Frequently Asked Questions

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2023-24 Tools Competition

Frequently Asked Questions

Eligibility

What is a tool? Is my tool eligible?
The Tools Competition funds edtech tools and technologies that support learning outcomes and can contribute to learning science research.
Eligible tools have the potential to generate novel learning data that researchers can study to better understand learning at scale. This may include an app, software, algorithm, or other digital technology that facilitates or supports continuous data collection and has the potential to scale at minimal cost.
For the purposes of this competition, proposals that focus solely on hardware, curricular resources such as lesson plans or video guides, community platforms, or in-person programming are rarely competitive as they struggle to either support learning engineering principles or scale without significant continuous investment.
What are the official rules for the competition?

Please refer to the Official Rules. All participants must agree to these rules to compete.

I don’t live within the United States. Am I eligible to compete?

The Tools Competition is open to participants from across the globe, however, eligibility criteria are dependent on track. Take the eligibility quiz and refer to the track pages to determine whether you are eligible to compete in a specific track.

All participants must be able to accept funds from US based entities.

 

Individuals and entities residing in Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, the Crimea region of Ukraine, so-called Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republic regions of Ukraine, Afghanistan, Belarus, Burma/Myanmar, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Lebanon, Nigeria, Palestinian Territories (Gaza and West Bank), Russia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Ukraine (non-embargoed regions), Venezuela, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China, Yemen and Zimbabwe are not eligible to participate in the competition.

Individuals and entities residing in Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Sudan, and Syria are not eligible to participate in the competition.
Does my submission need to be in English?
Yes, all submissions must be in English.
Do competitors retain intellectual property and full ownership of their product?
Yes! Winners retain full intellectual property. Competition organizers do not seek shares of or equity in the product or company.
I have no experience in edtech. Am I eligible to compete?

Yes! We are eager to hear and support individuals who are new to the field. We encourage you to compete in the Catalyst award level to be more competitive. Please see more information below on award levels and take the eligibility quiz for more guidance.

I’m a student, and/or the tool I’m submitting isn’t my full time job. Am I eligible to compete?
Yes! Anyone 18 years or older is eligible, and we are eager to hear from people at all stages of the development process.
I would like to submit as an individual. Am I eligible to compete?
Yes! You are not required to compete as part of a team or to be affiliated with an organization or company.
Are we allowed to submit a joint proposal with another institution or organization?
You are welcome to partner with other organizations. This should be mentioned in your Phase I submission.
I have a conflict with the Pitch period or Product Review Day. Am I eligible to compete?
Yes! We encourage you to still compete. If you advance to the final phase of the competition, there will be an opportunity to make note of conflicts.

Developing successful abstracts

How do I compete?
Submissions for the 2023-24 Tools Competition are open through November 10, 2023. You can read more about our submission process and how to compete on the track specific pages:
Does my tool need to be new? Or can I build off of an already existing product?
The Tools Competition seeks to spur new tools and technology. This means that something about the tool needs to be fresh, innovative, or original. This does not mean you have to create a new tool or new platform.
Competitors seeking a Growth or Transform award must build off an existing platform of varying levels of development and scale. This might be an API that will improve the platform or a new tool to improve effectiveness. Or it could mean adding infrastructure that allows external researchers to access your data.
See more about award levels and eligibility requirements on the track specific pages.
Does my tool need to address a certain age range of learners?
While the competition is generally open to solutions for Pre-K to adult learners, the target user groups for each track may differ. Please see the track specific pages for more information.
What is the definition of an "active user" when considering how to list the number of active users using my tool? Are there specific criteria?
Active users are defined as individuals who use the tool regularly and in a meaningful way. We recommend that your users fall within the user group that your tool focuses on. Beta users, if they are just testing the functionality of the tool for a specified period of time, do not count as active users.
What are the competition ‘tracks?’
The competition has five ‘tracks’ or priority areas that reflect pressing needs and opportunities in education. Competitors will be required to select one of the tracks in which their submission will be evaluated.
The competition tracks include:
Each track has somewhat different requirements and eligibility criteria, and certain tracks may be more or less competitive than others depending on final funding allocation and the number of competitors in each track. Tracks may also have different total award pools, depending on sponsor priorities.
Can I submit the same abstract for multiple tracks?
This is not necessary or recommended. If competition organizers invite you to Phase II, they will carefully review your abstract to confirm your track or recommend a new one.
Can an abstract we submit in one track relate to or support a second abstract we submit in the same or in another track?
Abstracts will need to stand alone independently, but they can certainly support each other. That said, it is unlikely that more than one submission by the same team will win.
Are we able to make changes to our tool/idea between Phase I and Phase II?
Phase II proposals should not be drastically different from the Phase I abstract, but we do expect that there may be changes as you further refine your idea.
How much should we focus on long term vision vs. what we will build with this immediate project?
You may provide a description of both, but your focus should be on what the funds from the award would enable you to do.
How can I make my abstract more competitive?
Consider the following recommendations:
  • Focus on the competitive priorities for your selected track.
  • Prioritize your tool’s alignment to learning engineering principles. See more on learning engineering here.
  • Ensure that you thoroughly describe your tool. It is crucial for reviewers to gain a clear understanding of what your tool is, how it works, what technology powers the tool, how users interact with it, etc.
Do we need to wait until the funding is issued to start developing the tool?
You can start building the tool or functionality, but there is no promise of funding.
Where do I learn more about learning engineering?
Visit the learning engineering page on our website to understand how competitors can prioritize learning engineering in their abstracts and proposals, gain an introduction to learning engineering, see examples in practice, and more.
You can also join the Learning Engineering Google Group for news, upcoming events, and funding opportunities.

