Judging & Awards Guide

While awards are an exciting and compelling reason to participate in the NASA International Space Apps Challenge, we like to start by reminding everyone that NASA Space Apps is, at its core, a collaborative event — not a competitive one. We hope that participants have the opportunity to learn, grow, and share. We celebrate all of your ideas and efforts, whether you receive an award or not.

Please consider the goals of NASA Space Apps 2024 as you form your teams and craft your proposed solutions:

• To inspire collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking
• To foster interest in Earth and space science and exploration
• To raise awareness of NASA and Space Agency Partners’ data around the world
• To encourage growth and diversity of the next generation of scientists, technologists, designers, engineers, and artists

All participants that submit a project on the website by the deadline will receive a certificate of participation

For a step-by-step video about the Judging & Awards process, check out Navigating the Hackathon: Judging & Awards.

To be eligible to advance to Global Judging from either a Local Event or the Universal Event, your team and/or project must meet certain requirements. See the 2024 NASA Space Apps Challenge Project Submission Guide for step-by-step details on how to submit your project. Here is a list of the minimum requirements:

• Respond to one of the official 2024 NASA Space Apps challenges. Please note: Projects submitted to “Create Your Own Challenge” will not be eligible for Global Judging.
  
• Ensure that all team members are registered for the 2024 NASA Space Apps Challenge, have chosen a Local Event (and are not waitlisted), and appear on the Members tab of your Team’s page. Teams will not be able to add new members after project submission has closed. The maximum number of team members allowed is six, and the minimum is one.
  
• Complete all of the required fields on the Project Submission page.
  
• Use English language on the project submission page and in any linked materials. Exception: If your team chooses to create a video for the Project Demo, you can speak in another language. However, it MUST include English language subtitles.
  
• Submit your project by navigating to the project tab on your team page, click edit, and then "submit" by Sunday, October 6 at 11:59 PM local time, in accordance with the local time of the Local Event of your Team Owner. Exception: If your team is registered for the Universal Event, your project must be submitted in accordance with the local time of the Team Owner who created your team. Contact your Local Lead if you have questions about the deadline for your Local Event.
• Agree to and check the box on the project submission page that says: "I have read and understand the project submission requirements as contained in the NASA Space Apps Project Submission Guide, and I agree to the Participant Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy."
• Agree to and check the box on the project submission page that says: "I confirm that the submitted project represents my team’s original work and that all external resources including code, text and images (even if they are open source or freely available) used in the project are listed in the References field of the project submission form. In creating our solution, my team has not used any copyrighted materials (i.e., music, images, text, etc.) that we don’t have permission to use."
• In accordance with NASA’s China funding restriction policy, teams will undergo review for prohibited bilateral activity with the People’s Republic of China (PRC), or a PRC-owned company, in order to be determined eligible to participate in the Global Judging round of NASA Space Apps. “PRC or PRC-owned Company" means any department, agency, or instrumentality of the government of the People's Republic of China and any governmental subdivision thereof, including Hong Kong and Macau, any company owned by the People's Republic of China, or any company, university, or similar institution incorporated under the laws of the People's Republic of China or governmental subdivision thereof, including Hong Kong and Macau. Determination of a team’s eligibility will be based on information provided by team members during registration. Please refer to the NASA Space Apps Terms and Conditions for PRC affiliation’s impact on eligibility to be recognized as a NASA Space Apps Global Winner.

In addition to the minimum requirements outlined above in the Eligibility for Global Judging section, Local, Global, and Executive Judges evaluate the projects according to the following standards:

• Influence: How much influence (quality and quantity) can this project have? Does it address a big problem or a little problem? Will it inspire or help many, or a few?
• Creativity: How creative/innovative is the approach? Is the project novel and something that hasn't been attempted before, or is it an incremental improvement on something that already exists?
• Validity: Is the proposed solution scientifically valid? Will it do what it sets out to do? Can it work in the real world?
• Relevance: Is this project responsive to the challenge for which it was submitted? Is it a complete project or does it have a long way to go? Is it technically feasible? How usable or user-friendly is the proposed solution?
• Presentation: How well did the team communicate their project? Were they effective in telling the story of the project: the challenge, the proposed solution, and why is it important?

While many NASA Space Apps Challenge teams consider the first four judging criteria carefully and excel at developing projects with great potential, remember to pay equal attention to the final criterion: presentation. We recommend devoting time and resources to developing your pitch and building a great story around your project. Be sure to recruit team members with a variety of skills, including expertise in storytelling, design, and other skills to help document your project and share the value of your proposed solution with the world.

Following the hackathon, Local Event and Universal Event judges will determine the projects that will advance to Global Judging, known as Global Nominees.

Global Nominees from both Local Events and the Universal Event will be announced via NASA Space Apps social media and appear on spaceappschallenge.org on October 29, 2024.

During Global Judging, all Global Nominees will be reviewed by a team of expert judges from NASA and the 2024 Space Agency Partners. Each project will be evaluated according to the judging criteria in this guide. These votes will determine the top teams, who will be known as the “Global Finalists.”

Global Finalists will be announced via NASA Space Apps social media and appear on spaceappschallenge.org on November 19, 2024. We will also recognize Honorable Mentions at this time. While not advancing to Executive Judging, Honorable Mentions were ranked highly by our Global Judges for their ingenuity and creativity.

The Global Finalists will be reviewed by an executive committee from NASA and the 2024 Space Agency Partners. These judges are agency leaders and executives with a variety of subject matter expertise. Each Global Finalist project will be evaluated by each executive judge. This committee will nominate teams for one of ten Global Awards:

• Best Use of Science: The project that makes the best and most valid use of the scientific method.
• Best Use of Data: The project that best makes space data accessible, or leverages it to a unique application.
• Best Use of Technology: The project that exemplifies the most innovative use of technology.
• Galactic Impact: The project with the most potential to improve life on Earth or in the universe.
• Best Mission Concept: The project with the most plausible concept and design.
• Most Inspirational: The project that captures our hearts.
• Best Storytelling Award: The project that most creatively communicates the potential of open data through the art of storytelling.
• Global Connection Award: The project that best connects people around the world through technology.
• Art & Technology Award: The project that most effectively combines technical and creative skills.
• Local Impact Award: The project that demonstrates the greatest potential for making a difference in their local community.

The team or individual that created the winning submission for each of the categories above will be known as the “Global Winners.” Global Winners will be announced via NASA Space Apps social media and appear on spaceappschallenge.org on January 16, 2025.

Global Winners will receive an invitation to the Winners Celebration, which may include a visit to a NASA Center or Facility for an award presentation. The Winners Celebration will provide participants an exclusive opportunities, such as engaging with NASA leaders, sharing their NASA Space Apps projects, and learning about exciting scientific developments across NASA.