Announcement of Requirements and Registration for a Prize Competition Titled: Arsenic Sensor Challenge-Stage 1, 89971-89974 [2016-29722]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Reclamation

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 239 (Tuesday, December 13, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 89971-89974]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-29722]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

[RR08100000, 17XR0680A1, RY.1541CH20.60WA162]


Announcement of Requirements and Registration for a Prize 
Competition Titled: Arsenic Sensor Challenge--Stage 1

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This Challenge seeks to identify new or improved sensors, 
devices, or test kits to test for arsenic in water within natural and 
engineered systems. Solutions must improve on the current arsenic 
measurement methods. Areas of needed improvement include: performance, 
ease of use, reduction in hazardous waste production, data 
interpretation, and cost. This is Stage 1 of a planned two-stage 
Challenge, with the second stage consisting of a prototype 
demonstration and a larger prize purse. The Bureau of Reclamation is 
the Seeker for this Challenge.

DATES: Listed below are the specific dates pertaining to this prize 
competition:
    1. Submission period begins on December 13, 2016.
    2. Submission period ends on March 13, 2017.
    3. Judging period ends on May 12, 2017.
    4. Winners announced by June 1, 2017.

ADDRESSES: The Arsenic Sensor Challenge--Stage 1 Prize Competition will 
be posted on the following crowd-sourcing platforms where Solvers can 
register for this prize competition:
    1. The Water Pavilion located at the InnoCentive Challenge Center: 
https://www.innocentive.com/ar/challenge/browse.
    2. U.S. Federal Government Challenge Platform: www.Challenge.gov. 
InnoCentive, Inc. is administering this challenge under a challenge 
support services contract with the Bureau of Reclamation. Challenge.gov 
will re-direct the Solver community to the InnoCentive Challenge Center 
as the administrator for this prize competition. Additional details for 
this prize competition, including background information, figures, and 
the Challenge Agreement specific for this prize competition, can be 
accessed through either of these prize competition web addresses. The 
Challenge Agreement contains more details of the prize competition 
rules and terms that Solvers must agree with to be eligible to compete.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Challenge Manager: Dr. David Raff, 
Science Advisor, Bureau of Reclamation, (202) 513-0516, draff@usbr.gov; 
Andrew Tiffenbach, (303) 445-2393, atiffenbach@usbr.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is 
announcing the following prize competition in compliance with 15 U.S.C. 
3719, Prize Competitions.
    Prize Competition Summary: Measuring arsenic in the environment and 
in drinking water is important for protecting human health. Drinking 
water and wastewater treatment facilities are subject to arsenic 
regulations in order to limit human exposure and environmental 
contamination. Privately-owned drinking water wells are tested for 
arsenic in order to prevent exposure. Contaminated site cleanup 
requires screening to know where arsenic contamination occurs. 
Regulatory compliance includes collecting and analyzing samples using 
approved methods with results available days to weeks later. While 
current analytical methods are suitable for ensuring regulatory 
compliance, there is a need for rapid, low-cost monitoring of arsenic 
that would benefit water treatment plant operations, wastewater 
monitoring, contaminated site remediation, private well owners, 
scientific research, and other interested parties.
    Routine arsenic monitoring can identify changes in process 
performance and improve operations. Rapid, on-site monitoring of 
arsenic in the field can help identify hot spots for more targeted 
sampling and remediation. Potential barriers to the widespread 
implementation of on-site arsenic monitoring include the generation of 
hazardous waste, the unreliability of analytical methods that rely on 
color charts, the high level of operator effort required to conduct 
monitoring, and the cost of online analyzers. Collectively, Reclamation 
and our collaborators hope to stimulate innovation in water sensing

