2022 Challenge Guidelines

The FAA is developing a vision for an info-centric National Airspace System (NAS). Full connectivity will come from infrastructure supporting NAS operations that enable all systems to share data. With all types of devices connected to the Internet (known as the Internet of Things [IoT]) and advances in wireless technology, nearly everything can be connected from nearly any location at any time. This ubiquitous system-to-system communication can be used to share location and intent information across vehicles, subsystems, and Air Traffic Management (ATM) stakeholders from airspace users to airports. Through improved filtering and presentation methods, this information and automation-based digital assistance will support human situational awareness. Autonomous systems can rely on this information, in concert with FAA-approved operating rules, to safely operate in the airspace.

As technology advances, information systems will operate with a level of information assurance well beyond today’s levels. Advances in cybersecurity will assure information integrity between end systems across diverse infrastructure. Network diversity will help ensure reliability, continuity of operations, and sustainment of the advertised level of service. Cloud technologies (e.g., software-defined networking and network function virtualization) will enable dynamic configuration of applications and information resources to meet real-time demands of users and service suppliers. Armed with large amounts of collected, shared, and stored operational data (e.g., on flight paths, position, velocity, weather, infrastructure status, and airspace), systems will be able to construct actionable real-time recommendations, and increasing flight efficiency.

Through the Smart Connected Aviation Student Competition, FAA seeks innovative ideas from the academic community that take advantage of a future info-centric NAS (including connected aircraft) that will benefit NAS users in the following four categories:

• Commercial Air Transportation
• General Aviation
• Emerging Operations
• Traveling Public

Teams should address one of the four following categories. Descriptions of the user categories and potential submission topics are provided below:

Commercial Air Transportation

Commercial air transportation is defined as “transportation by air of passengers, cargo or mail for remuneration or hire.” This also includes airport ground operations, take-off, in-flight and landing. Technologies and systems that minimize ground wait times and reduce flight times through avoidance of weather and coordination with other connected aircraft are of interest.

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General Aviation

General Aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as "all civil aviation operations other than scheduled air services and non-scheduled air transport operations for remuneration or hire." It includes recreational flying, pilot training, business aviation, agriculture applications, emergency medical services, law enforcement and firefighting, aerial photography and survey work, and sightseeing and air tours. GA typically use a separate general aviation terminal at an airport and are looking for many of the same benefits as the commercial/business traveler, but they would have specialized needs arising out of the classification of service listed above. Many are also pilots and would have interest in apps, technologies and systems that would make cockpit and air operations more safe and efficient.

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Emerging Operations

Emerging aviation systems and users would include, but are not limited to, Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) systems, Personal Air Vehicles (PAVs), as well as commercial space. Autonomous UAS will soon be ubiquitous and will have major on-going operations in package delivery, agriculture, surveying, law enforcement, security, etc. Approaches for safe integration of these systems into the NAS are of interest. Over 100 companies are currently developing electric air taxis to transport small numbers of passengers over short distances, primarily in urban areas. These systems are expected to evolve into integrated regional air mobility systems. Eventually, most or all operations are expected to be autonomous. These systems would primarily operate out of new “vertiports” as well as existing airports. Smart connected aircraft technologies are essential for these systems to operate safely and efficiently. Companies are also developing PAVs that will enable individuals to travel almost anywhere from point-to-point rapidly. Technologies and systems to enable these operations, including “detect and avoid” systems, are also of interest. One of FAA’s major roles is to “efficiently integrate Commercial Space operations into the NAS to minimize impact on air travel and maximize safety.” Technologies and concepts to enable these systems to safely operate in the NAS are of interest.

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Traveling Public

Commercial and business travelers travel nationally and internationally on scheduled commercial flights on large and regional aircraft that carry 20 to 500 passengers. In the future, they will also be traveling regionally on AAM and eVTOL systems. They are interested in getting from airport departure to airport arrival in a safe, convenient, comfortable, low-cost, and entertaining manner. This begins at airport departure and parking, through check-in, baggage pick-up, passing security, transport to/from the gate, and boarding/deplaning of the aircraft. Smart airport technologies that take advantage of IoT would be of interest. An additional area of interest may include in-flight cabin activities e.g., systems that provide in-flight information and entertainment.

1. Thoroughly review the Challenge guidelines.
2. Find a qualified advisor and a diverse team of students.
3. Ensure that your team meets the eligibility requirements.
4. Develop and submit a project plan proposal by the deadline.
5. Based on a review of the project plans, four finalist teams will advance to the next phase of the competition to further develop their proposed concept.
6. Finalist teams will be responsible for submission of a technical paper and poster presentation.
7. Finalist teams will be invited to New Jersey to demonstrate their concepts in a face-to-face presentation/design review in front of FAA subject matter experts in late June 2022.

The FAA Challenge: Smart Connected Aviation Student Competition is open to teams of undergraduate and graduate students at accredited United States-based colleges and universities. Teams may include senior capstone students, clubs, multi-university or multi-disciplinary students. Teams are encouraged to collaborate and work in concert with industry partners.

