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Official Rules

THIS 10,000 SOLUTIONS PROJECT IS OPEN TO ANYONE OVER THE AGE OF 18. TO ENTER, READ THE OFFICIAL RULES BELOW. WHEN YOU ENTER THE PROJECT, YOU AGREE TO ABIDE BY ALL RULES.

The 10,000 Solutions Project (“Project”) is an opportunity to showcase and collect innovative ideas that solve local and global challenges. The Project is an experiment that leverages the power of collaborative wisdom to create a solutions bank. 10,000 Solutions aims to see what can be accomplished when passionate people join a community that works together to build upon each other’s innovative ideas and create change. Participating in the Project includes creating a publically viewable profile and Submission.

1. NO PURCHASE OR CASH OUTLAY NECESSARY

2. SPONSOR: 

The Arizona Board of Regents, for and on behalf of, Arizona State University (“Sponsor”).

3. ELIGIBILITY:

Open to anyone over the age of 18. 10,000 Solutions K-12 collaborator schools who have been approved by the Sponsor and have secured parental permission for their student to participate are the only affiliates authorized to allow anyone under the age of 18 to participate. Submissions of individuals under the age of 18 will not be considered unless release forms are signed by the parent or legal guardian of EVERY individual under the age of 18 who appears in a given Submission.

4. TO ENTER:

An individual who enters a Submission into the 10,000 Solutions Project (“Entrant”) will be eligible to win prizes. An Entrant may enter a Submission on behalf of an Entrant Team, a group of individuals or an organization that the Entrant represents in an official capacity. The Entrant name that appears on the website application (“Submission Form”) will be the sole winner.

Entrants should upload their typed solution and optional video or image (“Submission”) via solutions.asu.edu or 10000solutions.org. Entrants must fill out the Submission Form in its entirety to be considered for judging, including agreeing to these Official Rules of the 10,000 Solutions Project. Solutions entered under other means, such as by mail or email will not be considered.

5. PHASE: 1 PROJECT SCHEDULE

  • August 2011: Official launch of 10,000 Solutions Project
  • April 2012: Close of Round 1
  • Spring/Summer 2012: Round 2
  • Fall 2012: Round 3

Additional phases may begin during this timeframe at the discretion of the Sponsor.

6. SUBMISSION FORMAT AND CONTENT REQUIREMENTS 

The Project Assignment
Submissions should be uploaded via solutions.asu.edu or 10000solutions.org. Entrants have the option of uploading videos or images which should be under 60 seconds in length. Submissions should mention the Challenge addressed and be positive and creative about solving the problem identified. While budgets or prototypes are not required, thinking through the feasibility of the idea is a plus. A plan of action or a demonstrated capacity to provide leadership for a suggested Submission is also looked upon favorably. To be considered for prizes, all Submissions must follow the ASU Campus Code of Conduct  and comply with ASU’s Computer, Internet and Electronic Communications specifications.

Judging
Judging will be done at the discretion of the Sponsor. Engagement of public support for Submissions will also help garner momentum for a Submission to win. All decisions of the Sponsor are final.

Team Name/Organization Name
An Entrant may upload a Submission or participate in the Project on behalf of a group of individuals. The Entrant must indicate a group submission by entering a Team Name on the Submission Form.

An Entrant may also upload a Submission or participate in the Project on behalf of an organization. The Entrant must indicate a Submission is entered on behalf of an organization by entering an Organization Name on the Submission Form. Entrants should use an email address that indicates their association with the organization they are representing if possible. Entrants should participate in the Project only on behalf of organizations in which they are currently or actively employed or involved in an official context. Entrants are solely responsible for the content of Submissions made on behalf of an organization. If there are any concerns regarding a Submission, please contact the Sponsor via solutions@asu.edu and the Sponsor will respond as quickly as possible.

Technical Requirements
Submissions should be uploaded via the website, solutions.asu.edu or 10000solutions.org. Submissions should be composed in standard English grammar and font.  

Submissions including a video or image can be uploaded via a file or with the embedded video link (URL) to the video. Video can be submitted via uploading a video file or by submitting the Youtube link (URL) to the video. Users will be able to upload directly from the solutions.asu.edu or 10000solutions.org websites or they can upload to Youtube first and then upload the Youtube link (URL) to that particular video. The video format is primarily MP4 or other Youtube acceptable formats. All videos uploaded to solutions.asu.edu or 10000solutions.org will be uploaded to Youtube and then embedded on the solutions.asu.edu or 10000solutions.org websites. Image formats are jpg, gif, png, and bmp. Blogs or other types of online content will not be considered for judging Solutions in other formats will not be considered part of the Project.

