Announcement of Requirements and Registration for “The Simple Extensible Sampling Tool Challenge”, 66972-66975 [2016-23124]
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[FR Doc. 2016–23585 Filed 9–28–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Office of Inspector General
Announcement of Requirements and
Registration for ‘‘The Simple
Extensible Sampling Tool Challenge’’
Office of Inspector General
(OIG), HHS.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The Simple Extensible
Sampling Tool Challenge (Challenge) is
an HHS/OIG Challenge under the
‘‘America COMPETES’’ (Creating
Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote
Excellence in Technology, Education,
and Science) Reauthorization Act of
SUMMARY:
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2010 (Pub. L. 111–358). The objective of
this Challenge is to construct a sampling
tool to replace the current version of
RAT–STATS software.
DATES: Important dates regarding the
Challenge include the following:
The Challenge begins September 28,
2016.
Submission period: September 28,
2016, to May 15, 2017, 5:00 p.m.
EST.
Judging period: September 28, 2016,
to June 15, 2017.
OIG announces a winner: Rolling
basis, no later than July 1, 2017.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jared Smith, 202–205–9119 or
Jared.Smith@oig.hhs.gov.
Award Approving Official: Daniel R.
Levinson.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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I. Background
RAT–STATS is a basic sampling tool
that was originally designed by OIG to
give nonexperts a robust method for
selecting statistically valid samples in
the health care oversight environment.
RAT–STATS is used by both
Government agencies and private health
care providers and has been involved in
billions of dollars in audit-related
recoveries.
The objective of the current Challenge
is to develop the foundation for an
upgraded version of RAT–STATS. The
current version of RAT–STATS is well
validated; however, its user interface
can be difficult to navigate, and the
underlying code makes the software
costly to update. OIG needs a new,
modern version of the software that is
easy to use and can be extended in a
cost-effective manner.
Submissions will be reviewed in the
order they are received by OIG. After the
first five finalists are identified, no
further submissions will be reviewed.
This exclusion applies even to
submissions received prior to when the
fifth finalist is identified and
submissions received before May 15,
2017, 5:00 p.m. EST. In addition, even
if five finalists are not identified, entries
received after May 15, 2017, 5:00 p.m.
EST, will not be considered. The
number of submissions under review,
the number of finalists identified, and
the names of the finalists will all be
posted at the public Web site https://
www.challenge.gov/challenge/
Statistical-Software-for-HealthcareOversight/. This information will be
updated on a weekly basis.
Upon being notified that an entry has
been reviewed and does not meet the
criteria for becoming a finalist, a
participant has 7 business days to
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request an explanation for the rejection.
Explanation requests must be sent via
email to Jared.Smith@oig.hhs.gov. An
explanation will be provided within 10
business days from when the request is
received. At any time prior to May 15,
2017, or the identification of the five
finalists by OIG—whichever occurs
first—a team (one or more members)
may resubmit its entry. Upon receipt of
an updated submission, the previous
submission will be excluded in its
entirety from the competition, and the
submission date for the team will be
defined as the time when the new
submission is received.
Other than as described in the
previous paragraph, OIG is not required
to provide feedback to challenge
participants with respect to any
information submitted. By submitting
an entry, individuals and teams grant
OIG the right to use all or part of its
Challenge entry (i.e., algorithm and
software) as submitted or in order to
create a future software package. Any
version of the software produced by OIG
will be freely available to the public.
OIG will amend this Federal Register
notice if the timeline or the rules for the
Challenge are modified. In addition,
OIG will notify registered Challenge
participants by email of any
amendments and will include the
modified Challenge showing the
changes.
Addresses: Notifications of any
amendment to this Federal Register
notice and answers to frequently asked
questions about it will be posted at
https://www.challenge.gov/challenge/
Statistical-Software-for-HealthcareOversight/.
II. Subject of Challenge
Each year HHS handles hundreds of
millions of Medicare and Medicaid
claims valued at more than a trillion
dollars. Due to the high volume of
claims, statistical sampling provides a
critical tool to ensure effective oversight
of these expenditures. Sampling is used
by the providers in their own efforts to
monitor their performance and by the
various organizations within HHS.
