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Apps for the Environment

In June we challenged you to use EPA data to create the best Apps for the Environment, and we are proud to announce the winners! Everyone who participated deserves recognition and thanks, and we encourage you to try out all of the entries on the challenge.gov site, and give them a shout out on Twitter using the #GreenApps hashtag. 

Winner, Best Overall App: Light Bulb Finder by Adam Borut and Andrea Nylund of Eco Hatchery
Runner Up, Best Overall App: Hootroot by Matthew Kling of Brighter Planet
Winner, Best Student App: EarthFriend by Will Fry and Ali Hasan of Fry Development Company and Differential Apps
Runner Up, Best Student App: Environmental Justice Participatory Mapping by Robert Sabie, Jr. of Western Washington University     
Popular Choice Award: CG Search by Rajasekaran Bala of Cognizant Technology Solutions

See the winners page for more information.


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Green Apps Are Sprouting!

Take a look at all this green app activity! You might want to check out some of these hack-a-thons as a developer, subject matter expert, or interested party. Or take a look at the challenges that are happening now.

Click here to read more and visit the Data and Developer Forum blog.

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What was the 'Apps for the Environment' Challenge?

Apps for the Environment was a contest for software developers to find new ways to combine and deliver environmental data in new apps.  Submissions to the challenge were required to use EPA data, address one of Administrator Lisa Jackson’s Seven Priorities, and be useful to communities or individuals.  The winners will be honored at the Building Innovation through Partnerships: Apps for the Environment Forum in Arlington, VA on November 8 (see http://www.epa.gov/appsfortheenvironment/forum.html). In addition, the winning apps will be publicized on EPA’s website.



Challenge Resources Visit the Challenge Resources Page
  • Data Resources

    Data resources that can help developers use data to make apps about the environment or human health.

  • Data Sets

    A representative sample of EPA’s data sets so developers can understand what’s available from EPA and what the data mean.

  • Services

    A sample of services at EPA that developers can use to make applications.




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Frequently Asked Questions (Note that the submission deadline was September 16, 2011.)

  1. What is EPA Apps for the Environment Challenge?
  2. Are there any restrictions on who can submit applications for this challenge?
  3. Are Federal employees eligible to participate in the Challenge?
  4. As a contractor to EPA, is my company and/or its employees eligible to participate in the Challenge?
  5. My company is based outside of the United States but owned by a U.S. company.  Are we eligible to participate in the Challenge?
  6. What are the important dates to know for the challenge?
  7. Where do I submit my application?
  8. What are the prizes for the selected winners?
  9. What are the judging criteria?
  10. How will the winners of this challenge be selected?
  11. What does EPA mean when they say that "the app must use utilize EPA data?"
  12. Where can I find relevant EPA data?
  13. Can I use non-EPA data in my submission?
  14. How would one go about developing an app for the iOS, which requires distribution in compliance with Apple user agreements and submission to the Apple App Store, and then submitting?
  15. How many applications may I submit?
  16. Can a team collaborate and submit an application as one submission, or is it for individuals only?
  17. What should be included in a submission?
  18. Why is EPA holding a contest like this?
  19. Why doesn't EPA just make its own applications?
  20. Will the winning application be published and/or used by EPA?
  21. Will EPA own the intellectual property rights to these apps after the challenge?
  22. Will the apps in the challenge be available for free download to the public?
  1. What is EPA Apps for the Environment Challenge?

    The EPA Apps for the Environment Challenge is a contest for software developers to create new applications to enable the public to use EPA’s environmental and human health data to help communities and individuals benefit from using, understanding, and applying EPA’s data to their environmental and/or health issues.

  2. Return to FAQ List

  3. Are there any restrictions on who can submit applications for this challenge?

    This Challenge is open to U.S. residents of the 50 States (plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa) who are 13 years and over, groups of such residents, and businesses and organizations domiciled in the U.S. An individual may join more than one team and/or submit entries for more than one corporation or nonprofit organization. 

