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DHS Prize Competitions

DHS Prize Competitions

Prize competitions are a way to crowdsource and engage citizen inventors directly to find interesting ideas or solutions to some of the toughest homeland security challenges. In fact, the government has used prize competitions for hundreds of years. Longitude and ship navigation, Lindbergh’s transatlantic flight, even initial designs for The White House and U.S. Capitol designs were results of prize competitions.

Since 2015, the Department of Homeland Security has run over a dozen prize competitions, engaging public solvers ranging from students and hobbyists to small business owners and academic researchers. The rules for each prize competition vary. Read the guidelines posted for each prize competition to determine if you’re eligible to enter the prize competition.

Stay up to date with the latest news, updates, and challenges posted by subscribing to S&T's Partnership Connections and Program Mailing Lists.

White House Releases Federal Prize and Citizen Science Authority Report

Front Picture of Report with Presidential Seal: Executive Office of the President of the United States | Implementation of Federal Prize and Citizen science Authority: Fiscal Years 2019-20 | A Report by the Office of Science & Technology Policy | In Response to the Requirements of the American COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 and the Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science Act March 2022

The White House Office of Science and Technology released the Implementation of Federal Prize and Citizen Science Authority for Fiscal Years 2019-20 report. This biennial report to Congress details federal efforts to stimulate innovation and partnership and expand the American public’s participation in prize competitions and citizen science. Many exciting examples of prizes, challenges, crowdsourcing and citizen science projects are highlighted in the report. Find out how to access the report and learn more!

For questions on the Department of Homeland Security’s Prize Competitions, contact the team at PrizeAuthority@hq.dhs.gov.

Last Updated: 02/19/2025
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