82 FR 44810 - Challenge Competition: Using Technology to Prevent Childhood Obesity in Low-Income Families and Communities
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services Administration Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 185 (September 26, 2017)
Health Resources and Services Administration
Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 185 (September 26, 2017)
| Page Range | 44810-44812 | |
| FR Document | 2017-20537 |
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 185 (Tuesday, September 26, 2017)] [Notices] [Pages 44810-44812] From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org] [FR Doc No: 2017-20537] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Challenge Competition: Using Technology to Prevent Childhood Obesity in Low-Income Families and Communities AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services. ACTION: Notice. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA's) Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) announces a prize competition to support the development of low-cost, scalable technology-based innovations to promote healthy weight for low-income children and families in the socio-cultural and environmental contexts of their communities. The statutory authority for this challenge competition is Section 105 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010. This challenge, structured in three phases, will reach a diverse population of innovators and problem solvers, including families, coders, public health experts, community leaders, individuals affiliated with academic institutions, research and development communities in the private sector, and others. All submissions will be evaluated and separate prizes will be awarded for each of the three phases below. Phase 1: Design Phase 2: Development and Small Scale Testing Phase 3: Scaling Estimated dates for each phase are as follows: Phase 1: Effective on January 2, 2018 Phase 1 Submission Period Ends: January 31, 2018, 11:59 p.m. ET Phase 1 Judging Period: February 1-February 28, 2018 Phase 1 Winners Announced: March 12, 2018 Phase 2 Begins: March 13, 2018 Phase 2 Submission Period Ends: July 11, 2018 Phase 2 Judging Period: July 12-August 12, 2018 Phase 2 Winners Announced: August 20, 2018 Phase 3 Begins: August 21, 2018 Phase 3 Submission Period Ends: February 21, 2019 Phase 3 Winner Announced: March 1, 2019 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Meredith Morrissette, Division of Maternal and Child Health Workforce Development, MCHB, [email protected], (301) 443-6392, or James Resnick, Office of the Associate Administrator, MCHB, [email protected], (301) 443-3222. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 4, 2011, the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 was signed into law allowing the use of challenges and prize competitions increasing agencies' ability to promote and harness innovation. Competitions run by the federal government result in a number of benefits to the public, including the following: (a) Increasing the number and diversity of the individuals, teams, and organizations that are addressing a particular problem or challenge of national significance; (b) Improving the skills of the participants in the competition; and (c) Directing attention to new market opportunities and stimulating private sector investment. Subject of Challenge Competition Secretary Price identified reducing childhood obesity as a priority for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), acknowledging this is a growing epidemic in the United States. Since 1980, childhood obesity rates for 2- to 19-year-olds have tripled, with rates of obesity in 6- to 11-year-olds more than doubling, and rates of obesity in 12- to 19-year-olds quadrupling. While improved eating behaviors and increased physical activity play a large role in obesity prevention, additional public health factors such as limited access to affordable, healthy food options, social and cultural norms, and limited availability of safe places to play also impact childhood obesity rates. While existing apps and tools address individual behaviors, such as exercise and nutrition, their uptake in underserved communities is limited because they are not tailored to the needs, challenges, and barriers to healthy weight in these communities. The goal of this challenge is to make technology work for the family as a unit within the reality of their larger community environment. Addressing childhood obesity from a population-based, public health perspective as a complement to the individual clinical perspective requires innovative, community-based solutions and partnerships. A challenge will maximize competition and spur innovation for communities in a cost-effective and accelerated timeframe. It will reach a broad stakeholder group and allow involvement of non-traditional partners who are knowledgeable about the strengths and challenges affecting the community, and who can bring new ideas towards addressing this issue. A challenge will provide support for the development of several innovative ideas through a pay-for-results mechanism, ultimately leading to the development of multiple novel and scalable interventions. Potential areas of focus include, but are not limited to:Promoting access to healthy, affordable food; Supporting community-owned solutions that increase families' knowledge and skills related to healthy eating and nutrition; Finding innovative ways that increase physical activity, such as gamification, while accounting for environmental barriers to physical activity in underserved communities; and Empowering families to achieve healthy eating practices, healthy lifestyles, and sustainable changes in the home environment, while accounting for limited access to healthy foods in under-resourced