Posted By: Food and Drug Administration
Category: Software/Apps Skill: Software/Apps Interest: Public Safety Partnership With: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
National Institute on Drug Abuse
Submission Dates: 9 a.m. ET, Sep 23, 2016 - 11:59 p.m. ET, Nov 07, 2016
In 2014, nearly two million Americans aged 12 or older either abused or were dependent on opioid painkillers, and 61% of drug overdose deaths involved either an opioid painkiller or heroin. Naloxone is an antidote for an opioid overdose, whether from prescription opioids or heroin. It is a prescription drug with few side effects that rapidly reverses the effects of opioid overdoses. Although most frequently used in emergency rooms and on ambulances, many states have recently taken steps to make it easier for people in the general public, including family and friends of drug users, to carry and administer naloxone.
Despite the increasing availability of naloxone, people carrying naloxone are often unaware when an overdose occurs nearby. Currently, there are no mechanisms to alert carriers of naloxone to a person in need of the medication. This is where you come in!
FDA is hosting the 2016 FDA Naloxone App Competition to encourage computer scientists, public health advocates, clinical researchers and entrepreneurs to develop creative solutions to this problem. Specifically, we are looking for innovative ideas for a smartphone app that connects people experiencing an opioid overdose to nearby carriers of naloxone. We are most interested in concepts that are readily scalable, free or low-cost to the end-user, and take advantage of existing systems for naloxone distribution and use.
How does the Competition work?
- You register. See more information about registration below.
- You decide whether and how you want to participate in one of our first-ever FDA code-a-thons on Oct. 19-20, 2016! There are options for in-person and virtual participation – learn more in the Rules section.
- You refine your concept after the code-a-thon, and then send in your submission – more details about that below.
- The submissions are judged, and the entrant with the highest score wins $40,000!
Want to learn more about opioids and naloxone? We’ve pulled together lots of resources to get you started – Click here!
Want to learn more about the Competition? Click on the Rules tab for all the terms and conditions of the Competition. You can also learn more in the official Federal Register Notice that announced the Competition – Click Here!
Want to learn more about the code-a-thon?
Recording of Day 1 Presentations: https://collaboration.fda.gov/p66yrjt2b1e/
Recording of Day 2 Presentations: https://collaboration.fda.gov/p316i6sm4c4/
NIH SBIR Funding Opportunities
Recording of Team Presentations: https://collaboration.fda.gov/p7wn61s5yjc/
Still have questions? Email us! The Frequently Asked Questions document has also recently been updated: click here!
Send us any additional questions at NaloxoneApp@fda.hhs.gov. You can also feel free to open up a discussion thread in the Discussions tab.
Note: Effective November 18, 2016, FDA Chief of Staff Tom Kraus is the award approving official for the 2016 FDA Naloxone App Competition, replacing FDA Associate Commissioner for Medical Products and Tobacco Rachel Sherman in this role.
Associate Commissioner/ FDA Public Health Strategy and Analysis, Food and Drug Administration
Associate Director for Digital Health/ Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration
Deputy Director/ National Institute on Drug Abuse
Medical Officer/Food and Drug Administration
Information Technology Supervisor/Food and Drug Administration
Chief Information Officer Technical Advisor/Food and Drug Administration
Innovation - 25%
Uniqueness and innovation in use of software and data analytics to fulfill the mandatory requirements; variety and value of additional features.
Usability - 25%
Use of design elements to increase utilization among both people at risk of opioid overdose and naloxone carriers; ease of navigation; appropriate use of an interface to support the app in achieving desired outcome.
Functionality - 25%
Potential to enhance the frequency and speed of naloxone administration by the carriers to the overdose victims.
Adaptability - 25%
Potential for app to be tailored to the practical environment (e.g., urban, rural) of an individual community.
Thanks for all your enthusiasm and your submissions! The submission window is now closed. All eligible submissions will be judged, and a winner will be announced by the end of the calendar year. Stay tuned!
Solution: OD Help
Description: OD Help’s concept is a simple, easy-to-use mobile app designed to connect potential opioid overdose victims with a crowd-sourced network of naloxone carriers. OD Help can easily be tailored for use in rural or urban areas by expanding or contracting the radius within which naloxone carriers are sought. An additional innovative feature of OD Help is the optional interface with a breathing monitor to detect when a victim’s breathing rate is dangerously low, a sign of an opioid overdose. Hence, if the victim is alone and unable to call for help, OD Help will detect the diminished breathing and alert a naloxone carrier of the potential overdose. Other features of OD Help include: only alerting people in one’s support network and allowing naloxone carriers to disable alerts when they are unable to respond. The app also provides instructions on how to correctly diagnose an overdose and administer naloxone and helps contact emergency medical services when help is required.
