Nation, a metropolitan area, or a region. The FY 2017 Appropriations Act specifies that TIGER Discretionary Grants may not be less than $5 million and not greater than $25 million, except that for projects located in rural areas the minimum TIGER Discretionary Grant size is $1 million. The selection criteria remain fundamentally the same as previous rounds of the TIGER grants program, but the description of each criterion was updated. Additionally, the FY 2017 TIGER program will give special consideration to projects which emphasize improved access to reliable, safe, and affordable transportation for communities in rural areas, such as projects that improve infrastructure condition, address public health and safety, promote regional connectivity, or facilitate economic growth or competitiveness.

Since 2005, the BMEidea competition has recognized innovative biomedical engineering design with high commercial potential and social impact. The competition is open to both graduate and undergraduate students (undergraduate-only teams may also enter BMEStart). Strong BMEidea submissions define a problem and demonstrate the development of a device, product, or technology designed to solve it. Examples include but are not limited to: surgical devices, home health care devices, diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventative applications, rehabilitative and assistive technologies, or other innovations that will have a substantial impact on clinical care and patient outcomes. Multidisciplinary teams are encouraged to apply and may include undergraduate students from diverse fields such as business, nursing, physical therapy, life sciences, physical sciences, or other related disciplines. Inter-institutional collaborations are also encouraged; in these cases we require a faculty advisor from each institution. Each team must include at least one engineering student.

The Collegiate Inventors Competition recognizes student inventors whose research and inventions will change our future.   The Competition promotes exploration in invention, science, engineering, technology, and other creative endeavors and provides a window on the technologies from which society will benefit in the future. Entries are judged on the originality and inventiveness of the new idea, process, or technology. The entry must be complete, workable, and well articulated. Entries are also judged on their potential value to society (socially, environmentally, and economically), and on the scope of use.   Students must be enrolled (or have been enrolled) full-time in any U.S. college or university at least part of the 12-month period prior to the date the entry is submitted. In the case of a team (maximum of four students), at least one member of the team must meet the full-time eligibility criteria. The other team members must have been enrolled on a part-time basis (at a minimum) sometime during the 12-month period prior to the date the entry is submitted.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) Award Program - is seeking applications proposing to research, develop, design, and demonstrate solutions to real world challenges. The P3 competition highlights the use of scientific principles in creating innovative technology-based projects that achieve the mutual goals of improved quality of life, economic prosperity and protection of the planet - people, prosperity, and the planet. The EPA offers the P3 competition to respond to the environmental and human health protection needs of people in the United States, including those in small, rural, tribal and/or disadvantaged communities.

The goal of the Generation Three (Gen-3) Engineering Research Centers (ERC) Program is to create a culture in engineering research and education that integrates discovery with technological innovation to advance technology and produce graduates who will be creative U.S. innovators in a globally competitive economy. These ERCs are at the forefront as the U.S. competes in the 21st century global economy where R&D resources and engineering talent are internationally distributed. Recognizing that optimizing efficiency and product quality are no longer sufficient for U.S. industry to remain competitive, these ERCs integrate transformational academic engineering research and education to stimulate increased U.S. innovation in a global context.

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) today announced a new program to recruit and retain early-career scientists who are from gender, racial, ethnic, and other groups underrepresented in the life sciences, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Through an open competition, HHMI plans to select scientists early in their training to become Hanna H. Gray Fellows. Each fellow will receive funding for up to eight years, with mentoring and active involvement within the HHMI community. In this two-phase program, fellows will be supported from early postdoctoral training through several years of a tenure-track faculty position. In the first competition cycle, HHMI will select up to 15 fellows and invest a total of up to $25 million for their support over eight years.