Solutions can also be entered via Twitter using the hashtag #10KASU and may be considered part of the 10,000 Solution bank community but do not constitute a Submission and will be evaluated separately. By tweeting with the hashtag #10KASU, the individual or group associated with the Twitter account allows the Sponsor to reuse this solution for publicity and publication purposes.

Solutions in other formats will not be considered for judging in the Project. Links for web pages, blogs or other types of online content will not be considered for judging.

Additional Requirements/Conditions   

  1. Entrant must answer all questions listed on the Submission Form.

  2. Submissions must be in standard English or translated into standard English.

  3. The Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, remove, delete and/or disqualify Submissions deemed to be inappropriate, illegal or non–compliant with these Official Rules any time during the judging phase. The decisions of the Sponsor are final.

  4. The person who completes the Submission Form will be deemed the Official Representative of the Entrant or Entrant Team. Students and university employees (faculty and staff) are recommended to submit their Submission using their .edu domain email address. Any dispute regarding the identity of an Entrant will be resolved in favor of the individual who is the holder of the registered .edu email address issued by their university or college.

  5. Submissions are submitted by one person. In the case that a team of individuals or organization composes a Submission the Official Representative will be the individual to complete the Submission Form. The team or organization member who fills out the online Submission Form will be designated as the Official Representative for the purpose of all subsequent communications with the team in connection with the Project. It is the responsibility of the Official Representative to assure that each team member has read and agrees to these Official Rules. Any prize(s) will be awarded to the Official Representative on behalf of the team. The Sponsor is not liable for any disputes between or among team members arising under or related to the Project.

  6. Entrants may enter as many times as they like. All Submissions must:
    • be suitable for display or publication in public (i.e., may not be obscene or indecent, including but not limited to nudity, pornography or profanity);
    • not contain defamatory statements or materials;
    • not include threats to any person, place, business,  or group;
    • not invade privacy or other rights of any person, firm or entity; and
    • not in any other way violate federal, state or local laws, rules, regulations or network standards or any Arizona Board of Regents or Arizona State University policies, procedures, rules or standards.

7. PARTICIPATION IN THE 10,000 SOLUTIONS COMMUNITY

Build
Entrants may choose to build on the Submissions of other Entrants. This means an Entrant is inspired by the ideas of another Entrant, but has their own unique Submission. Entrants should realize others may build on their ideas and that ideas will be publically viewable as inspiration for other Submissions at the sole discretion of the Sponsor.

Feedback
Entrants may receive comments or feedback from others who engage with the 10,000 Solutions Project. Comments will be publically viewable at the discretion of the Sponsor. 

Support
Entrants may support the ideas of other Entrants. This means they not only think an idea is interesting, exciting or innovative, but they may also be interested in supporting an idea and helping it move forward.

8. AWARDING OF PRIZES 

Round 1: Public Support
The Sponsor is not responsible for the failure of the Entrants to accurately post a viable link to a video, image or file describing their Submission. All posted eligible Submissions will be evaluated based on those that receive, for instance, the highest number of supports, the most number of Submissions built on their idea, positive attention in some other manner or if they are selected by the Sponsors. The Sponsor will have final say on what Submissions continue on to further rounds or for selection as a Short List Submission.

Round 2: Short List
A group of up to 30 Submissions will be selected in spring or summer 2012 to advance to Round 2 (“Short List Submissions”). Official Representatives of the Short List Submissions may need to fulfill additional requirements before being considered as a Finalist Submission. Failure to fulfill the additional requirements may result in being ineligible to advance to the final round. Submissions selected to move on to the final round of judging (“Finalist Submissions”) will be selected from the Short List Submissions.

Round 3: Final Round
Finalist Submissions will be shared in a public manner to win prizes and opportunities that may help move their solution forward. The Official Representative of one of the Finalist Submissions will be awarded $10,000 in prizes. Official Representatives of the Finalist Submissions shall be solely responsible for any reporting, taxes, fees or other requirements associated with the prizes. 

