[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 229 (Tuesday, November 29, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73644-73647]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-30668]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Announcement of Requirements and Registration for the United 
States Surgeon General's Healthy Apps Challenge

AGENCY: Office of the Surgeon General, Office of the Assistant 
Secretary for Health, Office of the Secretary, Department of Health and 
Human Services.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Surgeon General's Healthy Apps Challenge will 
encourage the development and submission of technology applications 
that will complement and enhance two key aspects of the Surgeon 
General's prevention agenda: The Surgeon General's Vision for a Healthy 
and Fit Nation (http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/obesityvision/obesityvision2010.pdf) and the nation's first National Prevention 
Strategy (http://www.healthcare.gov/prevention/nphpphc/strategy/report.pdf). Specifically, the challenge will highlight the ability of 
innovative new technologies to: (1) Provide health information tailored 
to the needs of the user; and (2) empower users (the general public) to 
regularly engage in and enjoy health promoting behaviors related to 
fitness and physical activity, nutrition and healthy eating, and/or 
physical, mental and emotional well-being. This challenge is being 
conducted in collaboration with the Office of the National Coordinator 
for Health IT.

DATES: Submission period begins: 12:01 a.m., EST, December 2, 2011.
    Submission period for initial entries ends: 11:59 p.m., EST, 
December 30, 2011.
    Judging process for finalists begins: 12:01 a.m., EST, January 2, 
2012.
    Judging process for finalists ends: 11:59 p.m., EST, January 20, 
2012.
    Finalist(s) notified: January 23, 2012.
    Public announcement: Late January, 2012.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Lesley Russell, Senior Public 
Health Advisor for Outreach and Policy, Office of the Surgeon General, 
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Phone: (202) 401-8596.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Subject of Challenge Competition

    Entrants are asked to develop software applications (apps) in the 
following categories:
    Fitness/physical activity: This category is focused on applications 
particularly aimed at recruiting and

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retaining those people who are not currently regularly exercising.
    Nutrition/healthy eating: This category is focused on applications 
aimed at quickly prepared home meals, eating out sensibly, and getting 
healthy food when travelling (e.g. in airports) or out and about.
    Integrative health: This category is focused on applications aimed 
at integrating multiple aspects of wellness (healthy sleep habits, 
boosting mental/spiritual health, lifestyle behavior change, social 
health, family health, community health, etc.).
    Submissions can be existing applications or applications developed 
specifically for this challenge. A free version of the application must 
be available for consumer use. The applications should not require the 
purchase of additional products to be fully operational.

Eligibility Rules for Participating in the Competition

    This Challenge is open to U.S. residents of the 50 States (plus the 
District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and 
American Samoa) who are 13 years and over (with a parent/guardian if 
under 18 years of age), and businesses and organizations domiciled in 
the U.S.
    Individuals submitting on behalf of corporations, nonprofits, or 
groups of individuals (such as academic classes or other teams) must 
meet the eligibility requirements for individual contestants; each 
individual team member need not meet every criterion, but the lead 
member of a team must meet all criterion. An individual may join more 
than one team, corporation, or nonprofit organization.
    Eligibility to be a contestant is contingent upon fulfilling all 
requirements set forth herein. Contestants may be required to disclose 
their employers to allow the Department of Health and Human Services 
(HHS) to conduct debarment and compliance screenings. HHS will not 
select as a finalist or challenge winner a company, or an individual 
who works for a company, which is currently on the Federal list of 
debarred entities or that has significant compliance issues.
    A federal entity or federal employee acting within the scope of his 
or her employment is not eligible to participate. Federal employees 
acting outside the scope of their employment should consult their 
ethics official before participating in the Challenge.
    Participation constitutes contestant's full and unconditional 
agreement to these official rules.

Prizes

    This competition does not provide monetary prizes. The winners in 
each of the three categories will be recognized by HHS and the Office 
of the Surgeon General during an announcement/award ceremony in 
January/February 2012. Finalist applications will be featured on an HHS 
Web site.

