Nutrient pollution affects more than 100,000 miles of rivers and streams, close to 2.5 million acres of lakes, reservoirs, and ponds, and more than 800 square miles of bays and estuaries in the United States. Harmful algal blooms (HABs) and hypoxia are examples of negative impacts of excess nutrient runoff that can impact human health, ecosystems, fisheries, and tourism. The USGS, US EPA, and Blue Legacy International challenge Solvers to utilize open government data sources to create compelling, innovative, and comprehensible visualizations that inform individuals and communities on nutrient pollution and inspire them to take action.
This Challenge requires a data visualization and written description.
Nutrient pollution endangers not only America’s waterways and ecosystems but also significantly impacts communities and residents. Various sectors including government, academia, environmental nonprofits, water utilities, and the agriculture community are researching, innovating and implementing solutions to reduce excess nutrients in waterways. These broad efforts already generate a wealth of useful data, but the general public can’t easily access or understand these rich information sources. This Challenge seeks compelling, innovative, and comprehensible visualizations that inform individuals and communities on nutrient pollution and inspire them to take actions that might prevent excess algal production and hypoxia in local watersheds.
This is a Theoretical Challenge that requires a data visualization and written description to be submitted. There are two awards for this Challenge:
- First Place Award – $10,000; An opportunity to attend the Nutrient Sensor Challenge Summit on August 12, 2015 to present the winning visualization; Visualization promoted on USGS, US EPA, and Blue Legacy International websites; Substantive blog post by Alexandra Cousteau with reference to visualization on National Geographic Water Currents Blog and Huffington Post Green
- Blue Legacy Award – $5,000; Visualization promoted on USGS, US EPA, and Blue Legacy International websites; Substantive blog post by Alexandra Cousteau with reference to Visualization on National Geographic Water Currents Blog and Huffington Post Green
- In Addition, the top 10 visualizations will have the opportunity, upon recommendation by the judging panel, to be promoted on the federal interagency Open Water Data Initiative website
The winner of the First Place Award will be determined by a judging panel convened by the Seekers. The winner of the Blue Legacy Award will be chosen by Blue Legacy International from the top 9 remaining visualizations as determined by the judging panel (First Place Award winner not eligible for the Blue Legacy Award.) By making a submission to this Challenge, you are granting the Seekers permission to make your submission available to the public after the Challenge deadline for the sole purpose of determining the Blue Legacy Award winner. In addition, you are providing consent to the Seekers to publicly disclose your identity if your Proposed Solution is chosen for an award and you choose to accept the award.
To receive an award, Solvers will not have to transfer their exclusive IP rights to the Seekers. Instead, they will grant to the Seekers a 6-month exclusive license followed by a perpetual non-exclusive license to practice their solutions and utilize the visualization.
About the Seekers
This Challenge is being run by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), and Blue Legacy International.
InnoCentive is the global innovation marketplace where creative minds solve some of the world's most important problems for cash awards up to $1 million. Commercial, governmental and humanitarian organizations engage with InnoCentive to solve problems that can impact humankind in areas ranging from the environment to medical advancements.
What is a Theoretical-Licensing Challenge?
An InnoCentive Theoretical Challenge builds upon an idea but is not yet a proof of concept. A solution to a Theoretical Challenge will solidify the Solver's concept with detailed descriptions, specifications and requirements necessary to bringing a good idea closer to becoming an actual product or service.
This Challenge is a Theoretical-Licensing Challenge, meaning that the Seeker is requesting non-exclusive rights to use the winning solution. By contrast, Theoretical-IP Transfer means that Solvers must relinquish all rights to the Intellectual Property (IP) for which they are awarded. For these forms of a Theoretical Challenge, Solvers that do not win retain the rights to their solution after the evaluation period is complete. The Seeker retains no rights to any IP not awarded.