There are a wide range of different
software tools for performing statistical
analysis. RAT–STATS has a unique
niche in that it provides a
straightforward tool for individuals who
need a simple but robust method for
selecting and analyzing statistical
samples. The RAT–STATS software was
originally created in 1978 and has gone
through several upgrades since that
time. Unlike a full statistical package
that attempts to answer all types of
questions for a wide range of users,
RAT–STATS serves as a streamlined
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solution to handle the specific task of
developing valid statistical samples and
estimates within the health care
oversight setting.
For example, an OIG investigator may
pull a simple random sample in order
to estimate damages for a provider
suspected of fraud. RAT–STATS
generates valid pseudo-random numbers
and outputs all of the information
needed to replicate the sample. Once
the investigator finishes reviewing the
sample, he or she can then enter the
results into RAT–STATS to get the final
statistical estimate. While the
investigator may need some basic
training in statistics, he or she would
not need the same level of expertise as
would be required to navigate the many
options available in a full-service
statistical or data analysis package.
The objective of the current Challenge
is to develop the foundation for an
upgraded version of RAT–STATS. The
current version of RAT–STATS is well
validated; however, its user interface
can be difficult to navigate and the
underlying code makes the software
costly to update. OIG needs a new,
modern version of the software that is
easy to use and can be extended in a
cost-effective manner. In addition, the
new version of the software must be 508
compliant.
The current version of the RAT–
STATS software can be found at the
following web address: https://
www.oig.hhs.gov/compliance/rat-stats/
index.asp.
In order to complete the Challenge
participants must create a software
package that replicates the operation of
four of the functions of the original
RAT–STATS software: (1) Single Stage
Random Numbers; (2) Unrestricted
Attribute Appraisal; (3) Unrestricted
Variable Appraisal; and (4) Stratified
Variable Appraisal. In addition,
submissions must meet all of the rules
and requirements outlined in this
Notice.
The detailed technical specifications
behind the 4 RAT–STATS functions
along with 10 test datasets will be
provided in their entirety at the start of
the competition at https://oig.hhs.gov/
compliance/rat-stats/prize/. The
Challenge does not require the
derivation of any new statistical
methods.
III. Rules for Participating in the
Challenge
Teams of one or more members can
participate in this Challenge. There is
no maximum team size. Each team must
have a captain, and each individual may
only be part of a single team. Individual
team members and team captains must
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register in accordance with the
Registration Process section below. The
role of the team captain is to serve as the
corresponding participant with OIG
about the Challenge and to submit the
team’s Challenge entry. While OIG will
notify all registered Challenge
participants by email of any
amendments to the Challenge, the team
captain is expected to keep the team
members informed about matters
germane to the Challenge.
(1) To be eligible to win the Challenge
prize, each participant (individual or
entity) must—
a. register to participate in the
Challenge under the rules promulgated
by OIG as published in this Notice;
b. have complied with all the
requirements under this section;
c. in the case of a private entity, be
incorporated in and maintain a primary
place of business in the United States
or, in the case of an individual, be a
citizen or permanent resident of the
United States;
d. not be a Federal entity or Federal
employee acting within the scope of
their employment;
e. not be an employee of OIG, a judge
of the Challenge, or any other party
involved with the design, production,
execution, or distribution of the
Challenge or the immediate family of
such a party (i.e., spouse, parent, stepparent, child, or stepchild); and
f. be at least 18 years old at the time
of submission.
(2) Federal contractors may not use
Federal funds from a contract to develop
their Challenge submissions or to fund
efforts in support of their Challenge
submission.
(3) Federal grantees may not use
Federal funds to develop COMPETES
Act Challenge applications unless
consistent with the purpose of their
grant award.
(4) 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.
(5) By participating in this Challenge,
each individual (whether competing
singly or in a group) and entity agrees
to assume any and all risks and waive
claims against the Federal Government
and its related entities (as defined in the
COMPETES Act), 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
participation in this Challenge, whether
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the injury, death, damage, or loss arises
through negligence or otherwise.
(6) No individual (whether competing
singly or in a group) or entity
participating in the Challenge is
required to obtain liability insurance or
demonstrate financial responsibility in
order to participate in this Challenge.