communities. Key design features of the innovations may address one or more of the following: Be at low-cost to families and scalable; [[Page 44811]] Account for social, cultural, and environmental barriers to healthy weight behaviors; Incorporate a two-generation approach in targeting the family unit (children and parents/caregivers); Be focused on underserved families and communities; Address the supply and demand of food (i.e., use innovative means to connect families in food deserts or families that are food insecure to healthy food); Be grounded in behavioral science for long-term behavior change around nutrition and healthy behaviors; and Address nutrition and physical activity. Eligibility Rules for Participating in the Competition To be eligible to win a prize under this challenge, an individual or entity-- (1) Shall have registered to participate in the competition under the rules promulgated by HRSA and HHS. (2) Shall have complied with all the requirements under this section. (3) In the case of a private entity, shall be incorporated in and maintain a primary place of business in the United States, 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. (5) Shall not be an HHS employee working on their applications or submissions during assigned duty hours. (6) May not be employees of HRSA or any other company, organization, or individual involved with the design, production, execution, judging, or distribution of the Challenge and their immediate family (i.e., spouse, parents and step-parents, siblings and step-siblings, and children and step-children) and household members (i.e., people who share the same residence at least 3 months out of the year). (7) In the case of a federal grantee, may not use federal funds to develop COMPETES Act challenge applications unless consistent with the purpose of their grant award. (8) In the case of a federal contractor, may not use federal funds from a contract to develop COMPETES Act challenge applications or to fund efforts in support of a COMPETES Act challenge submission. (9) 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. (10) Must agree 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 the participation in this prize contest, whether the injury, death, damage, or loss arises through negligence or otherwise. (11) Must also agree to indemnify the federal government against third party claims for damages arising from or related to competition activities. (12) Shall not be currently on the Excluded Parties List (https://www.epls.gov/). Submission Requirements The Challenge has three phases. Phase 1--Design The first stage of the prize competition aims to attract a large set of ideas and innovators. The target product of the first stage will be the conceptualization of the most promising innovations to promote healthy weight behaviors in children and families in vulnerable populations. The submissions should demonstrate that the proposed intervention will be accessible to traditionally underserved populations and easily implemented by users. The Phase 1 Submission shall include: 1. A comprehensive description of the proposed intervention in five pages or less, including: a. A one-paragraph executive summary that clearly states the question to be solved; b. Background information linking the evidence to support the intervention; c. A descriptive analysis of how the applicant arrived at their idea; d. Descriptions of the methods and technologies involved in implementation of the intervention; and e. An assessment describing the applicant's ability to execute the proposed solution in Phase 2 and 3. Phase 2--Development and Small Scale Testing The winners of Phase 1 of the prize competition will then advance to a second stage focused on prototyping the intervention and testing the effectiveness of the intervention. Using support from the Phase 1 prize funding, innovation developers will test the efficacy of their models to show that the proposed innovation demonstrates an impact on the outcomes of interest for children and families. The applicants should demonstrate both the evidence base for the innovation and its usability. Mentors will be available to help participants design appropriate testing methodologies and learn more about the evidence base. Phase 3--Scaling The winners of Phase 2 will move to the final phase of the incentive prize, which will involve testing the most promising models at greater scale through rollout at the program or community level. This will test the scalability of the device at low-cost, the feasibility of implementation, and the impact on the intended outcomes. Applicants are encouraged to work closely with a community or city to facilitate scaling the intervention in order to reach more families. Registration Process for Participants Participants will be able to register and submit an entry at the Using Technology to Prevent Childhood Obesity in Low-Income Families and Communities Challenge Web site. Participants can find out more information at https://www.challenge.gov/list. Prizes Total: $375,000 in Prizes [cir] Phase 1: 7-10 winners; up to a total of $100,000 in prizes [cir] Phase 2: 3-5 winners; up to a total of $125,000 in prizes [cir] Phase 3: 1 winner; up to a total of $150,000 prize Payment of the Prizes Prize payments will be paid by a contractor. Phase 1 winners may be expected to use a portion of the prize money for travel and lodging to attend a 2-day meeting in Washington, DC, to demonstrate their innovation to the judges. Prizes awarded under this competition will be paid by electronic funds transfer and may be subject to federal income taxes. HHS will comply with the Internal Revenue Service withholding and reporting requirements, where applicable. Basis for Winner Selection A review panel composed of HHS employees and experts will judge challenge