Solution: NalNow
Description:
77 Discussions for "The 2016 FDA Naloxone App Competition"
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SherlynDecember 22, 2016 at 10:43 amImpressive article post on the blog, I share the same views. I wonder why this particular country totally does not think like me and adladionilty the web publication master
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RPOctober 19, 2016 at 9:52 amAny information for virtual participants to join the Code-a-thon?
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Show Replies [+]Jeff P.October 16, 2016 at 7:25 amI am the owner of an web/app design company located in Eastern KY. We are at ground zero for the the drug epidemic. I have senselessly lost friends and family to overdose. We would be willing to help. We have a working prototype that we were going to submit. Sadly we missed the deadline to enter by 48 hours. We are looking for a team to join. What are you thinking? Perhaps we could build on each other's idea. We would love to be a part of this competition. We could create something positive. All information is valuable. Please e-mail me if you are interested. Time is short. Thank you for your time.
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ReplySaheed Alli-BalogunOctober 19, 2016 at 9:21 amJeff, What is your e-mail?
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ReplyJeff P.October 19, 2016 at 11:24 amjeff@openboxapps.com
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Show Replies [+]Ashley LylesOctober 12, 2016 at 10:45 amHello Everyone, I am a reporter for Scienceline. I am interested in connecting with an app developer, so I can document the design process and how they think the app will work. Please reply to this comment with your email address, and I will follow up with you for more details.
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ReplyDrew StrombergOctober 13, 2016 at 3:26 pmHi our team would love to talk! You can reach us dstromberg87@gmail.com.
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ReplyJoe MaxOctober 14, 2016 at 11:52 amHello Ashley, I'm the lead developer for this challenge and would love to talk to you. jdavila623@gmail.com
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ReplyJared SheehanNovember 1, 2016 at 1:31 amHi Ashley - I am happy to chat as well. My email is jared@pwrdby.com
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Show Replies [+]DaniOctober 6, 2016 at 11:32 amHello - does anyone know the programming language that should be used (Java, Python, etc.)? I know the app needs to be compatible with both Anroid and iOS, but not sure if there was specific guidance on this that I may have missed. Thanks!
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ReplyRudy EstradaOctober 6, 2016 at 5:57 pmHi I am using C# for this project. Android Studio and Unity 3D.
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Pujish AminOctober 6, 2016 at 9:52 amHello, I have been EMS over 10 years giving me first hand experience using Naloxone and dealing with overdoses. Conveniently, I am a IT project manager with experience writing specs, building frameworks, testing apps etc. I would like to help design and build this app. In the past I helped design an app for firefighters to locate the closest fire hydrant. email: pujishamin at gmail . com Thank You, Pujish Amin
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Show Replies [+]james. hillOctober 5, 2016 at 10:54 amlooking to assist in or all groups, have extensive first hand knowledge in dealing with overdoses. have been personally involved in bringing some out of a od. or a fall out. i am working on a extensive flow visualization chart. i do not care for any of the prize money, just the naming of the app. i do not wish any recognition. since just finding this challenge , last night i have identified 15 separate points of concern that i believe that some may be overlooked. to start with has anyone come up with how to deal with the situation of a person that is alone and od's , how would help be contacted. how can a person not familiar recognize a od and accessibility to in the app for those that do not have it down loaded. these are just three points that i foresee a a concern.of which i have already addressed in different ways. please feel free to contact me .
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ReplyAndrew NorthamOctober 5, 2016 at 8:40 pmI plan on including some recommendations for recognizing an overdose. I found this information sheet from the WHO: http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/information-sheet/en/ They have 3 bullet points under opioid overdose.
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ReplyJeff P.October 14, 2016 at 11:06 pmI am the owner of an web/app design company located in Eastern KY. We are at ground zero for the the drug epidemic. I have senselessly lost friends and family to overdose. We would be willing to help. We have a working prototype that we were going to submit. Sadly we missed the deadline to enter by 48 hours. What are you thinking? Perhaps we could build on each other's idea. We would love to be a part of this competition. We could create something positive. All information is valuable. Please e-mail me if you are interested. Thank you for your time. Jeff
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Michael CiglerOctober 4, 2016 at 9:51 pmWould love to have you on the team. Please follow on Twitter @stopoddeaths.com. Am setting up first virtual meeting will post details
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Kathleen WolzOctober 2, 2016 at 8:27 amHello, I am desperate for a programmer to join our team. The current members of the team have created a winning idea to address this challenge. Please help, time is running out. Contact me at; kmwolz@comcast.net. Thank you.