    A federal entity or federal employee acting within the scope of his or her employment is not eligible to participate.  Federal employees acting outside the scope of their employment should consult their ethics official before participating in the Challenge. 

    To be eligible to win Best Student Application, all members of the Contestant team must be enrolled in one or more courses at the high school, undergraduate, or graduate level during the summer or fall of 2011.

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  5. Are Federal employees eligible to participate in the Challenge?

    As a general matter, Federal employees interested in participating the Challenge should consult with their ethics official first. However, a Federal employee's eligibility will typically be determined as follows:

    Ineligible Federal Employees (including EPA employees)
    • Federal employees using government resources in the development or submission of their app (e.g. developing or submitting any part of the app on government time).
    • Federal employees involved in the development of the Apps for the Environment challenge.
    • Federal employees failing to meet any other eligibility requirement outlined in the Official Rules.

    Eligible Federal Employees (including EPA employees)
    • Federal employees acting outside the scope of their employment (i.e. developing and submitting apps entirely on non-government time) and not involved in the development of the Apps for the Environment challenge. Note that, to be eligible, individuals in this category would also need to meet all other eligibility requirements.
    • Employees should consult their ethics official before participating in this Challenge.

    To avoid the appearance of unfairness, eligible federal employees will be eligible to win the award for Popular Choice App only, not Best Overall App or Best Student App.
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  7. As a contractor to EPA, is my company and/or its employees eligible to participate in the Challenge?

    Maybe.  Federal contractors are permitted to enter the challenge, provided they (1) were not involved in the development of the Apps for the Environment challenge, not involved in the judging or evaluation of the apps submitted, and not involved in any other manner that could be construed as a conflict of interest or providing an unfair advantage; (2) do not use government resources to develop the submitted app or related code (e.g. do not bill EPA or another federal agency for any work done in developing the app); and (3) are not entering an app or related code previously developed under a federal contract or otherwise supported by federal funds.   Contractors, and their individual employees, involved in the development of the Apps for the Environment challenge are not permitted to enter. 

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  9. My company is based outside of the United States but owned by a U.S. company. Are we eligible to participate in the Challenge?

    Businesses domiciled outside the U.S. are ineligible to participate in the Challenge unless they have a parent company that is an American domestic corporation or other legal entity that maintains its primary place of business in the U.S.

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  11. What are the important dates to know for the challenge?
    • June 9: Challenge announced.
    • September 16: Submissions are due.
    • Late October or early November: Recognition event in Washington, DC.
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  13. Where do I submit my application?

    Entrants can submit applications on the Challenge.gov website at http://appsfortheenvironment.challenge.gov.

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  15. What are the prizes for the selected winners?

    The winners will be invited to Washington, D.C., to be honored at a recognition event and to demonstrate their apps to EPA experts and managers and possibly the EPA Administrator, Lisa Jackson.  This will be followed by a meet-and-greet with EPA and the other members of Program Offices who attend.  In addition, EPA will publicize the winners via the EPA website.

    Return to FAQ List

  16. What are the judging criteria?

    The judging criteria include:

    • Usefulness: Each submission will be rated on the strength of its potential to help individuals and/or the communities make informed decisions about the environment or human health.
    • Innovativeness: Each submission will be rated for the degree of new thinking it brings to applications for the environment or human health, and the creativity shown in designing for impact. 
    • Usability: Each submission will be rated on its user-friendliness and interactive capabilities. Preference will be given to applications that are easily accessible to a range of consumers and on a variety of platforms.
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  18. How will the winners of this Challenge be selected?

    Upon receiving submissions, EPA will screen the submissions to ensure that they comply with the submission requirements (see Official Rules), then post the eligible apps on the Challenge website. 
    After the close of the submission period, a panel of EPA experts will review each submission and decide upon the winners and runners up for the categories of Best Overall App and Best Student App.  After the eligible apps are posted, the public will also have the opportunity to select a People’s Choice App winner.