entries in compliance with the requirements of the COMPETES Act and HHS judging guidelines: http://www.hhs.gov/idealab/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/HHS-COMPETITION-JUDGING-GUIDELINES.pdf. [[Page 44812]] The review panel will make selections based upon the following criteria: Phase 1 Accessibility Is the proposed innovation able to be easily utilized by families of diverse economic, social, and cultural backgrounds? Measurability How easily will the proposed innovation be evaluated in order to determine its efficacy (in both lab testing and in the real world)? Is the proposed innovation measurable among various audiences? Sustainability Is the proposed innovation ``sticky?'' Does the proposed intervention compel users to utilize the technology often and/or for long periods of time? Does it fit into usual family and/or community routines? Is it engaging for users? Impact Does the applicant present a theory or explanation of how the proposed innovation would promote healthy weight behaviors and/or access to healthy food? Phase 2 Impact How did the innovation impact target outcomes? What did the data show? Evidence Base Is the intervention grounded in existing science related to healthy weight behaviors, childhood obesity, behavior change, etc.? Sustainability Was the intervention compelling to users and did it encourage users to use the technology often? Did users want to continuously engage with the technology? Implementation How feasible is the intervention? How much support for implementation will the intervention require (estimated financial and time commitment)? Phase 3 Impact How effective was the intervention when implemented at scale? Did the impacts from Phase 2 remain consistent? Implementation How feasible was the intervention on a larger scale? How much support for implementation did the model require (financial and time commitment)? How challenging was the actual program implementation? Scalability How costly was the intervention in a real-world setting? How likely are cost efficiencies for program delivery at greater scale? Can the innovation be used in other communities? Additional Information General Conditions: HRSA reserves the right to cancel, suspend, and/or modify the contest, or any part of it, for any reason, at HRSA's sole discretion. The interventions submitted across all phases should not use the HHS or HRSA logos or official seals in the submission, and must not claim endorsement. Intellectual Property Each entrant retains full ownership and title in and to their submission. Entrants expressly reserve all intellectual property rights not expressly granted under the challenge agreement. By participating in the challenge, each entrant hereby irrevocably grants to HRSA a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license and right to reproduce, publically perform, publically display, and use the submission for internal HHS business and to the extent necessary to administer the challenge, and to publically perform and publically display the submission, including, without limitation, for advertising and promotional purposes relating to the challenge. Record Retention and FOIA: All materials submitted to HRSA as part of a submission become HRSA records and cannot be returned. Any confidential commercial information contained in a submission should be designated at the time of submission. Participants will be notified of any Freedom of Information Act requests for their submissions in accordance with 45 CFR 5.65. Dated: September 19, 2017. George Sigounas, Administrator. [FR Doc. 2017-20537 Filed 9-25-17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4165-15-P
![44810 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 185 / Tuesday, September 26, 2017 / Notices
and to the extent necessary to research and development communities more than doubling, and rates of obesity
administer the challenge, and to in the private sector, and others. in 12- to 19-year-olds quadrupling.
publically perform and publically All submissions will be evaluated and While improved eating behaviors and
display the submission, including, separate prizes will be awarded for each increased physical activity play a large
without limitation, for advertising and of the three phases below. role in obesity prevention, additional
promotional purposes relating to the Phase 1: Design public health factors such as limited
challenge. Phase 2: Development and Small Scale access to affordable, healthy food
• Record Retention and FOIA: All Testing options, social and cultural norms, and
materials submitted to HRSA as part of Phase 3: Scaling limited availability of safe places to play
a submission become HRSA records and Estimated dates for each phase are as also impact childhood obesity rates.
cannot be returned. Any confidential follows: While existing apps and tools address
commercial information contained in a Phase 1: Effective on January 2, 2018 individual behaviors, such as exercise
submission should be designated at the Phase 1 Submission Period Ends: and nutrition, their uptake in
time of submission. Participants will be January 31, 2018, 11:59 p.m. ET underserved communities is limited
notified of any Freedom of Information Phase 1 Judging Period: February 1- because they are not tailored to the
Act requests for their submissions in February 28, 2018 needs, challenges, and barriers to
accordance with 45 CFR 5.65. Phase 1 Winners Announced: March 12, healthy weight in these communities.
The statutory authority for this 2018 The goal of this challenge is to make
challenge competition is Section 105 of Phase 2 Begins: March 13, 2018 technology work for the family as a unit
the America COMPETES Phase 2 Submission Period Ends: July within the reality of their larger
Reauthorization Act of 2010 11, 2018 community environment.
