National Science Foundation · emphasize new methods and insights not provided in the written entry to create a novel presentation, while telling a compelling story. A successful

2 National Science Foundation

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Table of Contents WHAT IS THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE INNOVATION CHALLENGE (CCIC)? ................................... 4

WHY ENTER? ............................................................................................................................. 5

WHAT YOU GET ......................................................................................................................... 5

WHAT PAST PARTICIPANTS SAY ................................................................................................. 5

HOW TO ENTER ......................................................................................................................... 6

CHALLENGE CHEAT SHEET .......................................................................................................... 8

HOW TO WIN THE CHALLENGE .................................................................................................. 8

STAGE II JUDGING CRITERIA ...................................................................................................... 9

WHAT DO YOU WIN? ............................................................................................................... 10

TIMELINE ................................................................................................................................ 10

ARE YOU ELIGIBLE?.................................................................................................................. 10

OTHER RULES .......................................................................................................................... 11

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ............................................................................................. 12

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WHAT IS THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE INNOVATION CHALLENGE (CCIC)?

• A prestigious, two-stage competition where community college teams use science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to innovate solutions to real-world problems, compete for cash awards, and earn full travel support (students and faculty) to attend an Innovation Boot Camp in Washington, D.C.

o Sponsored by: National Science Foundation. American Association of Community Colleges (AACC).

o The CCIC is an annual event in its fourth year. • The CCIC encompasses two distinct, but interrelated, stages:

o Stage I – Invention Assemble Your Community College Team. Each team should consist of:

• Faculty mentor • 3-5 students • Industry partner

Develop breakthrough ideas: • Open theme: The 2018 CCIC has an open theme. All areas of STEM are

welcome. • Your team IS NOT required to have already implemented your

innovation. • Your team IS required to: Assess the innovation’s potential impact (such as on the economy,

national security, global competitiveness, etc.). Determine the scientific and market feasibility, and societal

relevance of the project. Identify any potential challenges (scientific, market or societal)

and ways to work through them. Share ideas for how the innovation would be implemented in a

real-world scenario. Start thinking of yourselves as entrepreneurs with a new invention you want to bring to the marketplace.

Enter the solution in the challenge by submitting a • Written entry; and a • 90-second video.

Entries will be vetted by STEM innovation experts. Up to 10 finalist teams selected to attend the Boot Camp and compete for the

first and second place winning teams Finalist teams prepare for Stage II of the CCIC

• Teams receive small materials support grant to develop prototypes, demonstrations and materials. • Teams participate in two CCIC preparation webinars, one orientation

webinar, and a second webinar on customer discovery.

o Stage II – Transformation. Finalist teams come to Alexandria, Va., to attend an Innovation Boot Camp (June

11-14, 2018). Discover the process for transforming ideas into reality through learning

strategies for • Entrepreneurism, • Customer discovery, • Lean start-up -- business and product-developing methodology, and • Design-centered thinking.

Gain practical communication skills through • Coaching and mentoring, and • The opportunity to present on Capitol Hill.

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Earn cash awards. • The first and second place teams win cash awards.

Teams are judged by their interaction and display at the Capitol Hill reception, and on their final presentation/final pitch of ideas at the Boot Camp.

WHY ENTER?

• Strengthen and further develop STEM thinking by applying it to solving real-world problems. • Create deeper level of engagement and interactions between students and faculty mentors, as

well as with the industry community, in a focused activity. • Expand horizons for faculty mentors and students. • Learn about the larger ecosystem that carries invention from idea to society-benefitting

innovation. • Establish productive relationships with NSF, AACC and industry.

WHAT YOU GET

Finalist teams:

• Meet and interact with entrepreneurs and experts in business planning, stakeholder engagement, communication and marketplace dynamics.

• Showcase projects and schools at an invitation-only event on Capitol Hill—meet and interact with elected representatives, legislative professionals and other dignitaries.

• Gain life-changing business acumen and communication skills. • Network with other community college innovators, make new friends and share ideas. • Engage directly with NSF and AACC. • Build students’ resumes. • Gain recognition for the faculty mentors and their college. • Compete for cash awards (for students and faculty mentors) in a friendly, yet competitive,

environment. • Offer input and explore funding opportunities through separate faculty mentor session with NSF and

AACC leadership.