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  20. What does EPA mean when they say that "the app must use utilize EPA data?"

    The rules state that "The app must utilize EPA data from any publically available EPA data set, though they need not include all data fields available in a particular resource." Apps must use some type of EPA data; for the purposes of this challenge, EPA interprets "data" to include, but not limited to, spreadsheets, data or information services, EPA definitions, EPA regulations, or EPA official guidance. Linking to an EPA website is not sufficient to fulfill this requirement.

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  22. Where can I find relevant EPA data?

    EPA has made a Challenge Resources Page (www.epa.gov/developer) that provides developers with data sets, services, ideas for apps, and existing apps. In addition, Data Finder (www.epa.gov/data) is a single website to find EPA’s data sources. Data Finder organizes currently-available data sources into topics such as air, water, and chemicals so users can discover the many datasets that are available.  EPA uses Data Finder to locate datasets that can be made accessible via Data.gov, a Federal website that helps users find, download, and use datasets that are generated and held by the Federal government.

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  24. Can I use non-EPA data in my submission?

    Developers are encouraged to use other data in conjunction with EPA’s data to develop their application. Examples of other data include health data, state and local environmental data, non-EPA data held by the Federal government, or other published peer-reviewed scientific data. 

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  26. How would one go about developing an app for the iOS, which requires distribution in compliance with Apple user agreements and submission to the Apple App Store, and then submitting?

    Entrants can submit an app that’s built on the iOS (Apple's mobile operating system).  Ideally, the app would be distributed on a public site; however, apps built on the iOS would be offered through the App Store for free.  It’s important to note, if the judges do not have direct access to the app, an evaluation of the usability of the app would be limited. Apps could be submitted with a screencast that uses the iPhone/iPad simulator or some other method that shows usability of the app.  EPA reserves the right to use the apps before deciding on challenge winners.

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  28. How many applications may I submit?

    Entrants may submit as many apps as they’d like.

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  30. Can a team collaborate and submit an application as one submission, or is it for individuals only?

    Developers can create applications individually or collaboratively in teams.  If a submission is a collaborative effort involving more than one individual, that submission should list the name of each team member who worked on the submission.  Businesses and organizations may also enter submissions.

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  32. What should be included in a submission?

    Submissions include submission title, a text description of the submission, a link to the app, a list of data used, installation instructions, and a video that shows the app in use.

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  34. Why is EPA holding a contest like this?

    The purpose of this contest is to engage the software developer community to create new and innovative uses of EPA’s data for the benefit of the public. This challenge supports EPA’s mission to develop innovative and useful applications that address environmental and/or health issues of concern to the public. 

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  36. Why doesn't EPA just make its own applications?

    EPA already has and maintains several publicly-available applications that use its environmental data. In the spirit of innovation and creativity for this challenge, EPA is offering this challenge as an opportunity to reach a new audience of developers that care about making environmental and health data available and useful to the public in new and creative ways.

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  38. Will the winning application be published and/or used by EPA?

    EPA will display winning apps on the Challenge website for a year after the challenge is over.

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  40. Will EPA own the intellectual property rights to these apps after the challenge?

    Each entrant grants the EPA a license to post, link to, and display publicly the app on the Web, for the purpose of the Challenge, during the duration of the Challenge and for a period of one year following announcement of the Winners. All Contestants will retain all other intellectual property rights over their Submissions, except that Winners agree that their Submissions will be available on the EPA website for free use and download by the public for a period of one year following announcement of the Winners.

  41. Return to FAQ List

  42. Will the apps in the challenge be available for free download to the public?
    Yes, the apps entered into the challenge and posted on the Apps for the Environment Challenge website ( www.appsfortheenvironment.challenge.gov) will be available for the public to download for free for a period of one year following announcement of the Challenge Winners, as described in the Official Rules. However, submitters may also provide the app, including updates and variations, via a non-EPA website and would be able to offer the app at the price of their choosing.

  43. Return to FAQ List

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