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Show Replies [+]Kathleen M. WolzSeptember 30, 2016 at 11:27 amHi, I am a nursing professor with a solid idea for this app. I am in desperate need of a programmer with app experience. If you are interested in joining my team, please contact me. I have also have a paramedic/med student on my team, so I believe we are positioned very well for this challenge.
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ReplyJJSeptember 30, 2016 at 12:23 pmHi Kathleen I am might be able to help you with the technical side for this challenge. I have a background building mobile and web apps. Let me know if you are interested. Thanks
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ReplyKathleen WolzOctober 1, 2016 at 9:14 amHi JJ, could you provide some information on your background? thanks, kathy
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ReplyKathyOctober 1, 2016 at 12:39 pmHi JJ, thanks for responding. I look forward to talking with you
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ReplyJJOctober 1, 2016 at 1:45 pmI sent you an email that is found on your website, we can further our discussions there
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ReplyKathleenOctober 1, 2016 at 2:43 pmHi JJ, I did not receive the email from you. Could be an issue with the website or weather. Would you mind contacting me through kmwolz@comcast.net? I look forward to discussing this project with you. Thanks, Kathy
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ReplySam SOctober 1, 2016 at 10:38 pmHi Kathleen, I am a iOS developer with two apps currently on the App Store with more comping soon. My Github is www.github.com/samwam2 . I would like to work with you and your team on this app challenge. You can contact me at sam@samshowalter.tech . Thanks Sam
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Show Replies [+]Emilie IkedaSeptember 26, 2016 at 2:57 pmI am looking to feature an applicant in a news story for WHAG-TV's Montgomery County bureau. Would anyone be willing to discuss their motivation/general idea/importance of this app? Please give me a call at 610-564-1020! I am trying to set something up quickly. Thanks!
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ReplyDannyOctober 2, 2016 at 8:17 pmHi, I am an student doing iOS mobile development. I also have a background working with the central hospital pharmacy. I have a few ideas already in mind, but would prefer working with a team. Would you be willing to take on another developer?
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ReplyDrew StrombergOctober 12, 2016 at 10:31 pmHi our team would love to talk! Please email us at dstromberg87@gmail.com.
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Show Replies [+]Erica Liebelt MDSeptember 23, 2016 at 7:14 pmThe Washington Poison Center (WAPC) is interested in exploring a partnership with information technology /mobile app developers and other relevant stakeholders in the state of Washington for the FDA Naloxone App competition. The Washington Poison Center (WAPC) is a statewide provider of immediate, free, and expert treatment advice and assistance on the telephone in case of exposure to poisonous, hazardous, or toxic substances. We receive about 63,000 calls annually from the public and healthcare facilities. These calls originate from the public, prehospital personnel, and healthcare providers, needing emergent advice and recommendations. Naloxone is a life-saving antidote that we recommend regularly to the aforementioned providers. Our services are provided 24/7 x 365. Our organization can provide expert and relevant input to the app developers in using the information about naloxone provided by the FDA (formulations, dosing, indications) to develop a user-friendly and accurate resource. The WAPC has clinical toxicologists, pharmacists, nurses, medical toxicologists, emergency medicine specialists and educators who specialize in the multifaceted issues encompassing opioid overdoses, abuse, treatment, and prevention.
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ReplyEmilie IkedaSeptember 26, 2016 at 2:59 pmWould you be willing to be featured in a news story for WHAG-TV's Montgomery County bureau? I'd love to discuss your motivation/general idea/importance of this app? Please give me a call at 610-564-1020 or email me at eikeda@whag.com! I am trying to set something up quickly. Thanks!
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ReplyJeff LeBrunOctober 6, 2016 at 6:40 pmHi Erica - We'd be interested in discussing. We have a team of developers based in Seattle. Our core product, pillsy (www.pillsy.com) uses connected hardware and software to help people manage and track medications. We've had some ideas about how we could extend our capabilities for this use case. We can build customer hardware, mobile apps, and software.
