The Challenge
A Call to Action: The Startup America Policy Challenge
In December 2011, the White House announced the Startup America Policy Challenge where federal government agencies challenged the American public to serve as entrepreneurial problem-solvers, identifying the best solution for administrative change to a particular public challenge. To kick off the challenge, the U.S. Chief Technology Officer, Aneesh Chopra, asked the enterprising American public to identify ways in which the U.S. Department of Education, Department of Energy, and Department of Health and Human Services might break down barriers to entrepreneurship and best enable the use of new learning technologies, clean energy technologies, and healthcare information technologies in administrative practice, respectively.
The ideas for administrative change proposed thus far have been thoughtful, creative, diverse, and inspiring. Yet, they are just the tip of the iceberg. This is where you come in!
A Response: The Policy Challenge
In response to this challenge, the Arizona State University (ASU) School of Public Affairs is leading a network of schools and organizations to mobilize students, scholars, practitioners, and concerned public citizens from across the country to participate in a national policy proposal competition. The Policy Challenge affords you the extraordinary opportunity to develop an innovative and viable idea for administrative change that will best enable the use of new technologies in education, clean energy, and healthcare at the relevant federal agency. Responding to this call to action by participating in The Policy Challenge is your ticket to becoming a member of a pioneering community of problem solvers!
Stage 1: Short-Form (Two-Page) Proposal (Open Competition: January 31 – April 2, 2012)
As an individual or a small team, submit a brief two-page proposal here that proposes and critically evaluates an idea, and develops a viable implementation plan for administrative change that will best enable the use of new technologies in education, clean energy, and healthcare at the relevant federal agency. You may elaborate on an idea proposed through the Startup America Policy Challenge or submit your own original idea. Any person who is eligible to participate may submit a short-form proposal. Finalist teams will be selected for each agency and invited to participate in Stage 2.
Stage 2: Long-Form Proposal (Closed Finalist Competition: April 16 – May 11, 2012)
Finalist teams submit a long-form proposal here that elaborates on their initial proposal, paying particular attention to the feasibility of their ideas.
The Finale in D.C. (Closed Finalist Presentations: May 21 - 22, 2012)
Finalists will be invited to participate in The Finale on May 21st at in Washington, D.C. to present their full proposals to a panel of high-profile expert judges with backgrounds in government, industry and academia, as well as meet in person with agency principals to discuss their ideas. The winning team(s) will be announced at The Finale, and their proposals will be shared with the Cabinet Secretary from the relevant federal agency. The Finale will be followed on May 22nd by an all-day Participatory Challenge Platforms Workshop, developed in collaboration with the National Science Foundation.