(7) By participating in this
competition, each individual and entity
agrees 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 my participation in this prize
contest, whether the injury, death,
damage, or loss arises through
negligence or otherwise.
(8) By participating in this Challenge,
each individual (whether participating
singly or in a group) and entity grants
to OIG, in any existing or inchoate
copyright or patent rights owned by the
individual or entity, an irrevocable,
paid-up, royalty-free, nonexclusive
worldwide license to use, reproduce,
post, link to, share, and display publicly
on the Web the submission, except for
source code. This license includes
without limitation posting or linking to
the submission, except for source code,
on OIG’s public facing Web site (https://
www.oig.hhs.gov/compliance/rat-stats/
index.asp). In developing its future
software systems, OIG may include
algorithms and software from Challenge
entries and may consult with
individuals or teams that submitted
entries. Thus, the license also permits
OIG to develop a future software system,
independently or with others, using any
algorithms or software from Challenge
entries, including those obtained from
other Challenges or solicitations, and
OIG may freely use, reproduce, modify,
and distribute the resulting future
software system without restriction.
Each participant will retain all other
intellectual property rights in their
submissions, as applicable.
(9) OIG reserves the right, at its sole
discretion, to (a) cancel, suspend, or
modify the Challenge through
amendment to this Federal Register
notice, and/or (b) not award any prizes
if no entries meet the stated
requirements. In addition, OIG reserves
the right to disqualify any Challenge
participants or entries in instances
where cheating or other misconduct is
identified.
(10) Each individual (whether
participating singly or in a group) or
entity agrees to follow all applicable
Federal, State, and local laws,
regulations, and policies.
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(11) Each individual (whether
participating singly or in a group) and
entity participating in this Challenge
must comply with all terms and
conditions of these rules, and
participation in this Challenge
constitutes each such participant’s full
and unconditional agreement to abide
by these rules. Winning is contingent
upon fulfilling all requirements herein.
(12) Each individual (whether
participating singly or in a group) and
entity grants to OIG and its contractors
assisting OIG with this Challenge the
right to review the submission, study
the algorithms and the code, and run the
software on other sets of images.
(13) Submissions must not infringe
upon any copyright, patent, trade
secrets, or any other rights of any third
party. Each individual (whether
participating singly or in a group) or
entity warrants that she or the team is
the sole author and owner of any
copyrightable work that the submission
comprises, that the submission is
wholly original with the participant or
is an improved version of an existing
work that the participant has sufficient
rights to use and improve. In addition,
the submission must not trigger any
reporting or royalty obligation to any
third party. A submission must not
include proprietary, classified,
confidential, or sensitive information.
(14) The licenses for any code used as
part of a submission must be compatible
with each other and must allow OIG to
distribute and modify the software both
within and outside the agency without
incurring any reporting or royalty
obligations to any third party.
(15) The submission must not contain
malicious code such as viruses,
timebombs, cancelbots, worms, trojan
horses, or other potentially harmful
programs or other material or
information.
(16) The submission must be unique
and must not represent a modification
of a previous submission from another
team.
(17) Submitted software must be fully
functional and operate correctly on
Microsoft Windows systems configured
in accordance with the applicable
United States Government
Configuration Baseline (USGCB) and
applicable configurations (https://
usgcb.nist.gov/). The group policy
settings associated with this
configuration are also available on the
NIST Web site (https://usgcb.nist.gov/
usgcb/microsoft_content.html).
(18) Submitted software must be a
stand-alone product that is designed for
end users to run in the standard user
context without requiring elevated
administrative privileges.
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(19) Submitted software must not
require or make use of any network
capabilities.
(20) Submitted software must be
section 508 compliant. For example, it
must be possible to run all functions
using a keyboard, the software must
include a well-defined indicator of
current program focus, any results
provided in image format must also be
available in text, and color coding shall
not be used as the only means of
conveying information. For more details
refer to section 36 CFR 1194.21.
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IV. Registration Process
Beginning on September 28, 2016,
visit https://www.challenge.gov/
challenge/Statistical-Software-forHealthcare-Oversight/ and follow the
instructions provided.