WHAT PAST PARTICIPANTS SAY

“Thank you is not enough! Students’ lives have been impacted and transformed this week. You have provided tools and techniques they will use in future career paths. As a faculty mentor, it was a great honor to watch our students shine. Thank you for recognizing the importance of community colleges in our nation and the need to support innovative curriculum and opportunities.” “The boot camp was a great learning experience. I am determined to become an entrepreneur now. It was something that always caught my attention but that after this boot camp, I feel equipped with the confidence to pursue this dream. The most important thing was realizing that it is very possible for me to be an engineer and own a business that I'm passionate about.” “Going to Capitol Hill was an honor. I really enjoyed learning communication skills. I will definitely use the skills that were taught every day from now on! Also, the connections I made… priceless!” “I can’t tell you how grateful I am for this valuable experience for both my students and for me. The kindness and professionalism of everyone involved will never be forgotten. Thank you.” “It was a very good experience for me, since I haven't presented in front of anyone. I used to skip classes when there was a presentation because I'm a little bit shy and I get stressed. I learned ways to decrease stress.”

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“The final presentations (I choked!) gave me the great opportunity to experience where I need to focus my efforts next time. I will definitely prepare much more thoroughly the exact wording of the concepts that I communicate as well as the structure, pacing and dramatic elements.”

HOW TO ENTER

1. After confirming eligibility and reviewing this complete guide, teams of 3-5 students join forces with

a faculty mentor and industry partner to develop a breakthrough idea that addresses a real-world problem.

2. Propose the idea to CCIC panel experts by entering online: http://www.nsf.gov/communitycollege. o Click the “Enter Now” button on the homepage. This link takes you to the Competition

Entry Platform, which is a separate website. o Before you submit your entry, the whole team must register:

The faculty mentor must initially register their team and invite all team members to join. All team members must then join (including the industry partner) and provide the required personal information and upload any required forms. Any team member can then submit the team’s entry by the due date.

3. Written entry that describes the idea.

o The written entry will be submitted in the three sections detailed below. Each section has a 1,600-character limit, including spaces. In addition, each team will be asked to provide an up to 500-character layperson summary of their project. This should be succinct and say what your project is, why it matters and what impact it will have. The written entry should not be written by the faculty mentor. The problem. Clearly and succinctly define the problem of interest. Provide

relevant background information and identify the context of the problem (i.e., who is affected, how long has the problem existed). Indicate why it is important that this problem be solved and what would be the impact if the problem were to continue without intervention.

The solution. Describe your team’s innovative solution. What science and/or technology underlie the solution? Is your solution scientifically feasible? What challenges or barriers must be overcome to make the solution a reality?

Impacts and benefits. Describe how your team would measure the impact and benefits of your solution, if implemented. The societal impact of your innovation such as bolstering the U.S. economy, aiding national security, increasing U.S. global competitiveness, improving quality of life, expanding education, etc. must be addressed.

4. 90-second video entry:

o The video entry should consist of a high quality, single, 90-second maximum video. o The video should be used to clearly articulate the problem and explain what could

happen if the problem is not resolved, and include your team’s proposed solution. The video entry should have a unified voice, vitality and energy, and should emphasize new methods and insights not provided in the written entry to create a novel presentation, while telling a compelling story. A successful entry will be visually striking and will be captured and edited to a high standard. The video entry should also deliver clear and understandable messages using non-technical language.

o Videos can be shot and edited by someone not on the team; however, the subject(s)

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of the video and its content must be created by team members. o Videos do not have to include credits but if they do, these will be included in the 90-

second time limit. o The video file can be directly uploaded to the entry platform and in any file type (please

maintain a minimum resolution of 640 x 480 and a maximum file size of 300 MB). Please keep the following tips in mind:

Keep file names under 30 characters Do not include special characters in file names. Once uploaded, your video will take some time to be rendered, depending on size.

This can be anywhere from 30 seconds to a few minutes or longer. You will see a placeholder video in this spot while the video is processed. To check and see if your video is ready to be viewed, please refresh the page (you

can do this by clicking the "Dashboard" icon). If you are uploading a very large file or using a slow internet connection, be aware

that the system will time out after 60 minutes. Your video will need to be published before you can submit your application. We

strongly advise you do not try to upload your video right before the submission deadline.