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Show Replies [+]Manzur KhanSeptember 23, 2016 at 11:36 amHello fellows, I am looking for someone with technical skills to put an idea to reality. Currently I am working with one of the largest behavioral healthcare system and in process of forming a strategy to tackle this issue. Skills in JavaScript, jQuery, AngularJS, nodejs will be helpful. Please feel free to buzz me if you like to join. Our passion to help others could save countless lives.
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ReplyDarius DavisSeptember 23, 2016 at 11:46 amHello - I would like to recruit a team to work on this project. My background consists of mobile and web application development. I am seeking developers and medical professionals in the Chicago area - remote people are great too! My email is darius@southsideit.com
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ReplyDanny NguyenSeptember 30, 2016 at 12:07 pmHello, I am an iOS mobile developer in Frisco with experience with the EPIC system during my time in the central hospital pharmacy. I am interested in collaborating with a team and discuss different strategies to solve this problem. I have a few ideas and a list of features I would like to implement. I am currently working on the architecture for this app. Hopefully we can further discuss some of these ideas together.
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ReplyJeff LeBrunOctober 6, 2016 at 6:46 pmHello Manzur, I saw your post. Our team recently built a product called "Pillsy" that helps people remember & track their medications. We are a javascript shop and our back end is based on the MEAN stack (Mongo.db, Express.js, Angular.js, Node.js). We also have iOS, Android apps, and we've designed customer Bluetooth 4.0 hardware, including geolocation features (similar to Tile). We probably would not have the bandwidth to build something really substantial on speculation of winning a prize but it could be worth discussing. - Jeff
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Show Replies [+]Michael CiglerSeptember 23, 2016 at 9:40 amHi, I am in the process of forming a team. I am an experienced IT professional with a mobile solutions app dev background. Have a (HLD) for a solution. Looking for volunteers to join design discussions to collaborate. together we can and will make a difference.
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ReplyDonSeptember 23, 2016 at 10:07 amHi Michael! I would like to join your team if you are still interested. I have a medical background so will be able to contribute from that standpoint. Look forward to hearing from you. Thanks.
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ReplyMichael CiglerSeptember 23, 2016 at 6:02 pmI would love to have you on board. Not sure how this discussion platform let's us share info but if could please email me your contact info. I'd like to schedule a vitual team meeting for team members to get to know each other and share ideas
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ReplyMichaelSeptember 25, 2016 at 6:56 pm@stopODdeaths. Follow, like retweet, will use to connect team members guage interest
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ReplyAdrian TurikaSeptember 23, 2016 at 11:05 amHi Michael, I would be interested in forming a Team as well. I'm currently employed as a Network Engineer and have experience coding in Python and in business development. I would say I'm an entrepreneur that has enough know-how to get projects off the ground and am particularly passionate about this challenge being offered.
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ReplyMichael CiglerSeptember 23, 2016 at 5:59 pmI would love to have you on board. Not sure how this discussion platform let's us share info but if could please email me your contact info. I'd like to schedule a vitual team meeting for team members to get to know each other and share ideas
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ReplyAdrian TurikaSeptember 23, 2016 at 6:35 pmSounds good Michael! My email is, (firstname).(lastname)@gmail.com. Looking forward to chatting!
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ReplyMichaelSeptember 25, 2016 at 6:58 pm@stopODdeaths. Follow, like retweet, will use to connect team members guage interest
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ReplyAnita GuptaSeptember 23, 2016 at 9:42 pmHi Mike: Let me know how I can help! agsri at hotmail!
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ReplyIan SellickSeptember 28, 2016 at 6:23 pmHi michael i would be interested in speaking to your self in regard to this. Look forward to hearing from you. Ian Selliick in the UK.
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Replymichael ciglerOctober 4, 2016 at 10:00 pmHi organizing distribution list. Would love to have you on board. For now please follow @stopoddeaths on twitter and I will be posting updates and meeting schedule furor first virtual session
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ReplyScott MarkmanSeptember 29, 2016 at 9:33 pmHi Michael. I'm up for collaborating with you. I have a lot of UI experience and I can help bounce ideas off of. Thank you, Scott
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Replymichael ciglerOctober 4, 2016 at 10:02 pmHi would love to have you on board. Forming a distribution list. For now, please follow on @stopoddeaths for updates and schedule for our first online session. Thanks Michael
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ReplyKathleen M. WolzSeptember 30, 2016 at 11:30 amHi Michael, I am a nursing professor who with a paramedic/pre med student are looking for an experience programmer/app developer. I currently have a nursing/medical app available in IOS PharmaKnowledgy and have several more apps in development. My two programmers work full time and are unable to assist me with this project. So I am frantically searching for someone. Feel free to check out my app and my website. Thanks, Kathy
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Replyjyotsna mehtaOctober 11, 2016 at 9:31 amhi folks, I am interested in joining your teams. I am a pharmacist and research scientist and work for a pharmaceutical company that manufacturers drugs for opioid overdose and other CNS diseases so aware of the problem at hand. Please contact me iamjyotsna@gmail.com to get started.