V. Submission Requirements
Submissions must be entered
electronically using the challenge.gov
Web site https://www.challenge.gov/
challenge/Statistical-Software-forHealthcare-Oversight/ and must contain
each of the following elements.
(1) Executable software that replicates
the four target RAT–STATS functions:
Single Stage Random Numbers,
Unrestricted Attribute Appraisal,
Unrestricted Variable Appraisal, and the
Stratified Variable Appraisal.
(2) Source code for the executable that
is both human- and machine-readable.
The source code can be written in any
programming language(s) as long as the
requirements of this notice are met. The
source code must be commented
sufficiently so that another user can
understand the underlying operation of
the code.
(3) A text file written in English
documenting and explaining any
noncosmetic differences between the
submission and the original RAT–
STATS software.
(4) A text file written in English
summarizing the changes required to
add additional RAT–STATS functions
to the submission.
(5) A text file written in English
documenting all software licenses
associated with the source code used as
part of the project. The text file must
describe the nature of each individual
license and their overall compatibility.
(6) A one-page text file written in
English that contains the following:
a. Names and email addresses of the
team captain and all team members.
b. A five or more character identifier
for the entry that is used as a prefix in
the names of all of the team’s submitted
files.
c. A brief description of the
submission.
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VI. Prize Award Details
The first five submissions that meet
all of the requirements outlined in this
Notice will receive $3,000. In addition,
if a submission is selected to serve as
the foundation for the new version of
RAT–STATS, then that submission will
receive an additional $25,000. The
names of the winners will be posted on
OIG Web sites. In addition, all winners
will be notified via email at the email
addresses provided in their prize
submissions.
Prizes awarded under this Challenge
will be paid by electronic funds transfer
and may be subject to Federal income
taxes. OIG will comply with U.S.
Internal Revenue Service withholding
and reporting requirements, where
applicable.
To select a winner, OIG will first
review submissions in the order in
which they are received to determine
their suitability for judging and
eligibility to win the prize. An eligible
submission must comply with all rules
and requirements outlined in this
Federal Register notice.
Submissions that meet the initial
eligibility requirements will proceed to
the next phase in the judging process,
which will assess the submissions based
on their ability to replicate RAT–STATS
output for 60 test datasets. The 60 test
cases will be the same for all
submissions. Ten of these test cases will
be made available to the public at the
start of the Challenge at https://
oig.hhs.gov/compliance/rat-stats/prize/.
The submissions will also be reviewed
during this phase to ensure that the
steps required to add additional
modules are reasonable and fully
documented.
The first five eligible submissions that
comply with the rules of this Notice,
follow the detailed submission
instructions, are complete, and are able
to fully replicate RAT–STATS on the 60
target cases will each be declared a
finalist. Once five finalists have been
identified, no further applications will
be reviewed even if they are submitted
prior to the May 15, 2017, 5:00 p.m. EST
deadline. Moreover, the contest will end
on May 15, 2017, at 5:00 p.m. EST even
if fewer than five finalists have been
selected.
The replacement for RAT–STATS will
be voted on by 12 HHS/OIG Office of
Audit Services (OAS) statistical
specialists. The finalist with the greatest
number of votes will be selected as the
replacement for RAT–STATS and will
receive the overall prize. Each statistical
specialist will be given a 2-week period
to review the submissions and to vote
on the submission that he or she would
PO 00000
Frm 00057
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 9990
66975
prefer to use in the future. The
instructions for the voting will be as
follows: ‘‘Please review the operation of
the following software packages and
select one that you would prefer to use
in the future for selecting and analyzing
your statistical samples.’’ In the case of
a tie, the OAS lead statistician will serve
as the tie-breaking vote.
Dated: September 20, 2016.
Daniel R. Levinson,
Inspector General.
[FR Doc. 2016–23124 Filed 9–28–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4152–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
National Eye Institute; Notice of Closed
Meeting
Pursuant to section 10(d) of the
Federal Advisory Committee Act, as
amended (5 U.S.C. App.), notice is
hereby given of the following meeting.