[[Page 89972]]

technologies that can lead to more effective, affordable, and reliable 
methods to monitor water quality. We are launching the Arsenic Sensor 
Challenge to accelerate the development of new arsenic monitoring 
methods.
    This Challenge consists of two stages:
     Stage 1 is a Theoretical Challenge. Participants will be 
asked to submit an idea, along with detailed descriptions, 
specifications, supporting data or literature, and requirements 
necessary to bring the idea closer to becoming a product.
     If Stage 1 produces winning concepts, Stage 2 is planned 
as a subsequent Reduction to Practice Challenge. Participants will be 
asked to present their technology and submit a working prototype that 
puts their idea into practice.
    Stage 1 may award up to 5 prizes from a total prize award pool of 
$50,000.
    Stage 2 envisions a total prize pool of $250,000 and awarding up to 
2 prizes.
    In addition to the direct monetary award for Stage 2, Reclamation 
will invite industry, non-profit organizations, and venture capital 
representatives to be present at the Stage 2 presentations and testing. 
Participating industry and venture capital representatives will also 
have the ability to seek and secure potential business deals with 
Solvers.
    This posting only launches the Stage 1 competition. However, 
information on the envisioned framework and prizes for Stage 2 are 
available here: https://www.usbr.gov/research/challenges/current/. Stage 2 will be officially launched and announced with a 
separate Challenge.gov posting and a separate Federal Register Notice.
    Stage 1 is a Theoretical Challenge that requires only a written 
proposal to be submitted. The Challenge award will be contingent upon 
evaluation by the Seeker (Reclamation) and the judging panel appointed 
by the Seeker. The Seeker has a total prize pool budget of $50,000 to 
pay the top five submission(s) that meet or exceed the criteria below 
an award of at least $10,000 each. No awards are guaranteed unless they 
meet or exceed the criteria, and more than one award is not guaranteed. 
Full or partial awards will be considered for solutions that meet all 
or some of the criteria, respectively. If only a single submission 
meets or exceeds the criteria, a single prize award may be as high as 
$20,000.
    To receive an award, the Solvers will not have to transfer their 
intellectual property rights to the Seeker and will not have to grant 
the Seekers a non-exclusive license to practice their solutions. Please 
note that any proposal submitted will not be treated as confidential 
information. Accordingly, Solvers should take whatever steps they deem 
necessary to protect their proprietary rights in their solutions prior 
to submitting their written proposal for consideration in the Challenge 
(e.g. filing provisional or full patent applications on the solution 
described in the written proposal submitted prior to submission).
    Technical Requirements. Describe an approach to substantially 
improve upon currently available field test kits or online analyzers 
for arsenic monitoring. Solutions must improve upon technology in 
either the field test kits or online analyzers. Solvers must provide a 
well-supported, science-based justification about how the proposed 
technology improves upon currently available products.
    A successful solution will overcome or lower barriers to monitoring 
as compared to current technologies. Solvers must compare their 
proposed solution to currently available products to justify how their 
solution improves upon current methods (e.g., field test kits or online 
analyzers). A successful solution will meet the following criteria 
(full or partial awards will be considered for solutions that meet all 
or some of the criteria, respectively):
    1. Proposed solution does not require subjective data 
interpretation (i.e., color comparison) to reduce bias between users 
and environments.
    2. Solution does not use or produce a hazardous material (including 
mercury) that requires frequent handling or disposal.
    3. Solvers must explain the anticipated cost of the proposed 
solution and justify that cost relative to an appropriate technology 
upon which the proposed solution improves. Targets costs for each 
technology are:
    a. Online Analyzer.
    i. Target capital cost < $5000.
    ii. Target operating cost < $1000 per year.
    b. Field Test Kit/Handheld device.
    i. Target capital cost < $500.
    ii. Target sample cost < $5/test.
    4. Solvers must describe the anticipated performance of the 
proposed solution based on performance criteria defined below. Criteria 
follow the nomenclature as defined in Standard Methods for the 
Examination of Water and Wastewater. Target performance criteria 
include:
    a. Bias < 1.5 parts per billion (ppb) at 10 ppb as Arsenic (As).
    i. Bias is defined as the consistent deviation of measured values 
from the true value, caused by systematic errors in procedure.
    ii. Bias is calculated for three replicates using the following 
equation for a 10 ppb (as As). Bias = Measuredavg - Trueavg
    b. Precision < 10%.
    i. Precision is defined as a measure of the degree of agreement 
among replicate analyses of a sample.
    ii. Precision is calculated as the relative standard deviation 
(RSD) of five (5) replicates of a 10 ppb (as As) standard using the 
following equation:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN13DE16.000