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Official Rules, Terms and Conditions
Background
The 2016 FDA Naloxone App Competition (the competition), announced on Sept. 20, 2016 in the Federal Register, encourages computer programmers, public health advocates, clinical researchers, entrepreneurs, and innovators from all disciplines to create teams focused on the development of innovative strategies to combat the rising epidemic of opioid overdose. Specifically, the competition invites submissions for an app that increases the likelihood of timely naloxone administration by connecting opioid users experiencing an overdose with nearby naloxone carriers. FDA is most interested in concepts that are readily scalable, free or low-cost to the end-user, and take advantage of existing systems for naloxone distribution and use. FDA’s expectation is that any app developed through the competition will be used only with FDA-approved naloxone products.
As explained in the Federal Register Notice, announcing the competition, FDA is sponsoring the competition under section 105 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-258). FDA will be provided with technical expertise by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). NIDA and SAMHSA will each provide one (1) judge with experience in relevant fields including drug use and misuse, clinical trial design, development of mobile medical applications, and public health. Additionally, NIDA and SAMHSA will provide information to competition entrants at the code-a-thon on key issues, including (1) patterns of opioid use and misuse, (2) characteristics of populations at risk of opioid overdose, and (3) data collection and evaluation considerations.
The Federal Register Notice stated, “To be eligible to win a prize under this Challenge, an entrant (individual or entity): Shall have registered and entered a submission on http://www.Challenge.gov and http://www.YouTube.com under the rules promulgated by FDA.” Additionally, the notice points entrants to these rules for additional details on required components of a submission, and the minimum requirements for the proposed app. Accordingly, this document sets forth the official rules, terms and conditions (rules) that apply to the 2016 FDA Naloxone App Competition. These rules and should be read carefully before submitting a proposal.
Overview
Registration for the competition will open Sept. 23, 2016 and will close Oct. 7, 2016. To register, visit http://www.Challenge.gov, search for the 2016 FDA Naloxone App Competition, and follow the instructions. FDA strongly encourages entrants to register as teams, though individual registrations will be accepted. Throughout the competition, all interested parties will have online access to background information regarding the opioid epidemic and the public health recommendations for the safe and appropriate use of naloxone.
The competition will be conducted in two phases. Phase 1 will consist of a code-a-thon at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) campus in Silver Spring, Maryland, for registered entrants to develop concepts and initial prototypes for an app that alerts carriers of naloxone to a nearby opioid overdose. Entrants are encouraged, but not required, to participate in the code-a-thon. Entrants will receive an email confirming registration and participation in the code-a-thon, if applicable. The code-a-thon will occur on Oct. 19-20, 2016. The code-a-thon event space is limited to the first 50 individuals who indicate interest in on-site participation during the registration process. There will be a virtual component to the code-a-thon for the first 100 individuals who indicate interest in remote participation during the registration process. At the code-a-thon, federal agency subject matter experts will provide background information to entrants on topics including, but not limited to the opioid epidemic, public health, and mobile medical applications and medical device development. All code developed through the code-a-thon will be made open-source and publicly accessible on the GitHub platform, a web-based code repository.
In Phase 2, all registered entrants will independently refine their concepts into a functional prototype, a video of which will be uploaded to YouTube (http://www.YouTube.com). The video URL will be submitted, accompanied by a short summary/description of the prototype as detailed below, on http://www.Challenge.gov by the submission deadline of Nov. 7, 2016. Entrants will be permitted to submit questions before and during the code-a-thon to FDA, NIDA, and SAMHSA subject matter experts with backgrounds in opioids, drug use, public health, and mobile medical devices. All entrants will have access to submitted questions and their answers, which will be publicly posted online. Submissions will be evaluated by a panel of judges appointed by FDA based on the criteria set forth in these rules.