The meeting will be closed to the
public in accordance with the
provisions set forth in sections
552b(c)(4) and 552b(c)(6), Title 5 U.S.C.,
as amended. The grant applications and
the discussions could disclose
confidential trade secrets or commercial
property such as patentable material,
and personal information concerning
individuals associated with the grant
applications, the disclosure of which
would constitute a clearly unwarranted
invasion of personal privacy.
Name of Committee: National Eye Institute
Special Emphasis Panel; NEI Institutional
Training Grant Applications.
Date: October 24, 2016.
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Agenda: To review and evaluate grant
applications.
Place: Hilton Garden Inn Bethesda, 7301
Waverly Street, Bethesda, MD 20814.
Contact Person: Anne E. Schaffner, Ph.D.,
Chief, Scientific Review Branch, Division of
Extramural Research, National Eye Institute,
5635 Fishers Lane, Suite 1300, MSC 9300,
Bethesda, MD 20892–9300, (301) 451–2020,
aes@nei.nih.gov.
(Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance
Program Nos. 93.867, Vision Research,
National Institutes of Health, HHS)
Dated: September 23, 2016.
Natasha M. Copeland,
Program Analyst, Office of Federal Advisory
Committee Policy.
[FR Doc. 2016–23452 Filed 9–28–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140–01–P
E:\FR\FM\29SEN1.SGM
29SEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 189 (Thursday, September 29, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66972-66975]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-23124]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Office of Inspector General
Announcement of Requirements and Registration for ``The Simple
Extensible Sampling Tool Challenge''
AGENCY: Office of Inspector General (OIG), HHS.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Simple Extensible Sampling Tool Challenge (Challenge) is
an HHS/OIG Challenge under the ``America COMPETES'' (Creating
Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology,
Education, and Science) Reauthorization Act of
[[Page 66973]]
2010 (Pub. L. 111-358). The objective of this Challenge is to construct
a sampling tool to replace the current version of RAT-STATS software.
DATES: Important dates regarding the Challenge include the following:
The Challenge begins September 28, 2016.
Submission period: September 28, 2016, to May 15, 2017, 5:00 p.m.
EST.
Judging period: September 28, 2016, to June 15, 2017.
OIG announces a winner: Rolling basis, no later than July 1, 2017.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jared Smith, 202-205-9119 or
Jared.Smith@oig.hhs.gov.
Award Approving Official: Daniel R. Levinson.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
RAT-STATS is a basic sampling tool that was originally designed by
OIG to give nonexperts a robust method for selecting statistically
valid samples in the health care oversight environment. RAT-STATS is
used by both Government agencies and private health care providers and
has been involved in billions of dollars in audit-related recoveries.
The objective of the current Challenge is to develop the foundation
for an upgraded version of RAT-STATS. The current version of RAT-STATS
is well validated; however, its user interface can be difficult to
navigate, and the underlying code makes the software costly to update.
OIG needs a new, modern version of the software that is easy to use and
can be extended in a cost-effective manner.
Submissions will be reviewed in the order they are received by OIG.
After the first five finalists are identified, no further submissions
will be reviewed. This exclusion applies even to submissions received
prior to when the fifth finalist is identified and submissions received
before May 15, 2017, 5:00 p.m. EST. In addition, even if five finalists
are not identified, entries received after May 15, 2017, 5:00 p.m. EST,
will not be considered. The number of submissions under review, the
number of finalists identified, and the names of the finalists will all
be posted at the public Web site https://www.challenge.gov/challenge/Statistical-Software-for-Healthcare-Oversight/. This information will
be updated on a weekly basis.
Upon being notified that an entry has been reviewed and does not
meet the criteria for becoming a finalist, a participant has 7 business
days to request an explanation for the rejection. Explanation requests
must be sent via email to Jared.Smith@oig.hhs.gov. An explanation will
be provided within 10 business days from when the request is received.
At any time prior to May 15, 2017, or the identification of the five
finalists by OIG--whichever occurs first--a team (one or more members)
may resubmit its entry. Upon receipt of an updated submission, the
previous submission will be excluded in its entirety from the
competition, and the submission date for the team will be defined as
the time when the new submission is received.
