Participants are permitted to submit more than one submission, as long as those submissions are scientifically distinct.

There is no exact number of expected participants on a team.  However, please keep in mind that submissions will be judged on the likelihood that a Participant, be it an individual or team, can carry out the development of the proposed technology.

As a participant, you can designate yourself or your employer as the recipient.  However, please keep in mind that the recipient of the prize must be incorporated in and maintain a primary place of business in the United States, and in the case of an individual, whether participating singly or in a group, shall be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States.

No, you cannot submit RNA-targeting technology that is already under development.  This Challenge functions to promote the development of NEW RNA-targeting technology, not support RNA-targeting technology already in process.

No, submissions to this Challenge do not count towards the NIH six application per year limit, as described in NOT-OD-25-132: Supporting Fairness and Originality in NIH Research Applications.

That is correct. If the federal funds are awarded to the institution, the most common situation, a submission that uses those funds must be submitted on behalf of the institution. From the rules on the challenge announcement: “Federal grantees and recipients of cooperative agreements or other transaction (OT) awards are eligible to participate in the Challenge but may not use Federal funds from a grant award, cooperative agreement, or OT award to develop their Challenge submission or to fund efforts in support of their Challenge submission unless use of such funds is consistent with the purpose, terms, and conditions of the grant award, cooperative agreement, or OT award. Each Participant (whether participating as a Team or Entity) intending to use Federal grant, cooperative agreement, or OT award funds must register for and participate in the Challenge as an entity on behalf of the awardee institution, organization, or entity. If a winning Participant uses Federal grant, cooperative agreement, or OT award funds to participate in the Challenge, the prize must be treated as program income for purposes of the original grant, cooperative agreement, or OT award in accordance with applicable Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards [2 CFR § 200]. Participants using Federal grant, cooperative agreement, or OT award funds to participate and/or report prize funding as program income (for winning Participants) should coordinate with the awarding official at the federal awarding agency.”

A budget is not required to be submitted for this challenge.

If you are a university/institute and submitting as an Entity, the point of contact must be an Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) for that university/institute.

Phase I is for ideation, if you have a technology that is already in the process of being developed or validated, it is not considered appropriate for Phase I.  In this situation, this technology is more appropriate for Phase II and should be submitted at this stage.  This type of situation is an example for why Phase II will be open not just to Phase I winners, but also the general public.

Preliminary data are not required - however, the submitter should include preliminary data if they are needed to justify aspects of the solution.