(COMPETES Act, Pub. L. 111–358) as Phase 2 Judging Period: July 12-August Addressing childhood obesity from a
amended by section 401(b) of the 12, 2018 population-based, public health
American Innovation and Phase 2 Winners Announced: August perspective as a complement to the
Competitiveness Act, Public Law 114– 20, 2018 individual clinical perspective requires
329. Phase 3 Begins: August 21, 2018 innovative, community-based solutions
Dated: September 19, 2017. Phase 3 Submission Period Ends: and partnerships. A challenge will
George Sigounas, February 21, 2019 maximize competition and spur
Administrator.
Phase 3 Winner Announced: March 1, innovation for communities in a cost-
2019 effective and accelerated timeframe. It
[FR Doc. 2017–20536 Filed 9–25–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165–15–P FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: will reach a broad stakeholder group
Meredith Morrissette, Division of and allow involvement of non-
Maternal and Child Health Workforce traditional partners who are
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND Development, MCHB, MMorrissette@ knowledgeable about the strengths and
HUMAN SERVICES hrsa.gov, (301) 443–6392, or James challenges affecting the community, and
Resnick, Office of the Associate who can bring new ideas towards
Health Resources and Services Administrator, MCHB, JResnick@ addressing this issue. A challenge will
Administration hrsa.gov, (301) 443–3222. provide support for the development of
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On several innovative ideas through a pay-
Challenge Competition: Using for-results mechanism, ultimately
January 4, 2011, the America
Technology to Prevent Childhood leading to the development of multiple
COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010
Obesity in Low-Income Families and novel and scalable interventions.
was signed into law allowing the use of
Communities Potential areas of focus include, but
challenges and prize competitions
AGENCY: Health Resources and Services increasing agencies’ ability to promote are not limited to:
Administration, Department of Health and harness innovation. Competitions • Promoting access to healthy,
and Human Services. run by the federal government result in affordable food;
ACTION: Notice. a number of benefits to the public, • Supporting community-owned
including the following: solutions that increase families’
SUMMARY: The Health Resources and (a) Increasing the number and knowledge and skills related to healthy
Services Administration’s (HRSA’s) diversity of the individuals, teams, and eating and nutrition;
Maternal and Child Health Bureau organizations that are addressing a • Finding innovative ways that
(MCHB) announces a prize competition particular problem or challenge of increase physical activity, such as
to support the development of low-cost, national significance; gamification, while accounting for
scalable technology-based innovations (b) Improving the skills of the environmental barriers to physical
to promote healthy weight for low- participants in the competition; and activity in underserved communities;
income children and families in the (c) Directing attention to new market and
socio-cultural and environmental opportunities and stimulating private
contexts of their communities. sector investment. • Empowering families to achieve
The statutory authority for this healthy eating practices, healthy
challenge competition is Section 105 of Subject of Challenge Competition lifestyles, and sustainable changes in
the America COMPETES Secretary Price identified reducing the home environment, while
Reauthorization Act of 2010. childhood obesity as a priority for the accounting for limited access to healthy
This challenge, structured in three Department of Health and Human foods in under-resourced communities.
phases, will reach a diverse population Services (HHS), acknowledging this is a Key design features of the innovations
of innovators and problem solvers, growing epidemic in the United States. may address one or more of the
including families, coders, public health Since 1980, childhood obesity rates for following:
experts, community leaders, individuals 2- to 19-year-olds have tripled, with • Be at low-cost to families and
affiliated with academic institutions, rates of obesity in 6- to 11-year-olds scalable;
VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:28 Sep 25, 2017 Jkt 241001 PO 00000 Frm 00052 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\26SEN1.SGM 26SEN1](https://thefederalregister.org/doc/82_FR_44995/page/1.svg)
![44812 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 185 / Tuesday, September 26, 2017 / Notices
The review panel will make selections implementation did the model require DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
based upon the following criteria: (financial and time commitment)? How HUMAN SERVICES
Phase 1 challenging was the actual program
implementation? Health Resources and Services
Accessibility Administration
Scalability
• Is the proposed innovation able to COMPETES Reauthorization Act
be easily utilized by families of diverse • How costly was the intervention in Challenge Competition
economic, social, and cultural a real-world setting? How likely are cost
backgrounds? efficiencies for program delivery at AGENCY:Health Resources and Services
Measurability greater scale? Can the innovation be Administration, Department of Health
used in other communities? and Human Services.