All Finalist Submissions are subject to verification of eligibility, compliance with these Rules and completion and execution of the release forms described below. If the Sponsor’s attempt to notify an Official Representative of a Finalist Submission is not deliverable, or if a Finalist Submission cannot be verified, the prize will be forfeited and may be awarded to an alternate Entrant.

Group Tags
Groups may create their own tags as long as they follow all Official Rules of the Project. Tags can be created at the discretion of the Sponsor. Registered ASU student groups, academic units, departments, residential communities, classes or affiliated activities, events or organizations approved by the Sponsor may be eligible for group prizes. This will be based on a tag properly registered by the appropriate group. All tags for prize purposes are subject to approval by the Sponsor. The prizes associated with tags will be selected at the sole discretion of the Sponsor. Tags otherwise can be created at the discretion of the Entrant as long as they are not offensive, but will not increase eligibility for prizes.

Other Prizes
The Sponsor reserves the right to distribute other prizes if they become available at the Sponsor’s sole discretion. Prize distribution may also be done by the Sponsor’s student organizations and affiliated groups. Entrants agree that the Sponsor has the sole right and discretion to decide all matters and disputes arising from the Project and that all decisions of the Sponsor are final and binding. Official Representatives who win a prize, by acceptance of a prize, agree to release, indemnify and hold harmless the Sponsor and Related Project Parties, as well as each of their respective parent and affiliated entities, and each of their employees, officers, agents, representatives and contractors from any and all liability, loss, damage, cost or claim related to any allegation regarding the acceptance or use of their prize, including but not limited to the public announcement(s) about the Submission.

Prize distribution is dependent upon the status of the Official Representative and the rules, laws and regulations governing the jurisdiction in which the Official Representative resides at the time and place of the distribution of prizes. Prize amounts and the Official Rules will be decided by the Sponsor.

When prizes are distributed, prizes to current ASU students may be delivered through student accounts. Prizes distributed in such a manner must be consistent and comply with student account requirements, University policies and procedures and applicable regulations. Prizes to ASU faculty and staff will be distributed through their department or a separate account at the sole discretion of the Sponsor and must be consistent with applicable policies and procedures. Prizes to Official Representatives external to ASU such as alumni, community members and K-12 students, will be made in accordance with a process solely determined by the Sponsor. Similarly, student groups, academic units, departments, classes or affiliated activities, events or organizations approved by the Sponsor that aggregate the most Submissions, tracked through registered tags, may also be awarded prizes at the sole discretion of the Sponsor. 

Twitter Solutions
Solutions entered via Twitter must use the hashtag #10KASU. The Sponsor will evaluate Twitter solutions separately from Submissions submitted using the Submission Form. By tweeting with the hashtag #10KASU, the individual or group associated with the Twitter account allows the Sponsor to consider and reuse this entry for publicity and publication purposes, including scrolling on the website. Twitter solutions will be eligible for an award determined at the sole discretion of the Sponsor.

9. PROJECT TERMS OF SUBMISSION

As conditions of entry into this Project, and by posting an entry, each Entrant or Entrant Team:

  • Warrants and represents that the Entrant or Entrant Team is the sole owner of all rights to the Submission, including, without limitation, the video, digital recording, image and the performance contained in the Submission, with the exception of any university or college assets used by Entrants in connection with this Project;

  • Warrants and represents that the Entrant is the individual pictured and/or heard in the Submission, or alternatively, that the Entrant has obtained written permission from each person who appears or is heard in the Submission to grant the rights to the Sponsor and can make copies of such permissions available to the Sponsor upon request;

  • Warrants and represents that the Entrant’s Submission:
    1. is original to the Entrant and has been legally obtained and created;
    2. does not infringe the intellectual property, privacy or publicity rights or any other legal or moral rights of any third party, or violate applicable laws, regulations, or network standards;
    3. has not been published previously in any medium;

  • Irrevocably grants to the Sponsor and its affiliates, legal representatives, assigns, agents and licensees, an unconditional, non-exclusive, perpetual, world-wide, royalty free, license, right and permission to reproduce, encode, store, copy, transmit, publish, post, broadcast, display, publicly perform, adapt, exhibit and/or otherwise use or reuse (without limitation as to when or to the number of times used), the Entrant’s name, image, voice, likeness, statements, biographical material and Submission, including, but not limited to, the video, digital recording, image and performances contained in any of the above items (in each case, as submitted or as edited/modified in any way by the Sponsor, in the Sponsor’s sole discretion), as well as any additional photographic images, video images, portraits, interviews or other materials relating to the Entrant or the Submission and arising out of his/her participation in this Project whether with or without using the Entrant’s name (collectively, the “Additional Materials”) in any media throughout the world for any purpose related to the Sponsor, without limitation, and without additional review, compensation, or approval from the Entrant or any other party.

