Eligibility & Event Rules

Updated on May 22, 2023

The STI Hackathon is open to any person or team who are age 18 or older and are U.S. citizens, legal resident aliens, or non-resident aliens with a valid visa.
Individuals and teams from all sectors are welcome to apply to compete, including academia, philanthropy, and private industry.
Entrants must apply to compete by creating and/or otherwise signing into their Devpost account, and clicking the “Join Hackathon” button. After submitting your registration organizers will confirm your eligibility and you will be contacted in 3-business days with next steps. By using Devpost, you will be subject to Devpost’s terms of use and privacy policies. Devpost is not affiliated in any way with, or endorsed by, NAS.
Competitors must attend the event in-person.
Individual Entrant will be paired in teams of 2-4 members by the organizers. Those applying as a team may have 2-4 team members. Competitors cannot be members of multiple teams. Each member must register individually and list team members.
Each team may only compete in one track (data analytics or AI powered software solutions).
Work must be entirely completed during the Hackathon hours.
Entrants must attend the event in person.
All participants must follow the National Academies Preventing Discrimination, Harassment, and Bullying: Policy for Participants in NASEM Activities.
Entrants must provide their own computers to use at the event.
The Hackathon is limited to 120 competitors. A waiting list will be available.
First, second, and third place winners (“Hackathon Winners”) in each track will be selected by a panel of three judges comprised from different sectors (such as, government, academia, clinical workforce, or private industry). Judges will consider the following criteria: Potential for Impact; Feasibility; Innovation and Originality; Technical Complexity; Implementation; Presentation (see criteria descriptions here) . All decisions of the judges are final.
Hackathon Winners will have their winning solutions featured on a website for the event and/or promoted on NAS social media accounts for NAS tax-exempt purposes. First and second place Hackathon Winners in each track will also have the opportunity to receive a grant from NAS to continue work to develop their proposed solution. Each first place Hackathon winning team will be eligible for a grant on the amount of $20,000 and each second place Hackathon winning team will be eligible for a grant of $5000.
In addition, two monetary prizes, funded by YouTube Health, will be awarded. There will be one winning team in each competition track (AI and Data Analytics). The YouTube Prize Winners may be from among the Hackathon Winners or may be a different team. The YouTube Health Prize Winners will be selected by the panel of judges against the following criteria: most innovative solution (see judging criterion item “Innovation and Originality.” All decisions of the judges are final. The YouTube Health Prize winning teams will receive $5,000.00 each (shared among team members), and each team will have their winning solutions featured on a website for the event and/or promoted on NAS social media accounts for NAS tax-exempt purposes.
Travel expenses and accommodations are not covered. Food and beverage will be provided during the entire onsite Hackathon event for the approved Entrants. A limited hotel room block—for self-pay by Entrants—is available, contact the organizers for more information.
By entering the Hackathon, each individual Entrant grants the NAS a world-wide nonexclusive, royalty-free, transferable license to share their proposed solution with judges for the purposes of review and judging.
Hackathon Winners and the YouTube Health Winners, as a condition of award, will have to provide addition licenses and personal releases relating to the use of their proposed solutions and their likenesses in connection with publicizing the Hackathon, their proposed solutions, and their participation, for NAS-tax-exempt purposes.
YouTube Health Prize Winners, as a condition of award, will have to provide NAS with a completed W-9 and EFT (electronic funds transfer) information.
Entering the Hackathon does not guarantee that the proposed solution will be displayed or used by NAS. Use by NAS of a proposed solution does not necessarily reflect the views of the NAS, and in no event shall NAS assume or have any responsibility or liability for any proposed solution, in whole or in part, or for any claims, damages, or losses resulting from the use and/or appearance of any proposed solution or the contents thereof. NAS reserves the right to refuse any proposed solution in its sole discretion. NAS also reserves the right at any time during the Hackathon to remove or disqualify any Entrant and their proposed solution when it believes in its sole discretion that the entrant has: (i) infringed any third party's copyright; (ii) failed to comply with these Terms and Conditions; or (iii) failed to obtain the necessary consents as set out in these terms and conditions. NAS shall not be liable for any claims, costs, liabilities, damages, expenses, and losses arising out of (i) NAS's use of the proposed solution; (ii) the Entrant’s participation in the Hackathon; (iii) technical failures of any kind including but not limited to problems or delays arising from software or equipment malfunctions or computer viruses; and (iv) any events outside NAS's reasonable control.
By entering this Hackathon, each individual Entrant represents and warrants that: (i) the individual Entrant (working with the Entrant’s team) will be the sole author, creator, and owner of the proposes solution; (ii) except for material used by permission, none of the intellectual property rights in the proposed solution, or any portion thereof, will have been assigned or transferred to anyone other than the Entrant; (iii) the proposed solution, through its creation and its entry, will not violate any applicable laws; and (iv) the proposed solution, through its creation and its Submission as an entry, will not infringe upon or violate intellectual property rights held by any third person or party. Any Entrant who supplies false information, enters the Hackathon by fraudulent means, or is otherwise determined to be in violation of the eligibility criteria or terms of this Hackathon shall be ineligible for any award (monetary or otherwise) and shall be required to forfeit any award (monetary or otherwise) obtained based on such information or means. By entering the Hackathon, each individual Entrant agrees to comply with and be bound by the official rules and decisions of NAS. All references to NAS contained herein refer to the National Academy of Sciences.
Taxes, if any, are the sole responsibility of the winner.
The Hackathon is void where prohibited.
The Hackathon shall be governed by, construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the District of Columbia.
A list of Hackathon and YouTube Prize Winners can be obtained by contacting STIHackathon@nas.edu.

Code of Conduct

At the STI Hackathon, we look forward to working with diverse perspectives and to come together to develop and build solutions that could address challenges facing STI prevention and control today. This hackathon is intended to inspire and encourage one another through creativity, problem solving, and innovation, using technology.

The National Academies are committed to the principles of diversity, inclusion, integrity, civility, and respect in all of our activities. We look to you to be a partner in this commitment by helping us to maintain a professional and cordial environment. All forms of discrimination, harassment, and bullying are prohibited in any NASEM activity. This policy applies to all participants in all settings and locations in which NASEM work and activities are conducted, including committee meetings, workshops, conferences, and other work and social functions where employees, volunteers, sponsors, vendors, or guests are present.

Discrimination is prejudicial treatment of individuals or groups of people based on their race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, religion, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws.

Sexual harassment is unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment.

Other types of harassment include any verbal or physical conduct directed at individuals or groups of people because of their race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, religion, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, that creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment.

Bullying is unwelcome, aggressive behavior involving the use of influence, threat, intimidation, or coercion to dominate others in the professional environment.

The National Academies full code of conduct, including how to report a violation, is available here.