• How easily will the proposed
innovation be evaluated in order to Additional Information ACTION: Notice.
determine its efficacy (in both lab
testing and in the real world)? Is the General Conditions: SUMMARY: The Health Resources and
Services Administration’s (HRSA’s)
proposed innovation measurable among • HRSA reserves the right to cancel,
various audiences? Maternal and Child Health Bureau
suspend, and/or modify the contest, or
(MCHB) announces a prize competition
Sustainability any part of it, for any reason, at HRSA’s for the Improving Care for Children and
sole discretion.
• Is the proposed innovation Youth—Incentive Prize. MCHB is
‘‘sticky?’’ Does the proposed • The interventions submitted across sponsoring the Improving Care for
intervention compel users to utilize the all phases should not use the HHS or Children and Youth challenge to spur
technology often and/or for long periods HRSA logos or official seals in the innovative solutions to overcoming
of time? Does it fit into usual family submission, and must not claim barriers to accessing health care and
and/or community routines? Is it endorsement. high-quality services faced by families.
engaging for users? This challenge will reward the
Intellectual Property development and testing of scalable
Impact
• Each entrant retains full ownership innovations that improve care for
• Does the applicant present a theory children and youth.
or explanation of how the proposed and title in and to their submission.
Entrants expressly reserve all FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
innovation would promote healthy
weight behaviors and/or access to intellectual property rights not Jessie Buerlein, Office of Policy and
healthy food? expressly granted under the challenge Planning, MCHB, JBuerlein@hrsa.gov,
agreement. (301) 443–8931 and James Resnick,
Phase 2 Office of the Associate Administrator,
• By participating in the challenge, MCHB, JResnick@hrsa.gov, (301) 334–
Impact each entrant hereby irrevocably grants 3222.
• How did the innovation impact to HRSA a limited, non-exclusive,
target outcomes? What did the data royalty-free, worldwide license and SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On
show? right to reproduce, publically perform, January 4, 2011, the America
publically display, and use the COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010
Evidence Base was signed into law allowing the use of
submission for internal HHS business
• Is the intervention grounded in and to the extent necessary to challenges and prize competitions
existing science related to healthy administer the challenge, and to increasing agencies’ ability to promote
weight behaviors, childhood obesity, and harness innovation. Competitions
publically perform and publically
behavior change, etc.? run by the federal government result in
display the submission, including,
Sustainability a number of benefits to the public,
without limitation, for advertising and
including the following:
• Was the intervention compelling to promotional purposes relating to the
(a) Increasing the number and
users and did it encourage users to use challenge.
diversity of the individuals, teams, and
the technology often? Did users want to • Record Retention and FOIA: All organizations that are addressing a
continuously engage with the materials submitted to HRSA as part of particular problem or challenge of
technology? a submission become HRSA records and national significance;
Implementation cannot be returned. Any confidential (b) Improving the skills of the
commercial information contained in a
• How feasible is the intervention? participants in the competition; and
How much support for implementation submission should be designated at the (c) Directing attention to new market
will the intervention require (estimated time of submission. Participants will be opportunities and stimulating private
financial and time commitment)? notified of any Freedom of Information sector investment.
Act requests for their submissions in This challenge, which will be
Phase 3 accordance with 45 CFR 5.65. structured in phases with a narrowing of
Impact Dated: September 19, 2017. applicants through each phase to result
• How effective was the intervention George Sigounas, in one final winner, will reach a diverse
when implemented at scale? Did the Administrator. population of innovators and problem
impacts from Phase 2 remain solvers, including families, coders,
[FR Doc. 2017–20537 Filed 9–25–17; 8:45 am]
consistent? public health experts, community
BILLING CODE 4165–15–P
leaders, individuals affiliated with
Implementation academic institutions, research and
• How feasible was the intervention development communities in the
on a larger scale? How much support for private sector, and others.
VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:28 Sep 25, 2017 Jkt 241001 PO 00000 Frm 00054 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\26SEN1.SGM 26SEN1](https://thefederalregister.org/doc/82_FR_44995/page/3.svg)
Document Created: 2017-09-26 02:48:52
Document Modified: 2017-09-26 02:48:52
| Category | Regulatory Information | |
| Collection | Federal Register | |
| sudoc Class | AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106: | |
| Publisher | Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration | |
| Section | Notices | |
| Action | Notice. | |
| Contact | Meredith Morrissette, Division of Maternal and Child Health Workforce Development, MCHB, [email protected], (301) 443-6392, or James Resnick, Office of the Associate Administrator, MCHB, [email protected], (301) 443-3222. | |
| FR Citation | 82 FR 44810 |
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