The winning submission will be awarded a prize of $40,000. The prize awarded under this competition will be paid by electronic funds transfer and may be subject to federal income taxes. FDA will comply with the Internal Revenue Service withholding and reporting requirements, where applicable. The total prize pool for the FDA Naloxone App Competition will be $40,000. FDA reserves the right to not award a prize if no submission is deemed worthy. FDA also reserves the right to suspend, postpone, terminate, cancel, or otherwise modify the competition, or any entrant’s participation in the competition, at any time at the discretion of the agency.
During all phases of app development, all entrants should consider strategies to minimize legal risk and maximize regulatory compliance, including for the developer and the end-user. To ensure adequate consideration of potential liability, privacy and regulatory concerns, FDA strongly encourages all entrants to obtain independent legal counsel.
Entrants may not test or evaluate their app using real people, including opioid users and naloxone carriers, during the competition. Following the competition, entrants may consider seeking grant funding from the NIDA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, to further develop competition concepts through testing and evaluation. As with all other National Institutes of Health funding applications, NIDA staff will provide dedicated assistance and guidance about the NIH grant submission process, including submissions for the NIDA SBIR grants. The SBIR grant program is open to all small businesses (which may include competition entrants) that meet applicable eligibility requirements set forth in the SBIR funding opportunity announcement. More information is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-16-302.html. For competition entrants and projects that meet all applicable SBIR requirements, the NIDA SBIR program may provide the opportunity to further develop Competition concepts through field testing and evaluation.
Eligibility
As stated in the Federal Register Notice, to be eligible to win a prize under this competition, an individual or entity:
- Must have completed and submitted a registration form on http://www.Challenge.gov;
- Must create an account on Challenge.gov, and must have entered a submission on Challenge.gov, including a link to a YouTube video, under these rules promulgated by FDA;
- Must have complied with all the requirements under the Federal Register Notice and these rules;
- Must be (1) an individual or team of U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States each of whom are 18 years of age and over, or (2) an entity incorporated in and maintaining a primary place of business in the United States. Foreign citizens can participate as employees of an entity that is properly incorporated in the U.S. and maintains a primary place of business in the U.S.; and
- May not be a federal entity or federal employee acting within the scope of their employment. An individual or entity 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 available to all individuals and entities participating in the competition on an equitable basis.
Federal grantees may not use federal funds to develop COMPETES Act challenge applications unless consistent with the purpose of their grant award. Federal contractors 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.
Employees of FDA, NIDA, SAMHSA, their affiliates, and/or any other individual or entity associated with the development, evaluation, or administration of the competition as well as members of such persons’ immediate families (spouses, children, siblings, parents), and persons living in the same household as such persons, whether or not related, are not eligible to participate in the competition.
Entrants 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 their participation in a competition, whether the injury, death, damage, or loss arises through negligence or otherwise.
Entrants must also agree to indemnify the federal government against third-party claims for damages arising from or related to competition activities. Entrants are not required to obtain liability insurance or demonstrate financial responsibility in order to participate in the competition.
By participating in the competition, each entrant agrees to comply with and abide by these rules and the decisions of FDA and/or the individual judges, which shall be final and binding in all respects.
By participating in the competition, each entrant agrees to follow all applicable local, state, and federal laws and regulations.
Submission Requirements
Submissions must be received during the submission period, which begins on Sept. 23, 2016, and ends at 4:00 pm EST on Nov. 7, 2016. Each entrant must complete all of the required fields in the competition submission form in accordance with these rules. FDA reserves the right to disqualify any submission that FDA deems inappropriate.
Entrants may enter individually or as part of a team. Teams are strongly encouraged, and may be assembled from previously established firms or entities. Proposals may involve pre-existing technology or applications that an individual or team wish to redesign for the purposes of this competition. Individuals and/or team members must be clearly identified on the submission form in order to be eligible for the competition. Teams must designate a single individual as the primary contact and who will be authorized to bind the team or entity (“Lead”). The lead will be wholly responsible for the management and use of any prize monies awarded. In the event a dispute regarding the identity of the individual or team submitting the entry cannot be resolved to the satisfaction of FDA, the affected entry will be deemed ineligible.
All entry information and materials, including any copy of the submission, will be retained by FDA and will not be returned. Proof of submission is not considered proof of delivery to or receipt of such entry. Furthermore, FDA shall have no liability for any submission that is lost, intercepted, or not received by FDA. FDA further assumes no liability or responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, theft, destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, submissions.