5. Additional entry requirements: o College name and physical address. o Entry title (no acronyms please). o Brief (500 characters max) layperson summary of the project. o High-resolution team “action” photo (not posed, but showing the team working on their

innovation) for use in social media, promotion and press materials. o Suggested caption for video. o Suggested credit for video. o College Twitter account handle. o College public information or media officer’s contact information (name, email, phone

number). o Completed and uploaded (can be accessed on the entry form) "Multimedia Permissions &

Use of Copyrighted Material" form. o Signed and uploaded (can be accessed on the entry form) "Certificate of Authenticity" form

(signed by the faculty mentor).

6. Proposals reviewed by experts: o All entries and team members will be screened for compliance with the rules

and eligibility requirements. o Each entry will then be evaluated anonymously based on the judging criteria below

and will be assigned a numerical score by each judge. Judges will equally weigh the following criteria when scoring the Stage I entries: Innovation and impact: An assessment of the proposed solution's use of science

to address the problem, potential impact (potential to be transformative in the areas of economy, national security, global competitiveness, new knowledge, quality of life, education, etc.), and uniqueness (how the proposed solution differs from existing efforts in its use of novel concepts, methods and/or instrumentation).

Feasibility: An assessment of the likelihood that the solution will work as presented based on scientific laws and theories (can the innovation be

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replicated?) and relevant economic, political and social issues, etc. Evaluation of the team's recognition of potential barriers and suggestions for ways in which these barriers may be surmounted.

Clarity of communication: An assessment of the team's adherence to theentry guidelines (written and video entries), as well as grammar, structure, organization of the facts and data, etc. The entry should have a clear, consistent message.

7. Finalist teams selected for Stage II.o Up to 10 of the highest-scoring entries will be selected for the final round. Teams will be

notified if they become finalists in early April 2018.o Finalist teams (both students and faculty) receive full travel support to attend the Innovation

Boot Camp in Alexandria, Va., from June 11-14, 2018. All student and faculty team membersmust attend.

o Each finalist team will receive a small cash award of $200 to further develop their idea andcreate boot camp materials.

o Approximately six weeks before attending the boot camp, finalists will receive detailedinstructions on how to prepare for the camp and must participate in several webinars to cover all boot camp logistics and required preparation.

CHALLENGE CHEAT SHEET

• Who: Teams of 3 to 5 community college students with an interest in STEM, innovation and entrepreneurism, and in making a difference, a faculty mentor and an industry partner.

• When: Submit from Oct. 18, 2017, to Feb. 14, 2018, by 11:59 p.m. EST.Required Innovation Boot Camp for student finalists and their faculty mentor in Alexandria,Va., June 11-14, 2018.

• Where: www.nsf.gov/communitycollege.• Why: To foster the development of crucial innovation and entrepreneurial skills, gain

confidence, network, win prizes and learn skills to make real-world change.

Questions? Contact the CCIC Team at [email protected]. Follow the challenge: #CCIChallenge.

HOW TO WIN THE CHALLENGE

• Become a finalist by coming up with a stand-out idea and Stage I submission.• Prepare for the 2018 Innovation Boot Camp:

o Begin focusing beyond the idea to explore its viability outside the lab and understandhow to make it desirable, available and affordable in the real world.

o Create an eye-popping display that clearly conveys how the idea solves a societalproblem, and how society benefits.

• Attend the 2018 boot camp.o Learn to calibrate ideas to marketplace needs and opportunities.o Receive coaching and mentoring in:

Strategic communication, Design-centered thinking, and Identity and brand development.

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• Showcase your project and college. • Interact effectively with Members of Congress, legislative staff and other dignitaries at Capitol

Hill event • Deliver a stand-out presentation about the project to a distinguished panel of judges.

STAGE II JUDGING CRITERIA

Performing proficiently during two activities will be essential to securing a spot in the winner’s circle at the Stage II Innovation Boot Camp for finalists. One of these activities is the Capitol Hill reception; the other is the formal presentation. The overall effectiveness that finalist teams demonstrate through the combination of these two proceedings will determine the ultimate winner of this year’s challenge. In other words, a team must perform well at both activities in order to win. A distinguished panel of judges will adjudicate both events using criteria that assess the finalist teams’ abilities in skillfully representing their innovations during the Hill reception, and in convincingly conveying the merits, value and potential of their ideas during the formal presentations. These two events will be scored separately. The two scores will then be weighted—55 percent for the Capitol Hill event and 45 percent for the formal presentations—and combined to produce a total score. Judges will be considering the following criteria during both activities: For the Capitol Hill reception

• Does the display: o Identify a societal need? o Demonstrate how the innovation satisfies this need? o Communicate the innovation’s novelty, feasibility and viability? o Substantiate the innovation’s ability to produce measurable benefits?