• Student team members must have been enrolled in a United States-based college or university for at least one semester (or quarterly equivalent) during the 2021-2022 academic year.
• Team members, including all faculty advisors and students, must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States.
• The designated lead academic institution must submit the application on behalf of the team.
• Each member of the team must meet the eligibility criteria.
• An individual may join more than one team.
• There is no charge to enter the competition.
• Team sizes may vary widely. The core team must contain, at a minimum, one faculty advisor from the lead academic institution who has worked on the project and two students who can be available to present the final project at the culminating event in late June 2022.
• Eligibility is limited to students from colleges and universities in the United States.

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Foreign Universities:

Because this is an FAA-sponsored competition, eligibility is limited to students from universities in the United States. Foreign universities are not eligible to participate in the FAA Challenge.

Initial Screening

NIA will acknowledge receipt of submissions and will review entries to determine that all required submission elements are included and to determine compliance with eligibility requirements. In some circumstances, NIA may request supplemental information including supporting documents, more detailed contact information, and statements of authenticity to guarantee the originality of the work. NIA and the Federal Government assume no responsibility for lost or untimely submissions for any reason.

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Project Plan Proposal Evaluation Criteria

Project Plan Proposals: Due by 11:59 PM ET on Thursday, January 20, 2022
The FAA Challenge Steering Committee (SC), a panel of FAA subject matter experts, will evaluate and score submissions. Decisions will be based on the following factors:

• Technical Merit
  • Has the submission presented a clear understanding of the associated problems being addressed?
  • Has the submission developed a logical and workable solution and approach to solving the problem/s?
  • Do significant aspects of the proposed concept directly address the theme?
  • Has the submission clearly described the depth of integration required to implement the innovation, idea, or proposed concept as it applies to the user category?
• Practicality
  • Has the submission provided details identifying how the concept directly provides a benefit relative to the theme/category it was submitted for?
  • Has the team provided details that identify how the improvements, changes, and/or related activities of the proposal can be implemented in a practical manner?
  • Has the submission provided information on how likely the concept will be accepted and easily used by the user category entered?
  • Has the submission provided information regarding the costs anticipated to be incurred and the costs saved by executing this concept compared to the benefits? Has the team demonstrated an analysis of the trade space between benefits in terms of time, cost, etc., and any potential costs/impact downstream that may be incurred by the servicing entity of system maintainer of the user category entered?
• Impact
  • To what extent does this project have the potential to make a significant impact and/or contribution to the user category?
  • Has the submission clearly defined the direct beneficiaries of this concept and the breadth of impact of the various components of the innovation?
  • Has the team clearly measured the desired impact of the concept (i.e., measurable time, number of reports, resource and/or cost savings)?
  • To what extent does the concept simplify or does the concept appeal to users based on intuitive design and ease of use?
• Originality
  • To what extent is this concept new, or in what way is this an innovation on an existing idea?
  • How is this concept unique?
  • How did the team members’ experiences inform the proposed concept?

Important Note: All factors are important and will be considered in the evaluation process. However, the SC will give the "technical merit" factor the most weight in the screening process. The Steering Committee will select four finalist teams to continue in the competition and present at the 2022 FAA Challenge Forum.

Teams selected as finalists in the competition and invited to attend the 2022 FAA Challenge Forum will be responsible for the following additional submission elements:

Scored/Judged Deliverables:

1. Technical Paper (due May 8, 2022)
2. 45-Minute Presentation to the Judging Panel
   • Followed by a 30-Minute Q&A Session
   • Presentations should be considered the teams’ opportunity to “pitch” their rigorously developed solutions to the judges. It is expected that the presentations will incorporate a simulated or otherwise functional demonstration of their solution. Teams can showcase their solutions through a variety of visual and physical modalities, including but not limited to a modeling and simulation experience (including Virtual Reality), application software demonstration, supported by slides, charts, graphic representations, video, animations, data visualizations, etc.
3. Technical Poster

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Non-Scored Deliverables Presented to the Public:

There may be an opportunity during the Forum for teams to present their concept to a wider public audience of aviation and aeronautic professionals and/or local high school students. If given this opportunity, finalist teams may also be asked to share their research via:

1. A condensed 15-minute oral presentation summary of concept, and/or
2. An informal poster session

Additional details about these deliverables will be communicated to the finalist teams upon selection.