Other than as described in the previous paragraph, OIG is not
required to provide feedback to challenge participants with respect to
any information submitted. By submitting an entry, individuals and
teams grant OIG the right to use all or part of its Challenge entry
(i.e., algorithm and software) as submitted or in order to create a
future software package. Any version of the software produced by OIG
will be freely available to the public.
OIG will amend this Federal Register notice if the timeline or the
rules for the Challenge are modified. In addition, OIG will notify
registered Challenge participants by email of any amendments and will
include the modified Challenge showing the changes.
Addresses: Notifications of any amendment to this Federal Register
notice and answers to frequently asked questions about it will be
posted at https://www.challenge.gov/challenge/Statistical-Software-for-Healthcare-Oversight/.
II. Subject of Challenge
Each year HHS handles hundreds of millions of Medicare and Medicaid
claims valued at more than a trillion dollars. Due to the high volume
of claims, statistical sampling provides a critical tool to ensure
effective oversight of these expenditures. Sampling is used by the
providers in their own efforts to monitor their performance and by the
various organizations within HHS. There are a wide range of different
software tools for performing statistical analysis. RAT-STATS has a
unique niche in that it provides a straightforward tool for individuals
who need a simple but robust method for selecting and analyzing
statistical samples. The RAT-STATS software was originally created in
1978 and has gone through several upgrades since that time. Unlike a
full statistical package that attempts to answer all types of questions
for a wide range of users, RAT-STATS serves as a streamlined solution
to handle the specific task of developing valid statistical samples and
estimates within the health care oversight setting.
For example, an OIG investigator may pull a simple random sample in
order to estimate damages for a provider suspected of fraud. RAT-STATS
generates valid pseudo-random numbers and outputs all of the
information needed to replicate the sample. Once the investigator
finishes reviewing the sample, he or she can then enter the results
into RAT-STATS to get the final statistical estimate. While the
investigator may need some basic training in statistics, he or she
would not need the same level of expertise as would be required to
navigate the many options available in a full-service statistical or
data analysis package.
The objective of the current Challenge is to develop the foundation
for an upgraded version of RAT-STATS. The current version of RAT-STATS
is well validated; however, its user interface can be difficult to
navigate and the underlying code makes the software costly to update.
OIG needs a new, modern version of the software that is easy to use and
can be extended in a cost-effective manner. In addition, the new
version of the software must be 508 compliant.
The current version of the RAT-STATS software can be found at the
following web address: https://www.oig.hhs.gov/compliance/rat-stats/index.asp.
In order to complete the Challenge participants must create a
software package that replicates the operation of four of the functions
of the original RAT-STATS software: (1) Single Stage Random Numbers;
(2) Unrestricted Attribute Appraisal; (3) Unrestricted Variable
Appraisal; and (4) Stratified Variable Appraisal. In addition,
submissions must meet all of the rules and requirements outlined in
this Notice.
The detailed technical specifications behind the 4 RAT-STATS
functions along with 10 test datasets will be provided in their
entirety at the start of the competition at https://oig.hhs.gov/compliance/rat-stats/prize/. The Challenge does not require the
derivation of any new statistical methods.
III. Rules for Participating in the Challenge
Teams of one or more members can participate in this Challenge.
There is no maximum team size. Each team must have a captain, and each
individual may only be part of a single team. Individual team members
and team captains must
[[Page 66974]]
register in accordance with the Registration Process section below. The
role of the team captain is to serve as the corresponding participant
with OIG about the Challenge and to submit the team's Challenge entry.
While OIG will notify all registered Challenge participants by email of
any amendments to the Challenge, the team captain is expected to keep
the team members informed about matters germane to the Challenge.
(1) To be eligible to win the Challenge prize, each participant
(individual or entity) must--
a. register to participate in the Challenge under the rules
promulgated by OIG as published in this Notice;
b. have complied with all the requirements under this section;
c. in the case of a private entity, be incorporated in and maintain
a primary place of business in the United States or, in the case of an
individual, be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States;
d. not be a Federal entity or Federal employee acting within the
scope of their employment;
e. not be an employee of OIG, a judge of the Challenge, or any
other party involved with the design, production, execution, or
distribution of the Challenge or the immediate family of such a party
(i.e., spouse, parent, step-parent, child, or stepchild); and
f. be at least 18 years old at the time of submission.