• Does the team:

o Exhibit enthusiasm? o Knowledgeably represent the innovation? o Proactively seek out and engage with visitors? o Ask questions of visitors and actively listen to answers? o Align their responses and interactions to the interests of the audience?

• Does the team’s interactions:

o Convincingly champion their innovation’s value and significance? o Effectively explain the science behind, and the uniqueness of, their innovation? o Make clear how society benefits? o Express optimism and vision? o Reflect positively on their team and their institution? o Convey a roadmap for moving the project forward?

For the formal presentations

• Does the presentation:

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o Clearly identify the societal problem, need or opportunity that the innovation addresses?

o Concisely explain how the idea solves this problem, meets the need or pursues the opportunity?

o Succinctly convey the benefits the idea can or will produce? o Tell a complete story that persuasively signals the idea’s novelty, feasibility and

viability? o Reveal the idea’s uniqueness and differentiate it from other existing or possible

approaches? o Actively urge the listener to support further development of the idea?

WHAT DO YOU WIN? NSF and AACC awards:

• A plaque for all finalist schools. • A $500 honorarium for all finalist faculty mentors. • Full travel support for all finalist attendees. • Cash awards to first and second-place teams (students only).

o First place: $1,500. o Second place: $1,200.

TIMELINE

October 18, 2017: CCIC opens. Accepting submissions.

February 14, 2018: Submissions due by 11:59 EST.

February-March: Judging

Early April: Finalists notified and announced.

April-June: 10 finalist teams prepare for Innovation Boot Camp.

June 11-14: Innovation Boot Camp in Alexandria, Va.

June 14: First and Second Place winning teams announced on site!

ARE YOU ELIGIBLE?

• Each team must have 3 to 5 student members, a faculty member at their college who will function as a mentor to the team, and an industry partner who is not employed by their college.

• All student team members must be seeking a two-year degree in the U.S., its territories or its possessions at the time of entry (e.g., the fall 2017 semester or the spring 2018 semester).

• All team members must be at least 18 years of age by Feb. 14, 2018. • Student and faculty mentor team members must be U.S. citizens, nationals or

permanent residents and will be required to check a box on the entry form verifying this status.

• Student team members must be in good standing with their academic institution. • For teams chosen as finalists, the mentor and students must be available to attend the

Innovation Boot Camp in Alexandria, Va., from June 11-14, 2018. Students and faculty mentors will have all travel, room and board costs associated with attending the

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Innovation Boot Camp paid on their behalf. Industry partners do not attend the Innovation Boot Camp.

• Teams may not consist of members from multiple institutions. • Student team members are limited to participating in one team project for this challenge. • A faculty member may not serve as a mentor for more than one team. • Teams may not have submitted their innovation to any other competition. • Students who attended a past Innovation Boot Camp as a finalist/winning team may

not enter the CCIC again. • Faculty mentors who have attended a past Innovation Boot Camp may lead another

team in the 2018 CCIC cycle; however, NSF and AACC strongly encourage new faculty participation, if possible.

• Students who submitted an entry to a past CCIC but did not progress to the final round may submit an entry in the 2018 CCIC.

OTHER RULES

• All entries must be received during the competition submission window from Oct. 18, 2017, to Feb. 14, 2018, by 11:59 p.m. EST.

• Faculty mentors will be required to sign a certificate stating that the entry is original and has been independently developed by the STUDENT MEMBERS of the team.

• All finalist team members must participate in two webinars and do homework prior to the boot camp. Homework involves conducting a handful customer discovery interviews, preparing a display for Capitol Hill, reviewing materials, and more.

• A contest entry constitutes an agreement to adhere to the rules and stipulations set forth by the contest sponsors.

• Any entrant or entry found in violation of any rule will be disqualified. • Each team entrant certifies, through submission to the contest, that the entry is their

own original, creative work and does not violate or infringe the creative work of others, as protected under U.S. copyright law or patent law.

• By entering the contest, the entrants agree to hold harmless, NSF a n d A A C C for all legal and administrative claims to include associated expenses that may arise from any claims related to their submission or its use.

• All judges’ decisions are final and may not be appealed. • Entrants retain all copyright and equivalent rights but give NSF and AACC nonexclusive

rights to use their names, likenesses, quotes, submissions or any part of their submission for educational publicity and/or promotional purposes. This includes, but is not limited to, website display, print materials and exhibits.

