Prize Competitions
EMPOWER Prize Competition
Accelerate Living Donation.
Total prize amount:$4Million
The KidneyX Empower: Living Link Prize Challenge Competition, seeks to develop informational resources, care models, and technological interventions designed to empower prospective donors, clinicians caring for them, people with kidney diseases, and their families
Overview
The KidneyX EMPOWER Prize Challenge, a $4 million initiative, is directly addressing the critical gaps in living kidney donation. Kidney transplant is the gold standard for treating kidney failure, yet living donation has remained virtually flat for approximately two decades at fewer than 7,000 per year. This stagnation is set against a dire need, as nearly 100,000 Americans are currently waitlisted for a kidney transplant, and tragically, more than 10 Americans die each day while waiting.
Furthermore, the reliance on less effective treatments creates a significant burden for the taxpayer. By seeking bold, practical solutions to improve awareness and readiness, and overcome educational, logistical, administrative, and other barriers— specifically addressing the suboptimal support for prospective and actual living donors—the challenge aims to dramatically increase living kidney donation and improve outcomes for those suffering from kidney failure.
Innovative Solutions, Two Tracks
Track A: Solutions in Practice
For interventions already piloted or active. Prepare your impact data and “Implementation Playbook” to demonstrate how your model can scale nationwide. This track requires:
- Narrative (Max 1,500 words)
- Impact Data
- Human Co-Design Statement
- Implementation Guide (“Playbook”)
Track B: Scalable Prototypes
For high-fidelity digital tools or care models ready for pilot testing. Focus on your functional beta version, wireframes, and compliance plan. This track requires:
- Narrative (Max 1,500 words)
- Evidence of Potential Efficacy (Functional beta/wireframes or standardized protocols)
- For Digital Tools: A functional beta version or detailed wireframes, including a technical architecture diagram.
- For Care Models: A complete set of standardized protocols, screening instruments, or decision-support tools.
- Path to Implementation (Milestone-based timeline)
- Compliance Plan (Addressing Section 508 accessibility and FIPS 199 security standards)
Submission & Eligibility
General Requirements
- Registration: Participants must register on the Challenge website.
- Compliance: Participants must comply with all requirements, deadlines, and submission guidelines.
- Citizenship: Individuals must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States.
- Organizational Status: Organizations must be an entity incorporated in and maintaining a primary place of business in the United States or its territories.
Restrictions and Conflicts of Interest
- Individuals shall not be a federal employee acting within the scope of their employment, or an employee of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) acting in their personal capacity.
- Challenge Contractors or their immediate family members (spouse, parent, step-parent, child, or step-child) are not eligible to be a judge of the Challenge.
Legal and Administrative Rules
- Participants may not use federal funds (from a grant, cooperative agreement, or contract) to develop their Challenge submissions.
- Participants agree to assume any and all risks and waive claims against the federal government, except in the case of willful misconduct.
- Participants are not required to obtain liability insurance or indemnify the federal government.
- Participants warrant they are the sole author/owner of the submission or have the right to use/improve existing work, and that the submission does not infringe any third-party rights.
- Participants grant HHS an irrevocable, paid-up, royalty-free nonexclusive worldwide license to reproduce, publish, post, link to, share, and display the submission publicly.
- Participants retain all other intellectual property rights.
- Winning a cash prize is contingent upon completing and submitting all required winner verification and payment documents within 10 business days of formal notification.
- Participants under 18 years of age must have signed permission from a parent or legal guardian to participate and to accept a cash prize.
Resources for Entrants
Stay tuned for information regarding Informational Webinars to learn more about the challenge including submission requirements and eligibility.
Start Preparing Your Solution.
Seeking scalable interventions to bridge the gap between considering donation to giving the gift of life through kidney donation.