Basis Upon Which Winner Will Be Selected

    Entries will be judged by an expert panel selected by HHS. The 
judging panel will make selections based upon the following criteria:
    (1) Usefulness: Each entry will be rated for its ability to empower 
users to engage in health promoting behaviors related to fitness and 
physical activity; nutrition/healthy eating; or physical and mental 
well-being. The apps must provide health information tailored to the 
needs of the user.
    (2) Innovativeness: Each entry will be rated for the degree of new 
thinking and creativity it brings to applications focusing on the 
health promotion, disease prevention, and wellness in the three 
categories outlined.
    (3) Evidenced-Based or Data-Driven Approach: Each entry will be 
rated on the degree to which it incorporates scientific evidence or 
empirical data to help assess and modify health behaviors and wellness 
outcomes. The entry must include a description of how research and 
science is incorporated into the evidence base underpinning the 
application.
    (4) Usability: Each entry will be rated on its user-friendliness 
and interactive capabilities. Entries should be applicable and 
attractive to people who are not early adopters of new technologies and 
are not ``high tech''. Additional consideration will be given as to 
whether the entry can be used by people with disabilities.
    (5) Potential Impact: Each entry will be rated on the strength of 
its potential to help all Americans, particularly those who do not 
normally engage regularly in health promoting behavior, to improve 
their health and fitness. The ability to appeal to those in underserved 
and hard-to-reach communities and in Cultural and Linguistically 
Diverse (CALD) communities will also be assessed.
    (6) Data Downloads: Submission will receive bonus points if they 
offer the ability to download personal data and allow the user to 
integrate these data into other health and health care applications, 
including Personal Health Records/e-Health Records. Submissions must 
specify the type of information available (e.g., running log, vegetable 
intake, sleep records) and the unit of measurement (e.g., distance or 
minutes per day, calories burned, calories consumed, hours of sound 
sleep).
    (7) Fun Factor and Health ``Lagniagge'': Each entry will be rated 
for the ``fun factor'' it brings to users who are engaged in health 
promoting behaviors and on whether it provides ``lagniagge'' (something 
extra or a bonus) in health for the user to enhance their personal 
health, fitness, and/or wellness goals.
    Each entry must be limited to software programs that do not require 
additional hardware or the purchase of additional products (beyond a 
smart phone or a computer) for full use.
    The application should be available at no cost or fees to the 
consumer.

Additional Information

    Non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, 
and chronic respiratory disease account for a large majority of deaths 
in the U.S. The links between unhealthy behaviors (e.g., physical 
inactivity, unhealthy eating, tobacco use, excessive alcohol use) and 
these chronic illnesses have been well established. The Surgeon 
General's Vision for a Healthy and Fit Nation and the National 
Prevention Strategy both highlight the importance of health behaviors 
in preventing disease and creating a healthy and fit nation. The 
National Prevention Strategy further envisions a prevention-oriented 
society where all sectors recognize the value of health for 
individuals, families, and society and work together to achieve better 
health for all Americans. The National Prevention Strategy also 
emphasizes the importance of empowering individuals with tools and 
information to make healthy choices, and shifting the focus of the 
nation's health to prevention and integrated wellness (i.e., physical, 
behavioral, social, and emotional health), rather than focusing 
primarily on illness and disease.
    National public health recommendations and guidelines currently 
exist for physical activity (Physical Activity Guidelines for 
Americans; http://www.health.gov/paguidelines/), nutrition (MyPlate; 
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/), and overall health and wellness 
(Healthy People 2020; http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/default.aspx). 
Yet, currently, approximately 40 percent of American adults report that 
they do not engage in any leisure-time physical activity, with less 
than half the population meeting public health recommendations for