• NSF and AACC will not be responsible for any claims or complaints from third parties about any disputes of ownership regarding the ideas, solutions, images or video.

• Winners are responsible for all taxes or other fees connected with the prize received and/or travel paid for by the sponsoring organization.

• Employees, contractors, officers or judges of the sponsoring organizations are not eligible to enter the competition.

• NSF reserves the right for any reason, including but not limited to an insufficient number of qualified entries, to modify or cancel the competition at any time during the duration of the competition.

• Should NSF decide to bring winning contestants to the Washington, D.C., area, or to any other location for promotional and other purposes, expenses paid by NSF will be within the

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limits set forth in law according to federal travel regulations. • All contestants agree that they, their heirs and estates shall hold harmless the United

States, the employees of the federal government, and all employees of NSF for any and all injuries and/or claims arising from participation in this contest, to include that which may occur while traveling to or participating in contest activities.

• NSF has the final say on any point not outlined in the entry rules. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Below are some common questions. If your question is not addressed here, please email [email protected] and someone will promptly respond to your inquiry.

1. Can entrants be from any community college anywhere in the U.S.? What about students

pursuing two-year degrees at colleges offering four-year degrees as well? All student participants must be pursuing a two-year degree at a college in the U.S., its territories or its possessions at the time of entry (i.e., the fall 2017 semester or the spring 2018 semester). Two-year degree-pursuing students at a hybrid two-year/four-year college are eligible to participate as long as they are pursuing a two-year degree and not a four-year degree at the time of entry. Teams may not consist of students from multiple institutions.

2. What is meant by "team" for the purpose of the contest? Teams must consist of 3 to 5

student team members, a faculty mentor at their college and an industry partner (not another faculty member or employee at their college). NSF and AACC encourage teams to be diverse and multidisciplinary (comprised of engineers, designers, scientists, planners, businesspeople and more).

3. Is the Innovation Boot Camp a science and engineering workshop? No. Your team will not receive customized science coaching on your project at the boot camp. The boot camp is a professional development workshop aimed at building entrepreneurial skills relevant to innovation in both the private and public sectors. Sessions will include information applicable to commercializing ideas, using technology for social applications, communicating with stakeholders, refining a pitch and more. There will be customized sessions for faculty mentors led by NSF leadership that will offer information on NSF funding opportunities for community colleges.

4. Can multiple teams from the same community college apply? Yes. While multiple teams

from a single community college can apply, no more than two teams would be selected to advance to the finalist round attending the boot camp.

5. Can a student be on multiple teams? No. Each student can only be on one team.

6. Can a faculty member mentor multiple teams? No.

7. Is there a specific grade-point average that qualifies a student to be "in good standing"? No.

We rely on your own educational institution to determine if you are in good standing.

8. Must the faculty mentor teach a STEM discipline? No. Mentors must be full or part-time faculty members and can specialize in any discipline at their college.

9. Who is eligible to be an industry partner? Any individual who works in industry or the

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community including those at a business, school, nonprofit organization, community center, cultural center, public service agency, government entity or professional society or be a community member. Fellow faculty members and employees at the students’ college are not eligible to be an industry partner. Partners provide relevant support and/or resources for teams. Please review the “What is a partner?” page on the website for more information.

10. Once an entrant submits a video can they revise it or replace it with another video prior to

the Feb. 14 deadline? No. Once you submit a video to the competition it is considered a final submission and cannot be revised or replaced. However, you can save your entry on the challenge platform and edit it many times before submitting.

11. How will finalists be notified? All registered team members will be notified via email by

early April if they have progressed to the finalist round.

12. Will information on the Innovation Boot Camp be sent directly to finalists? Yes. Finalists will be contacted shortly after the semifinal round of judging concludes and the next steps will be relayed. These steps include participating in webinars and doing homework to prepare for the Innovation Boot Camp.

13. What if a team member is unable to attend the boot camp? All finalist student team

members, as well as the faculty mentor, are required to attend the boot camp; however, on a case-by-case basis, NSF and AACC will consider issues that arise that may prevent team members from attending.

14. How will the first- and second-place winners be notified? Winning teams will be announced

at the end of the boot camp. The first and second-place teams will be mailed checks upon completion of the necessary tax forms on site, a few weeks following the boot camp, and they will also be announced in an NSF news release as well as displayed online on the challenge website.