Minimum requirements for the proposed app are:
- Use of crowd-sourcing technology to identify one or more individuals in close proximity to the overdose who could administer naloxone;
- Minimize the time required to identify one or more individuals in close proximity to the overdose that could deliver naloxone to an individual experiencing an opioid overdose; and
- Compatibility with multiple platforms, including Android and iOS.
All written, digital, or recorded materials must be in English. Submissions are required to include a video of the functional app prototype and a supporting summary document. The video must be uploaded to http://www.YouTube.com and be no more than five (5) minutes in duration. The video must demonstrate a functional prototype of the application, including any planned interfaces between the app and existing systems or datasets. The summary document must be submitted on http://www.Challenge.gov and not exceed three (3) pages. The summary document is required to include:
- A description of the entrant(s), including relevant fields of expertise;
- A summary of the concept for the app, including identification of the target audience;
- A general description of the proposed technical design, including an explanation of any planned interfaces between the app and existing systems or datasets; and
- The URL for the uploaded YouTube video.
Data Security Policy
Drug use and abuse are sensitive topics that require careful consideration of privacy and confidentiality issues. The submissions must not contain any data about real people, and entrants may not use data from or about actual people in development of the app.
Regulatory Policy
A mobile medical application intended to facilitate treatment of opioid overdose is considered to be a device under section 201(h) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The winning app developed through this Competition, therefore, would be a device under FDA’s jurisdiction. However, as described in the 2015 FDA Guidance for Industry on Mobile Medical Applications (available at: http://www.fda.gov/downloads/MedicalDevices/…/UCM263366.pdf), FDA does not intend to enforce regulatory requirements under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act for certain mobile medical apps.
Representations and Warranties/Indemnification
By participating in the competition, each entrant represents, warrants, and covenants as follows:
- The entrant – whether an individual, team or entity – is the sole author, creator, and owner of the submission;
- The submission is not the subject of any actual or threatened litigation or claim;
- The submission does not and will not violate or infringe upon the intellectual property rights, privacy rights, publicity rights, or other legal rights of any third party;
- The submission does not and will not contain any harmful computer code (sometimes referred to as “malware,” “viruses” or “worms”); and
- The Submission, and entrants’ use of the Submission, does not and will not violate any applicable laws or regulations, including, without limitation, applicable export control laws and regulations of the U.S. and other jurisdictions.
If the Submission includes any third party works (such as third party content or open source code), entrant must be able to provide, upon the request of FDA, documentation of all appropriate licenses and releases for such third party works. If entrant cannot provide documentation of all required licenses and releases, FDA reserves the right to disqualify the applicable Submission, or seek to secure the licenses and releases for the benefit of FDA, and allow the applicable Submission to remain in the Competition. FDA also reserves all rights with respect to claims based on any damages caused by participant’s failure to obtain such licenses and releases.
Entrants – whether an individual, a team or an entity – will indemnify, defend, and hold harmless FDA, NIDA and SAMHSA, from and against all third party claims, actions, or proceedings of any kind and from any and all damages, liabilities, costs, and expenses relating to or arising from entrant’s Submission or any breach or alleged breach of any of the representations, warranties, and covenants of entrant hereunder.
FDA reserves the right to disqualify any Submission that FDA, in its discretion, deems to violate these Rules.
Intellectual Property and Copyright License
To receive the prize, entrants will not be required to transfer their intellectual property rights to FDA. Each entrant retains any applicable intellectual property rights not expressly granted under this Agreement. By participating in the Competition, each entrant hereby irrevocably grants to FDA, and any third-parties acting on FDA’s behalf an irrevocable, paid up, non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license and right to reproduce, publicly perform, publicly display, and use the entrant’s submission for government purposes, and to publicly perform and publicly display the entrant’s submission video, including, without limitation, for advertising and promotional purposes relating to the Competition.
Additionally, each participant at the code-a-thon will be required to provide FDA with an open source version of the code written by the participant at the code-a-thon to be posted on the GitHub source code repository and made publicly available under the Creative Commons license, CCO 1.0 Universal (CCO 1.0, Public Doman Dedication). For a summary and full text of the CCO 1.0 Universal license, see https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/. The GitHub source code repository is accessible at https://github.com.
Publicity Release
By participating in the Competition, each entrant hereby irrevocably grants to FDA the right to use such entrant’s name, likeness, image, and biographical information in any and all media for advertising and promotional purposes relating to the Competition, as stated in these Rules.