    c. Detection range: 1-100 ppb total arsenic.
    d. Minimal interferences with an arsenic recovery between 80%-120% 
in the presence of other constituents.
    i. Recovery is defined as the ratio of the measured value relative 
to the true value.
    ii. Recovery is calculated using the following equation for a 
laboratory-fortified matrix with 50 ppb (as As)):
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN13DE16.001


[[Page 89973]]


    iii. Recovery will be assessed in a matrix containing:
    A. pH 6.0-8.5.
    B. Iron at 10 parts per million (ppm).
    C. Manganese at 1 ppm.
    D. Sulfide at 1 ppm.
    E. Phosphate at 1 ppm.
    e. Ability to perform quality control on-site using arsenic 
standards of known concentrations.
    f. Ability to quantitatively measure arsenite (As(III)), arsenate 
(As(V)), or total arsenic (As(III) + As(V)).
    5. Solution reduces level of effort for the analyst. Solvers must 
justify how the proposed solution improves upon currently available 
methods (e.g., field test kits or online analyzers). Aspects to 
consider for each method include:
    a. Online analyzers.
    i. Reagent use, waste production and handling.
    ii. Frequency of calibration.
    iii. Maintenance requirements.
    b. Field test kits.
    i. Reagent use, waste production and handling.
    ii. Number of steps.
    iii. Analysis time.
    The Solvers must provide a well-supported justification for how the 
proposed solution improves upon currently available methods to overcome 
barriers. The Seekers recognize that the implementation barriers are 
different between field test kits and online analyzers. Solvers must 
quantitatively compare their proposed solution to the most relevant 
commercially available product.
    Project Deliverables: This Theoretical Challenge requires a written 
proposed solution which describes novel technologies or improvements to 
existing technologies that meet the Solution Requirements described 
above. Each submission should include:
    1. An executive summary (no longer than 1-page) of proposed 
solution. All Solvers agree to allow the executive summaries of their 
solutions to be posted on Reclamation's Web page and used in other 
publications reporting the results of this Challenge.
    2. Detailed description of the proposed solution relative to 
existing technologies that address the Challenge criteria.
    3. Rationale as to why the Solver believes that the proposed method 
will work. This rationale should address each of the Solution 
Requirements, quantitatively where possible. The Solver should expect 
that their submittal will be reviewed by experts in the field of 
arsenic measurement and multiple fields of engineering.
    4. Drawings/sketches of the proposed solution, if applicable.
    5. Optional (will not impact judging): Description of resources, 
materials, budget, and proposed timeframe needed to develop a prototype 
capable of producing data sufficient for evaluations.
    The proposal should not include any personal identifying 
information (name, username, company, address, phone, email, personal 
Web site, resume, etc.)
    Judging: After the Challenge submission deadline, a Judging Panel 
will evaluate the submissions and make a decision with regards to the 
winning solution(s). The Judging Panel may be composed of Federal and/
or Non Federal scientists, engineers, and other technical experts, 
including subject matter experts from the listed collaborators for this 
Challenge. All Solvers that submit a proposal will be notified on the 
status of their submissions. Decisions by the Seeker cannot be 
contested.
    Eligibility Rules: To be able to win a prize under this 
competition, an individual or entity must:
    1. Agree to the rules of the competition (15 U.S.C. 3719(g)(1));
    2. Be an entity that is incorporated in and maintains a primary 
place of business in the United States, or (b) in the case of an 
individual, a citizen or permanent resident of the United States (15 
U.S.C. 3719(g)(3)).
    However, submissions can be entertained from all Solvers regardless 
of whether they are U.S. citizens/entities. Meritorious submissions 
from non-eligible persons and entities, if any, will be recognized in 
publications issued by the Seeker announcing the results of the 
competition, such as press releases. Non-U.S citizens/permanent 
residents or non-U.S entities can also be included on U.S. teams. 
However, prizes--whether monetary or otherwise--will only be awarded to 
eligible persons and entities under the authority of the America 
COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (15 U.S.C. 3719).
    3. Not be a Federal entity or Federal employee acting within the 
scope of their employment (15 U.S.C. 3719(g)(4)). A Federal entity is 
defined by 5 U.S.C. Appendix 8G with a list of current Federal entities 
periodically posted on the Federal Register.
    4. Assume risks and waive claims against the Federal Government and 
its related entities (15 U.S.C. 3719(i)(1)(B)); and,
    5. Not use Federal facilities, or consult with Federal employees 
during the competition unless the facilities and employees are made 
available to all individuals and entities participating in the 
competition on an equitable basis.
    The following individuals or entities are not eligible regardless 
of whether they meet the criteria set forth above:
    1. Any individual or organization who employs an evaluator on the 
Judging Panel or otherwise has a material business relationship or 
affiliation with any Judge.
    2. Any individual who is a member of any Judge's immediate family 
or household.
    3. The Seeker, participating organizations, and any advertising 
agency, contractor or other individual or organization involved with 
the design, production, promotion, execution, or distribution of the 
prize competition; and all employees, and all members of the immediate 
family or household of any such individual or organization.
    4. Any individual or entity that uses Federal funds to develop the 
proposed solution now or any time in the past, unless such use is 
consistent with the grant award, or other applicable Federal funds 
awarding document. NOTE: Individuals or entities that have been funded 
by the Federal Government in the past to work within the technical 
domain of the competition are eligible provided their specific 
submission was not developed by them with Federal funds. Submissions 
that propose to improve or adapt existing federally funded technologies 
for the solution sought in this prize competition are also eligible. 
Individuals are also encouraged to consult with their employer Ethics 
Officer for additional guidance and considerations.
    Consultation: Reclamation and collaborator scientists, engineers, 
and technical specialists were consulted in identifying and selecting 
the topic of this prize competition. Direct and indirect input from 
various stakeholders and partners were also considered. The U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, Xylem, Inc, the Indian Health Service, 
the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the U.S. Agency for 
International Development, the Agricultural Research Service, and the 
U.S. Geological Survey collaborated with Reclamation on various aspects 
of this Challenge.
    Public Disclosure: InnoCentive, Inc. is administering this 
challenge under a challenge support services contract with Reclamation. 
Participation is conditioned on providing the data required on 
InnoCentive's online registration form. Personal data will be processed 
in accordance with InnoCentive's Privacy Policy which can be located at 
https://www.innocentive.com/privacy.php. Before including your address, 
phone number, email address, or other

[[Page 89974]]

personal identifying information in your proposal, you should be aware 
that the Seeker is under no obligation to withhold such information 
from public disclosure, and it may be made publicly available at any 
time. Neither InnoCentive nor the Seeker is responsible for human 
error, theft, destruction, or damage to proposed solutions, or other 
factors beyond its reasonable control.
    Liability and Indemnification: By participating in this Challenge, 
each Solver 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 participation in this Challenge, whether the injury, 
death, damage, or loss arises through negligence or otherwise. By 
participating in this Challenge, each Solver agrees to indemnify the 
federal government against third party claims for damages arising from 
or related to Challenge activities
    No Insurance Required: Based on the subject matter of the 
Challenge, the type of work that it will possibly require, as well as 
an analysis of the likelihood of any claims for death, bodily injury, 
or property damage, or loss potentially resulting from competition 
participation, Solvers are not required to obtain liability insurance 
or demonstrate financial responsibility in order to participate in this 
Challenge.

    Dated: November 18, 2016.
David Raff,
Science Advisor.
[FR Doc. 2016-29722 Filed 12-12-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4332-90-P