Award Levels & Budget

Which award level should I apply for?
The competition is designed to be inclusive and support talent and ideas at all stages of development. As such, competitors can compete at one of three award levels:
  • Catalyst ($50,000): for early stage ideas or products
  • Growth ($150,000): for products with some users and scale
  • Transform ($300,000): for established platforms with 10,000 or more users

Complete the eligibility quiz to determine which award level best fits your proposal.

What can the product of a Catalyst level proposal look like?
Tools in the catalyst phase will look different and be at varying stages of development. The product of your proposal may be an MVP or a prototype, or you may still be in the ideation phase and taking steps towards these goals as a result of your proposal.
If I have 10,000 or more users, am I required to compete in the Transform award level?
No, you are not required to compete in the Transform award level. You are welcome to compete at a lower award level if you believe that the idea is in an earlier stage of development.
How can I be considered for the Implementation Impact Prize?
Eligibility for the Implementation Impact prize may differ by track and award level. Please refer to the track specific pages for more information.
Competitors across all tracks that indicate interest in being considered for the Implementation Impact Prize will complete additional requirements when submitting their Phase II proposal.
How can I be considered for the OpenAI Learning Impact Prize?
Eligibility for the OpenAI Learning Impact Prize may differ by award level. In addition, eligible tools must build on OpenAI’s platform. Please refer to the track specific pages for more information.
Competitors across all tracks that indicate interest in being considered for the OpenAI Learning Impact Prize will complete additional requirements when submitting their Phase II proposal.
What is the budget period for the award?
Note: Budgets are required from Phase II of the competition only. There is no definitive time period for the award. It is recommended that awarded proposals demonstrate significant progress by Product Review Day in Fall 2024 to receive the second installment of funds. This progress will be measured against the timeline for execution outlined in the proposal.
What are the conditions for the funding?
The funding is structured as a grant that will be paid in two installments. 50% will be paid after winners are announced. The remaining 50% may be paid after Product Review Day, where organizers will assess if the winner has made sufficient progress based on their plan for execution.
Each entrant is responsible and liable for all international, Federal, state, and local taxes arising from any grant that may be awarded.
For non-US citizens, certain amounts may be withheld from the grant as required by tax laws, reducing the total amount received by winning Entrants. The Sponsor will determine the withholding percentage after winning Entrants submit appropriate tax forms.

Feedback & Evaluation

How will submissions be evaluated?
Submissions will be evaluated against others within the same track. Submissions at higher award levels will be subject to greater scrutiny. Reviewers will evaluate submissions based on eligibility requirements as well as criteria that vary across tracks and may include:
  • Potential impact and likelihood to improve learning
  • Attention to equity to support learning of historically marginalized populations
  • Demand from learners, educators, and families
  • Ability to support rapid experimentation and continuous improvement
  • Ability to scale to additional users and/or domains
  • Team passion, and readiness to execute

For more information on eligibility criteria, refer to the Official Rules. For additional details on what evaluation looks like during each phase of the competition, please refer to the Competition Overview.

Will the competition organizers provide support and feedback before the first submission deadline?

Yes! We will host one info session on October 3, 2023 at 11am Eastern Time, and two info sessions on October 12, 2023 at 10am Central European Time and 12pm Eastern Time. Register here for the sessions.

Additional avenues for support, including office hours, will be emailed out to our email list, so please make sure to sign up for updates here.

We also recommend joining the Learning Engineering Google Group. Opportunities for partnership and additional support are also frequently posted there.

What happens after the competition?

How will winners receive their awards?
Winners will receive their award by check or bank transfer in two installments.
Winners will receive the first installment soon after winning. Winners will receive the second installment of the award after Product Review Day if they are making sufficient progress on the plan they outlined in their Phase II proposal.
What is Product Review Day?
Winners will present their progress to peers and others in the field during a virtual Product Review Day to get feedback and perspective.
Are there any additional opportunities for funding or partnership if I am not selected as a winner?
Winners will receive the first installment soon after winning. Winners will receive the second installment of the award after Product Review Day if they are making sufficient progress on the plan they outlined in their Phase II proposal.
We also encourage your team, if not selected, to stay in touch with the organizers through ToolsCompetition@the-learning-agency.com and the Learning Engineering Google Group.
How is the impact of winning tools evaluated?

Competition organizers are eager to support winners and learn from their work to inform future resources for competitors and winners. To do so, all winners will participate in an impact study during which research advisors will work with you to incorporate new measures into your internal evaluation process. In addition, all winners will complete impact surveys data in the years after winning.

Interested in competing? Register for info sessions on October 3 or October 12 to learn more.
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