(2) Federal contractors may not use Federal funds from a contract
to develop their Challenge submissions or to fund efforts in support of
their Challenge submission.
(3) Federal grantees may not use Federal funds to develop COMPETES
Act Challenge applications unless consistent with the purpose of their
grant award.
(4) 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.
(5) By participating in this Challenge, each individual (whether
competing singly or in a group) and entity agrees to assume any and all
risks and waive claims against the Federal Government and its related
entities (as defined in the COMPETES Act), 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 participation in this Challenge, whether the injury,
death, damage, or loss arises through negligence or otherwise.
(6) No individual (whether competing singly or in a group) or
entity participating in the Challenge is required to obtain liability
insurance or demonstrate financial responsibility in order to
participate in this Challenge.
(7) By participating in this competition, each individual and
entity agrees 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 my participation in this prize contest, whether the
injury, death, damage, or loss arises through negligence or otherwise.
(8) By participating in this Challenge, each individual (whether
participating singly or in a group) and entity grants to OIG, in any
existing or inchoate copyright or patent rights owned by the individual
or entity, an irrevocable, paid-up, royalty-free, nonexclusive
worldwide license to use, reproduce, post, link to, share, and display
publicly on the Web the submission, except for source code. This
license includes without limitation posting or linking to the
submission, except for source code, on OIG's public facing Web site
(https://www.oig.hhs.gov/compliance/rat-stats/index.asp). In developing
its future software systems, OIG may include algorithms and software
from Challenge entries and may consult with individuals or teams that
submitted entries. Thus, the license also permits OIG to develop a
future software system, independently or with others, using any
algorithms or software from Challenge entries, including those obtained
from other Challenges or solicitations, and OIG may freely use,
reproduce, modify, and distribute the resulting future software system
without restriction. Each participant will retain all other
intellectual property rights in their submissions, as applicable.
(9) OIG reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to (a) cancel,
suspend, or modify the Challenge through amendment to this Federal
Register notice, and/or (b) not award any prizes if no entries meet the
stated requirements. In addition, OIG reserves the right to disqualify
any Challenge participants or entries in instances where cheating or
other misconduct is identified.
(10) Each individual (whether participating singly or in a group)
or entity agrees to follow all applicable Federal, State, and local
laws, regulations, and policies.
(11) Each individual (whether participating singly or in a group)
and entity participating in this Challenge must comply with all terms
and conditions of these rules, and participation in this Challenge
constitutes each such participant's full and unconditional agreement to
abide by these rules. Winning is contingent upon fulfilling all
requirements herein.
(12) Each individual (whether participating singly or in a group)
and entity grants to OIG and its contractors assisting OIG with this
Challenge the right to review the submission, study the algorithms and
the code, and run the software on other sets of images.
(13) Submissions must not infringe upon any copyright, patent,
trade secrets, or any other rights of any third party. Each individual
(whether participating singly or in a group) or entity warrants that
she or the team is the sole author and owner of any copyrightable work
that the submission comprises, that the submission is wholly original
with the participant or is an improved version of an existing work that
the participant has sufficient rights to use and improve. In addition,
the submission must not trigger any reporting or royalty obligation to
any third party. A submission must not include proprietary, classified,
confidential, or sensitive information.
(14) The licenses for any code used as part of a submission must be
compatible with each other and must allow OIG to distribute and modify
the software both within and outside the agency without incurring any
reporting or royalty obligations to any third party.
(15) The submission must not contain malicious code such as
viruses, timebombs, cancelbots, worms, trojan horses, or other
potentially harmful programs or other material or information.
(16) The submission must be unique and must not represent a
modification of a previous submission from another team.
(17) Submitted software must be fully functional and operate
correctly on Microsoft Windows systems configured in accordance with
the applicable United States Government Configuration Baseline (USGCB)
and applicable configurations (https://usgcb.nist.gov/). The group
policy settings associated with this configuration are also available
on the NIST Web site (https://usgcb.nist.gov/usgcb/microsoft_content.html).
(18) Submitted software must be a stand-alone product that is
designed for end users to run in the standard user context without
requiring elevated administrative privileges.