Disqualification
FDA reserves the right to disqualify any entrant who is found to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Competition or Competition website or other Competition-related websites, to be acting in violation of these Rules, or to be acting in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner, or with the intent to disrupt or undermine the legitimate operation of the Competition, or to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any other person. FDA reserves the right to seek damages and other remedies from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law.
Selection Criteria
A panel of judges with experience in the fields of mobile medical application development, public health, and/or regulatory science chosen by FDA will select the highest-performing entrant from the pool of eligible submissions. The judging will be fair and impartial, and based upon the following evaluation criteria, with equal weighting:
- Innovation: Uniqueness and innovation in use of software and data analytics to fulfill the mandatory requirements; variety and value of additional features (weight 25 percent).
- Usability: Use of design elements to increase utilization among both people at risk of opioid overdose and naloxone carriers; ease of navigation; appropriate use of an interface to support the app in achieving desired outcome (weight 25 percent).
- Functionality: Potential to enhance the frequency and speed of naloxone administration by the carriers to the overdose victims (weight 25 percent).
- Adaptability: Potential for app to be tailored to the practical environment (e.g., urban, rural) of an individual community (weight 25 percent).
The evaluation criteria are to be applied in the sole discretion of the individual judges and are subject to modification by FDA. By participating in the competition, each entrant into the Competition agrees to be bound by and not challenge the final decisions of FDA and the judges.
When notification of the winner is completed, or as soon as is practical thereafter, the videos of the highest performing submissions will be posted on the competition website for public viewing. The judging scores will not be posted.
Attempts to notify the winning entrant will be made using the contact information provided on the competition registration form. FDA is not responsible for e-mail or other communication problems of any kind. If, despite reasonable efforts, an entrant does not respond within three (3) days of the first notification attempt regarding selection as winner of the Competition, or if the notification is returned as undeliverable to such entrant, that entrant may forfeit his, her or its status and an alternate winner may be selected, or the applicable prize may go unawarded.
If any potential prize winner is found to be ineligible, or has not complied with these rules, or declines the applicable prize for any reason prior to award, such potential prize winner will be disqualified and an alternate winner may be selected, or the applicable prize may go unawarded.
General Liability Release
By participating in the competition, each entrant hereby agrees that:
- FDA shall not be responsible or liable for any losses, damages, or injuries of any kind (including death) resulting from participation in the competition or any competition-related activity, or from entrants’ acceptance, receipt, possession, use, or misuse of any prize; and
- Entrants will indemnify, defend, and hold harmless FDA, NIDA, and SAMHSA from and against all third party claims, actions, or proceedings of any kind and from any and all damages, liabilities, costs, and expenses relating to or arising from entrant’s participation in the competition.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, FDA is not responsible for incomplete, illegible, misdirected, misprinted, late, lost, postage-due, damaged, or stolen entries or prize notifications; or for lost, interrupted, inaccessible, or unavailable networks, servers, satellites, Internet Service Providers, websites, or other connections; or for miscommunications, failed, jumbled, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected computer, telephone, cable transmissions or other communications; or for any technical malfunctions, failures, difficulties, or other errors of any kind or nature; or for the incorrect or inaccurate capture of information, or the failure to capture any information.
These rules cannot be modified except by FDA. All decisions by FDA regarding adherence to these rules are final. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of these rules shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision. In the event that any provision is determined to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable or illegal, these rules shall otherwise remain in effect and shall be construed in accordance with their terms as if the invalid or illegal provision were not contained herein.
Exercise
The failure of FDA to exercise or enforce any right or provision of these rules shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision.
Governing Law
All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation, and enforceability of these Rules shall be governed by and construed in accordance with U.S. federal law as applied in the federal courts of the District of Columbia if a complaint is filed by any party against FDA.
Privacy Policy
By participating in the 2016 FDA Naloxone Competition, entrants hereby agree to collection and usage of their personal information by FDA, and acknowledge that they have read and accepted the privacy policy at http://www.Challenge.gov (available at https://www.challenge.gov/privacy-policy/).
Winner List/Contact Information
To obtain a list of finalists and winner after the conclusion of the Competition or a copy of these Rules, send a self-addressed envelope with the proper postage affixed to:
FDA Office of Public Health Strategy and Analysis
c/o Marisa Cruz
10903 New Hampshire Avenue
Bldg 32, Rm 4220
White Oak, MD 20993
Please specify “Winner List” or “Official Rules” and the name of the Competition in your request.
Please contact us at NaloxoneApp@fda.hhs.gov should you have any comments or questions about these Rules.
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