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physical activity. In 2009 fewer than 1 in 10 Americans included the 
recommended amounts of fruit and vegetables in their diet. Over one-
third of Americans are currently obese. Research also finds that sleep 
health contributes to obesity and disease, but 40 percent of Americans 
report unintentionally falling asleep during the day at least once in 
the preceding month.
    Communication technology has great potential to empower and connect 
individuals, particularly those in underserved and hard-to-reach 
communities, with information to make healthy choices. The Office of 
the Surgeon General is launching this developer's challenge to 
encourage the development (by innovators) and use (by everyday 
Americans) of consumer-facing technology to create a healthy and fit 
nation.
    In order for an entry to win this Challenge, it must meet the 
following requirements:
    General: Contestants must provide access to the application, a 
detailed description of the application, instructions on how to install 
and operate the application, and system requirements necessary to run 
the application (collectively, submission). Applications developed for 
mobile phones must specify the specific operating system(s) on which 
the app runs and provide a site where the app can be downloaded.
    Acceptable platforms: The application must be designed for the Web, 
a personal computer, a mobile device (e.g., mobile phone, portable 
sensor, etc.), console, or any platform broadly accessible on the open 
Internet.
    Accessibility: The application must, to the extent practicable, be 
accessible to a wide range of users, including users with disabilities. 
Application should also aim to eventually meet objectives for federal 
compliance guidelines for information technology as addressed by 
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973: http://www.section508/gov.
    Deadlines: The submission must be available for evaluation by 11:59 
p.m., EST, on December 30, 2011 for judging purposes.
    Modifications: Once a submission is made, the contestant cannot 
make any changes or alterations to any part of the submission.
    Intellectual Property: The submission must not infringe on any 
copyright or any other rights of any third party.
    No HHS Logo: The application must not use HHS's logo or official 
seal or the logo or official seal of the Surgeon General in the 
submission, and must not claim federal government endorsement.
    Functionality/Accuracy: A submission may be disqualified if the 
software application fails to function as expressed in the description 
provided by the contestant, or if the submission provides inaccurate 
information.
    Security: Submissions must be free of malware. Contestant agrees 
that HHS may conduct testing on the application to determine whether 
malware or other security threats may be present. HHS may disqualify 
the application if, in HHS's judgment, the application may damage 
government or third-party equipment or operating environments.
    HHS will also screen submissions for eligibility of the submitting 
contestant and compliance with Challenge.gov's Standards of Conduct. By 
submitting the entries, applicants consent to IT security testing and 
debarment and compliance screening.
    Submissions satisfying these criteria will be deemed eligible and 
posted on the Challenge.gov Web site on a rolling basis. Submissions 
from contestants who are under the age of eighteen (18) will be deemed 
ineligible and will not be posted, until and unless a completed Parent/
Legal Guardian Consent Form is received.
    Copyright/Intellectual Property/Original Work: Each contestant 
warrants that he or she is the sole author and owner of the submission, 
that the submission is wholly original with the contestant (or is an 
improved version of an existing application that the contestant has 
sufficient rights to use including the substantial improvement of 
existing open-source apps), and that it does not infringe any copyright 
or any other rights of any third party of which contestant is aware. 
Each contestant also warrants that the application is free of malware.
    Submission Rights: Each contestant grants to HHS an irrevocable, 
paid-up, royalty-free non-exclusive worldwide license to post, link to, 
and display publicly the application on the Web, for the purpose of the 
Challenge, during the duration of the Challenge and for a period of one 
year following announcement of the winner. All contestants will retain 
all other intellectual property rights over their submissions.
    Verification of Finalists and Challenge Winner: Finalists and the 
Challenge winner must continue to comply with all terms and conditions 
of these official rules, and winning is contingent upon fulfilling all 
requirements contained herein. The finalists will be notified by email, 
telephone, or mail after the date of the judging. The finalists (or 
finalist's parent/guardian if under 18 years of age) and Challenge 
winner (or Challenge winner's parent/guardian if under 18 years of 
age), will be required to sign and return to HHS, within ten (10) days 
of the date notice being sent, an Affidavit of Eligibility and 
Liability/Publicity Release (except where prohibited) in order to claim 
any recognition. In the event that a potential finalist or Challenge 
winner is disqualified for any reason, HHS may award the applicable 
recognition to an alternate winner who had the highest score remaining 
of the eligible entries.
    Privacy: If you choose to provide the HHS with personal information 
by registering or filling out the submission form through the Web site, 
that information will be used to respond to you in matters regarding 
your submission and/or the Challenge only--unless you choose to receive 
updates or notifications about other competitions from HHS on an opt-in 
basis. Information is not collected for commercial marketing.
    Liability: The contestant shall be liable for, and shall indemnify 
and hold harmless the Government against, all actions or claims for 
loss of or damage to property (including any damage that may result 
from a virus or malware to HHS computer systems or those of the end-
users of the software and/or applications), resulting from the fault, 
negligence, or wrongful act or omission of the contestant.
    Disclaimer: HHS and its contractors are not responsible for: (1) 
Any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by contestants, 
printing errors, or by any of the equipment or programming associated 
with or utilized in the Challenge; (2) technical failures of any kind, 
including, but not limited to malfunctions, interruptions, or 
disconnections in phone lines or network hardware or software; (3) 
unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or the 
Challenge; (4) technical or human error which may occur in the 
administration of the Challenge or the processing of entries; or (5) 
any injury or damage to persons or property which may be caused, 
directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from contestant's 
participation in the Challenge or receipt, use or misuse of any 
recognition. If for any reason a contestant's entry is confirmed to 
have been erroneously deleted, lost, or otherwise destroyed or 
corrupted, contestant's sole remedy is another entry in the Challenge. 
Recognition in connection with this Challenge does not constitute an 
endorsement of a specific product by the HHS.

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    General Conditions: HHS reserves the right to cancel, suspend, and/
or modify the competition, or any part of it, for any reason, at HHS's 
sole discretion.
    All decisions by HHS are final and binding in all matters related 
to the competition.

    Dated: November 16, 2011.
Regina Benjamin,
Surgeon General, U.S. Public Health Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-30668 Filed 11-28-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-28-P