  • Agrees to release, indemnify and hold the Sponsor and Related Project Parties harmless from any and all liability or claims of any kind or description arising out of or relating to participation in the Project brought or asserted by the Entrant or third parties, including but not limited to liability arising from the content of the Submission or Additional Materials, acts or omissions of the Entrant in the course of the Project, and the subsequent use and promotion of the Submission or Additional Materials by the Sponsor or Related Project Parties.

General Conditions
Official Representatives of Finalist Submissions of the Project are solely responsible for any reporting, taxes or other requirements associated with their respective prizes. No substitution of a prize is offered, except at the sole discretion of the Sponsor. Prizes are non–transferable. By participating, Entrants agree to these Official Rules, which are final and binding in all respects. Unclaimed prizes will not be awarded. Official Representatives of Finalist Submissions will be notified by e–mail. The Sponsor may be required to withhold and report income tax in the case of any prize–winning Entrant or member of an Entrant Team. Specific treatment accorded to any such prize–winning Entrant will depend on the specifics of the situation including the nationality of the student and how long he/she has been present in the US. If for any reason the Project is not capable of running as planned, including without limitation, infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of the Project, the Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion to cancel, modify or terminate the Project. Further, the Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual deemed to be:

  • tampering or attempting to tamper with the entry process or the operation of the Project or any of the Sponsor or the Sponsor related websites;
  • violating the Official Rules;
  • violating the terms of service, conditions of use and/or general rules or guidelines of any property or service of the Sponsor, or
  • acting in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner, or with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person
  • bring the Sponsor into public disrepute, contempt, scandal or ridicule or reflect unfavorably on the Project or the Sponsor, as determined by the Sponsor in its sole discretion.

This Project is offered internationally where applicable, but governed by the laws of the State of Arizona. All claims relating in any manner to this Project or to any Submission must be resolved in the federal or district courts located in Maricopa County, Arizona. Void where prohibited, taxed or regulated.

Limitations of Liability and Release
No liability or responsibility is assumed by the Sponsor or Related Project Parties resulting from any Entrant’s participation in or attempt to participate in the Project or ability or inability to upload or download any information in connection with participating in the Project. No responsibility or liability is assumed by the Sponsor or Related Project Parties for technical problems or technical malfunction which may affect the operation of the Project. By participating in the Project, the Entrant releases the Sponsor and Related Project Parties from any and all claims, damages or liabilities arising from or relating to such the Entrant’s participation in the Project. By providing a Submission to the Project, the Entrants and Entrant Team members agree that the Sponsor and Related Project Parties shall not be liable for any loss or injury resulting from participation in the Project, acceptance or use of any prize, or any travel related thereto. The Sponsor and the Project Parties are not liable in the event that any portion of the Project is cancelled due to weather, fire, strike, acts of war or terrorism, or any other condition beyond their control.

Ineligibility
The Project is not open to residents of Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Myanmar/Burma, Syria, Zimbabwe and any other U.S. sanctioned country and is void where prohibited by law.

10. RESEARCH PURPOSE

The photographs, images, videos and text used or written by the Entrants or Entrant Teams for the 10,000 Solutions Project might be used for research purposes. The research will be used to understand how people participate in initiatives like the 10,000 Solutions Project. Entrants understand that the results of this study can be used in reports, presentations, or publications but Entrant names will not be used.

Entrants understand that they can address any questions concerning the research to Dr. Erik Johnston (erik.johnston@asu.edu) or Dr. Marco Janssen (marco.janssen@asu.edu). Entrants understand that for questions about Entrant rights as a participant in this research can contact the Chair of the Human Subjects Institutional Review Board, through the ASU Office of Research Integrity and Assurance, at (480) 965-6788.

Entrants understand that by agreeing to these Official Rules, Entrants give consent that the information Entrants provide to the 10,000 Solutions Project can be used in research.