The following rules, terms and conditions apply to all submissions and teams that do not comply with the rules, terms and conditions may be disqualified:

1. Team is defined as all participants in the submission, including all academic institutions, faculty advisors, students, organizations and industry partners;
2. The Prize Administrator (National Institute of Aerospace, or “NIA”) will administer the award of a single dollar amount to the designated lead academic institution of the winning team. The lead academic institution for each team is solely responsible for allocating any prize funds among its team members as they deem appropriate;
3. Submission must include a robust project plan proposal to enter the competition under the rules declared and published by the FAA;
4. Submission must be in English and in a format readable by Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF. Scanned hand-written submissions will be disqualified.
5. The team and/or team members may not be a Federal entity or Federal employee acting within the scope of employment (this includes co-op students with civil servant status);
6. Team members may not be an employee of the DOT, including but not limited to the FAA;
7. Teams will not be deemed ineligible because a team member used Federal facilities or consulted with Federal employees during a competition if the facilities and employees are made available to all teams participating in the competition on an equitable basis;
8. Proposing team members are not permitted to consult with the Steering Committee (SC) or any of its committee members other than the invitation to participate in a scheduled Question and Answer (Q&A) Session and the follow-up technical question opportunity set forth in paragraph 9. These opportunities are offered to the teams that submit an EOI by the deadline;
9. After the Q&A Session with the SC, and should the students and faculty have follow-up technical questions, follow-up technical questions should be submitted to NIA. NIA will forward the question to the SC. After receiving a response from the SC, NIA will post follow-up questions and answers on the FAQ webpage of the FAA Challenge website;
10. The FAA Challenge is subject to all applicable Federal laws and regulations. Participation constitutes the team’s full and unconditional agreement to these rules, terms and conditions and to the final decisions of the FAA, which are final and binding in all matters related to this competition;
11. Each team represents and warrants that the team is the sole author and owner of the submission, that the submission is wholly original and authored by the team, that it does not infringe on any copyright or any other rights of any third party of which the team is aware, and, if submitted in electronic form, is free of malware. All submissions remain the property of the team;
12. By submitting an entry, teams agree to assume any and all risks and waive any claims against the Federal Government and its officers, employees and related entities (except in the case of willful misconduct) for any and all injury, death, damage, or loss of property, revenue or profits, whether direct, indirect, or consequential, arising from their participation in the FAA Challenge, whether the claim or cause of action arises under contract or tort;
13. By submitting an entry, teams agree to indemnify the Federal Government against third party claims for damages arising from or related to the FAA Challenge activities;
14. The SC has the right to request additional information and access to supporting materials from the team;
15. The submission cannot have been submitted in the same or substantially similar form in any previous federally sponsored contest;
16. Each team grants to the FAA, the DOT, as well as other Federal agencies and organizations with which it partners, the right to use names, likeness, application and submission materials not marked with protective markings, photographs, voices, opinions, and/or hometown and state for FAA promotional purposes in any media, in perpetuity, worldwide, without further payment or consideration;
17. Personal information submitted by teams as part of the Expression of Interest and/or Submission through the FAA Challenge website will be transmitted to the FAA and may be kept in a system of records. Teams understand that the FAA Challenge website is hosted by a private entity, the Prize Administrator (NIA), and is not a service of the FAA or the Federal Government. The collection of personal and individually identifiable information on the challenge website is subject to the Prize Administrator’s privacy and security policies. Teams agree not to hold the FAA or the Federal Government liable for the protection, use, or retention of any personal information submitted through the FAA Challenge website and/or in the team’s Expression of Interest or Submission;
18. Submission Marking and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C.§552: All materials submitted to FAA as part of a submission become FAA records and are subject to release under the FOIA. Any confidential commercial information contained in a submission should be designated in writing at the time of submission.
    1. Teams are required to use protective markings as follows:
       • The cover sheet of the submission must be marked as follows and must identify the specific pages containing trade secrets or commercial or financial information that is privileged or confidential:
         1. Notice of Restriction on Disclosure and Use of Data: Pages [list applicable pages] of this document may contain trade secrets or commercial or financial information that is privileged or confidential and is exempt from public disclosure. Such information must be used or disclosed only for evaluation purposes. The Government may use or disclose any information that is not appropriately marked or otherwise restricted, regardless of source. [End of Notice]
         2. The header and footer of every page that contains trade secrets or commercial or financial information that is privileged must be marked as follows: “May contain trade secrets or commercial or financial information that is privileged or confidential and exempt from public disclosure.”
         3. In addition, each line or paragraph containing trade secrets or commercial or financial information that is privileged or confidential must be enclosed in brackets.
       • If the team’s submission has been marked as set forth above, the team will be notified of any FOIA requests for their submissions. Teams may then have the opportunity to review materials and work with an FAA FOIA Coordinator prior to the release of materials;
19. The Prize Administrator is the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA). The Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), is the Federal Agency sponsor of the prize;
20. Federal grantees may not use Federal funds to develop submissions;
21. Federal contractors may not use Federal funds from a contract to develop submissions or to fund efforts in support of a submission; and
22. Teams must include all the required submission elements. NIA reserves the right to disqualify submissions after an initial screening if all required submission elements are not provided and/or if eligibility requirements are not met. NIA may give teams an opportunity to fix non-substantive mistakes or errors in their submission packages.
23. The FAA retains sole discretion to select the winning team. The FAA reserves the right to not award the prize if the SC believes that no submission demonstrates sufficient innovative scientific and engineering potential and/or achievements.