[[Page 66975]]
(19) Submitted software must not require or make use of any network
capabilities.
(20) Submitted software must be section 508 compliant. For example,
it must be possible to run all functions using a keyboard, the software
must include a well-defined indicator of current program focus, any
results provided in image format must also be available in text, and
color coding shall not be used as the only means of conveying
information. For more details refer to section 36 CFR 1194.21.
IV. Registration Process
Beginning on September 28, 2016, visit https://www.challenge.gov/challenge/Statistical-Software-for-Healthcare-Oversight/ and follow the
instructions provided.
V. Submission Requirements
Submissions must be entered electronically using the challenge.gov
Web site https://www.challenge.gov/challenge/Statistical-Software-for-Healthcare-Oversight/ and must contain each of the following elements.
(1) Executable software that replicates the four target RAT-STATS
functions: Single Stage Random Numbers, Unrestricted Attribute
Appraisal, Unrestricted Variable Appraisal, and the Stratified Variable
Appraisal.
(2) Source code for the executable that is both human- and machine-
readable. The source code can be written in any programming language(s)
as long as the requirements of this notice are met. The source code
must be commented sufficiently so that another user can understand the
underlying operation of the code.
(3) A text file written in English documenting and explaining any
noncosmetic differences between the submission and the original RAT-
STATS software.
(4) A text file written in English summarizing the changes required
to add additional RAT-STATS functions to the submission.
(5) A text file written in English documenting all software
licenses associated with the source code used as part of the project.
The text file must describe the nature of each individual license and
their overall compatibility.
(6) A one-page text file written in English that contains the
following:
a. Names and email addresses of the team captain and all team
members.
b. A five or more character identifier for the entry that is used
as a prefix in the names of all of the team's submitted files.
c. A brief description of the submission.
VI. Prize Award Details
The first five submissions that meet all of the requirements
outlined in this Notice will receive $3,000. In addition, if a
submission is selected to serve as the foundation for the new version
of RAT-STATS, then that submission will receive an additional $25,000.
The names of the winners will be posted on OIG Web sites. In addition,
all winners will be notified via email at the email addresses provided
in their prize submissions.
Prizes awarded under this Challenge will be paid by electronic
funds transfer and may be subject to Federal income taxes. OIG will
comply with U.S. Internal Revenue Service withholding and reporting
requirements, where applicable.
To select a winner, OIG will first review submissions in the order
in which they are received to determine their suitability for judging
and eligibility to win the prize. An eligible submission must comply
with all rules and requirements outlined in this Federal Register
notice.
Submissions that meet the initial eligibility requirements will
proceed to the next phase in the judging process, which will assess the
submissions based on their ability to replicate RAT-STATS output for 60
test datasets. The 60 test cases will be the same for all submissions.
Ten of these test cases will be made available to the public at the
start of the Challenge at https://oig.hhs.gov/compliance/rat-stats/prize/. The submissions will also be reviewed during this phase to
ensure that the steps required to add additional modules are reasonable
and fully documented.
The first five eligible submissions that comply with the rules of
this Notice, follow the detailed submission instructions, are complete,
and are able to fully replicate RAT-STATS on the 60 target cases will
each be declared a finalist. Once five finalists have been identified,
no further applications will be reviewed even if they are submitted
prior to the May 15, 2017, 5:00 p.m. EST deadline. Moreover, the
contest will end on May 15, 2017, at 5:00 p.m. EST even if fewer than
five finalists have been selected.
The replacement for RAT-STATS will be voted on by 12 HHS/OIG Office
of Audit Services (OAS) statistical specialists. The finalist with the
greatest number of votes will be selected as the replacement for RAT-
STATS and will receive the overall prize. Each statistical specialist
will be given a 2-week period to review the submissions and to vote on
the submission that he or she would prefer to use in the future. The
instructions for the voting will be as follows: ``Please review the
operation of the following software packages and select one that you
would prefer to use in the future for selecting and analyzing your
statistical samples.'' In the case of a tie, the OAS lead statistician
will serve as the tie-breaking vote.
Dated: September 20, 2016.
Daniel R. Levinson,
Inspector General.
[FR Doc. 2016-23124 Filed 9-28-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4152-01-P
