Office of Science and Technology Policy Blog
Challenge.gov: Two Years and 200 Prizes Later
Posted byon September 5, 2012 at 2:36 PM EDTTwo years after the Obama Administration created Challenge.gov, the first online listing of incentive prizes offered or supported by Federal agencies, the innovative site has hit an impressive milestone: its 200th listing of a challenge in search of a solution by the American public. Launched on September 7, 2010, the site has hosted challenges posted by 45 departments and agencies; more than 16,000 citizen “solvers” have participated in these competitions directly on Challenge.gov, with additional entrants joining the competitions through other sources.
This benchmark shows the impact made by the Administration’s efforts to make incentive prizes a tool in Federal agency toolkits for seeking innovative solutions to address agency mission and solve tough problems. Well-designed incentive prizes enable Federal agencies to establish ambitious goals, pay only for success, reach beyond the “usual suspects” to increase the number of minds tackling a problem, and bring out-of-discipline perspectives to bear. New public-sector prizes and challenges continue to be launched.
Learn more about TechnologyFrom Mohawks to Making, New Steps to Mobilize the Science Talent in Federal Agencies
Posted byon August 21, 2012 at 5:26 PM EDTPresident Obama strongly believes that inspiring boys and girls to excel in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education is critical to our Nation’s future. Just last week, the President called the Mars Science Lab Team and a “special Mohawk guy” and pointed out how their work on Curiosity was inspiring the next generation.
As the President said, “My Administration has put a big focus on improving science and technology, engineering and math education. And this is the kind of thing that inspires kids across the country. They’re telling their moms and dads they want to be part of a Mars mission -- maybe even the first person to walk on Mars. And that kind of inspiration is the byproduct of work of the sort that you guys have done.”
The Curiosity team is emblematic of the powerful asset that the Federal science and technology workforce can be in the all-hands-on-deck challenge to improve STEM education.
That’s why President Obama has called upon the 200,000 Federal employees working in STEM fields to bring their passion and expertise to their communities and schools in support of STEM education, and help “stoke that same curiosity in students which had perhaps led them to pursue a career in science.” As the President has said, there are so many creative ways to engage young people in STEM fields – everything from science festivals, robotics competitions, Maker Faires, mentoring opportunities and more.
Learn more about Education, TechnologyNSF-Funded “Design Squad Nation” Wins Emmy
Posted byon August 14, 2012 at 3:24 PM EDTThe interactive website for the PBS series “Design Squad Nation” took home an Emmy in June for “outstanding new approaches” in children’s daytime television. An extension into broadband media by the producers of the WGBH TV show, the website serves as a destination for creative ‘tweens and teens that encourages youth to “dream big,” be creative, solve problems and make things that help people.
On the site, which was funded in large part by the National Science Foundation, kids work alongside the show’s co-hosts—dynamic twenty-somethings and genuine engineers Judy Lee and Adam Vollmer—to post real-life solutions to real-life problems and respond to challenges by sketching and building their own prototypes. Designs have included a cake with moving parts, flying machines, home-made skateboards, pollution solutions, and exploring the three dimensions of fabric to create new fashions.
“Be creative, take risks and make a difference in people’s lives,” says Vollmer in one of the site’s short videos. Indeed, the show celebrates both the fun and the failures that are a part of the design process.
Learn more about Education, TechnologyNSF Innovation Corps: From Science Lab to Startup
Posted byon August 10, 2012 at 11:09 AM EDTDr. Sophie Lebrecht participates in a panel at the one-year anniversary of the National Science Foundation's Innovation Corps. [Photo: Christy Bowe/Image Catcher News]
In 2011, Dr. Lebrecht published her research, supported by the National Science Foundation’s Temporal Dynamics of Learning Center, on how the brain uses visual information to create signals that inform decision making. In short, Lebrecht studied how what we see affects what we do. She was quickly aware that her research could be useful to any company vying for consumers’ attention in today’s image-cluttered world. Today, thanks in part to I-Corps’ support, Lebrecht is about to launch Neon Labs, a startup that uses algorithms derived from her research to identify the still frame from a video that is most attractive to the viewer. With this technology, any media or video-hosting platform could apply her research to drive video traffic and attract users. I talked with Lebrecht about I-Corps and her experience as a scientist-turned-entrepreneur.
What inspired you to make the transition from research in a lab to creating a startup?
I was the lead on this project—it was my PhD work—and Michael Tarr, my PhD advisor, was also integrally involved. We looked at the data from our study and thought, “Wow, we’ve actually hit on something that is incredibly useful.” I mean, think of how many people would want to be able to predict what visual information is going to lead to what decision! I just felt like I should get it out of the lab.
Learn more about Innovations, TechnologySenate Confirms Four Nominees to Privacy & Civil Liberties Board
Posted byon August 3, 2012 at 4:55 PM EDTLast night, the Senate advanced the cause of protecting Americans’ privacy and civil liberties by unanimously confirming four of the President’s five nominees to the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB): Rachel Brand, Elisabeth Cook, Jim Dempsey, and Judge Patricia Wald.
While the Senate has yet to vote on the President’s highly qualified nominee David Medine to serve as the Board’s chair, yesterday’s confirmations give the Board a quorum and will allow it to begin performing its important work.
Learn more about TechnologyInventing Solutions to The World’s Challenges
Posted byon August 3, 2012 at 1:53 PM EDTInventors play a key role in solving the world’s most vexing challenges by developing lifesaving drugs to fight devastating illnesses, new seed strains for combatting famine, green technologies to combat global climate change, and myriad information-technology advances to assist the world’s poorest and most vulnerable populations.
Patents for Humanity, a new pilot program developed by the US Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO), seeks to encourage inventors who develop and help make availablepatented technologies that address the world's humanitarian challenges and improve the lives of the poor. As an incentive, winners will receive a certificate for expedited processing of certain matters before the USPTO, as well as public recognition for their contributions.
Learn more about Innovations, Technology
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