NASA Beyond the Algorithm Challenge 2025 for U.S. ($300,000 prize pool) – YOA

Deadline: July 25, 2025

Applications are open for the NASA Beyond the Algorithm Challenge 2025. The NASA Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) seeks options to advanced Earth Science issues utilizing transformative or unconventional computing applied sciences resembling quantum computing, quantum machine studying, neuromorphic computing, or in-reminiscence computing.

Breakthrough computing strategies present promise in overcoming processing energy, effectivity, and efficiency limitations of typical computing strategies. Once absolutely harnessed, these strategies might rework many areas of American life. Rapid flood evaluation is one such space. Flood hazards have an effect on private security and land use initiatives, instantly affecting particular person livelihoods, neighborhood property, and infrastructure improvement and resilience. By starting to apply these new strategies in an Earth statement context, NASA is driving American management in pushing computing expertise frontiers.

The Challenge

Provide options or potential options to enhance flood water evaluation through the use of a number of unconventional computing methodology.

As a participant, they counsel to:

• Choose an viewers for your answer.
• Define an issue assertion and potential answer to greatest tackle your viewers’s want for fast flood evaluation.
• Select and outline a non-typical computing methodology computing (resembling quantum computing, quantum machine studying, neuromorphic computing, in-reminiscence computing, or different non-typical computing methodology) or hybrid strategy with conventional computing that exams your answer.  
• Align your quantitative and qualitative design and output to the Judging Criteria. Consider the knowledge obtainable to check your answer.
• Provide a 5-web page White Paper and a 2-3 minute video explaining your strategy.

Prizes

• $100,000 Prize: Up to 3 winners will obtain six-determine awards
• NASA Collaboration: Work instantly with Earth science leaders
• Real-World Impact: Protect communities by means of enhanced flood prediction
• Tech Leadership: Pioneer subsequent-era computing purposes
• Career Development: Gain mentorship and networking alternatives

Eligibility

• Individuals should be U.S. residents or everlasting residents of the United States and be 18 years of age or older.
• Organizations should be an entity integrated in and sustaining a main workplace in the United States.
• Teams should be comprised of in any other case eligible people or organizations and led by a U.S. Citizen or everlasting resident of the United States who is eighteen years of age or older.
• U.S. authorities staff might take part as long as they don’t seem to be performing inside the scope of their place, depend on no services, entry, personnel, data, or different sources which can be obtainable to them because of their employment besides for these sources made obtainable to all different contributors on an equal foundation.
• U.S. authorities staff taking part as people, or who submit purposes on behalf of an in any other case eligible group, can be accountable for making certain that their participation in the Challenge is permitted by the guidelines and rules related to their place and that they’ve obtained any authorization which may be required by advantage of their authorities place. Failure to take action might lead to the disqualification of them individually or of the entity which they characterize or by which they’re concerned.
• Foreign residents might solely take part as (i) staff of an in any other case eligible U.S. entity who reside in the U.S., (ii) full-time college students at an in any other case eligible U.S. college or school who reside in the U.S., or (iii) homeowners of lower than 50% of the pursuits in an in any other case eligible U.S. entity who reside in the U.S.
• Registered opponents shall be accountable for the actions of and compliance with the guidelines by their staff, subcontractors, officers, homeowners, and different affiliated individuals.

Application

• In Phase One, contributors will submit a brief 5-web page white paper and a 2 to three-minute video of their thought. Submissions can be evaluated per problem Judge Criteria. Approximately 3 weeks after the submission deadline, as much as 10 Finalists can be chosen to current their concepts to a panel of judges at a reside Pitch Event in September 2025.
• In Phase Two, Finalists will add any code options to GitHub or an identical code repository (if their answer consists of code) and current their concepts to a panel of judges at a reside Pitch Event. Up to 3 3 winners can be chosen, with every winner being awarded a $100,000 prize. Note that the possession and use of mental property arising from this competitors stays with you.
• In Phase Three, winners can be invited to attend a “Funding 101” webinar course. Additionally, winners can be contacted 12 months after Pitch Event completion for comply with up surveys on additional problem analysis improvement and implementation.

Click here to apply

For extra data, go to NASA Beyond the Algorithm Challenge.