Universities, Judges and Sponsors Attracted to CHDA National Security Innovation Competition 2011

WOODLAND PARK, CO, January 28, 2011 (Press-News.org) The fifth annual National Security Innovation Competition (NSIC) is attracting universities, a distinguished slate of judges and numerous private sector sponsors, according to organizers for the 2011 event.

"The competition is drawing interest from U.S. and Canadian universities with undergraduate and graduate students still having time to enter," according to Mark Volcheff, CHDA Executive Director.

"Due to the overwhelming response we have extended the deadline for entries, but February 23, 2011 is the deadline for white papers for students to compete," said Dr. Ron Scott, competition program director. The application is simple to complete and is located at the CHDA website. Students that are interested in competing should consult the CHDA website at http://www.coloradohda.org or contact Dr. Scott at (719) 481-3079.

Universities are not the only group that is contacting CHDA about the 2011 event. Interest is growing among judges and sponsors, according to CHDA officials. "The level of our judges at the chief scientist or national security policy leadership levels both in the federal government and private sector is extraordinary for an event that is only in its fifth year," Volcheff said.

Judges from the following organizations include: The Department of Homeland Security Science & Technology, the Department of Defense, the National Laboratories, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and United Stated Northern Command (USNORTHCOM). "We also invite a Fortune 50 defense and security company and a Federally Funded Research and Development Company to judge," Volcheff said. "This year we are proud to also have on the judging team the Aerospace Corporation and Raytheon as industry reps."

The Competition draws the best and brightest US and Canadian undergraduate and graduate level students conducting national and homeland security-related research. "As a result of the quality of the projects we have received early sponsor commitments and we appreciate them signing up so far in advance," Volcheff said.

Confirmed list of sponsors and partners to date include: Neumann Systems Group, the National Homeland Defense Foundation, Booz Allen Hamilton, the Canadian Consulate Denver, Raytheon; Homeland Security Solutions, LLC, the Colorado Springs, National Defense Industrial Association; the Rocky Mountain Technology Alliance, and the Air Force Academy Association of Graduates.

Judges assisting with the first round technical assessments include a wide range of experts from NORAD-USNORTHCOM, Air Force Space Command, the Aerospace Corporation, Boeing, Raytheon, L-3 Com, the Tauri Group, Camber Corporation, WBB Inc., Cubic Company, Brandgaus, Inc., Battelle Memorial Institute, Wyle, and Northrop Grumman.

Volcheff indicated that there still are opportunities for sponsorships. "Any additional resourcing that we receive only helps elevate the level of scholarships and activities for the event," he said. "Now is an important time to recognize science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) talent within our universities and colleges," Volcheff said.

The Colorado Homeland Defense Alliance (CHDA) and the Colorado Springs Technology Incubator will host the competition on April 29, 2011 at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

This year's event has spurred interest from OmniCompete, an organization that encourages global competition in several sectors to include security. "We are excited that they saw our efforts on a caliber of excellence that future competitions might be a collaborative affair," Volcheff said. "I am all about encouraging national security innovation worldwide to create jobs so hosting competitions with other organizations will be an effort we will review for 2012 and beyond," Volcheff said.

The competition involves two rounds. The first round involves a peer-review of white papers. The review then leads to the selections of up to 10 teams for oral presentations to a panel of national level judges on April 29.

Scholarship prizes are awarded to the top three finalists selected from a national level set of judges. More than $35,000 dollars have been awarded with the most ever dollars planned for the 2011 competition.

Topics can cover the full scope of national security. Previous entrants have introduced innovations in biometrics, UAVs, cyber security, infrastructure security, border security and first responder support systems.

"The purpose of the competition is to stimulate college undergraduate and graduate student interest to address national security problem solving by exposing their university-sponsored projects to a broad audience including industry, academic, and government organizations involved in aerospace, defense, security, and first responder activities," Scott said.

All submissions will be included in post-event Proceedings and circulated among federally funded research centers, industry, and government offices. "This is really a unique offering and we hope that it will attract more competitors," Scott said.

For more information about sponsorship contact CHDA at 719-685-7877. Fax: 719-685-7878. Email: info@coloradohda.org

About CHDA: Considered unique with strategic potential, the CHDA, as a nonprofit, is positioned to serve as a powerful engine for innovation by serving as a nexus among academia, the government, and industry. "The Alliance continues to build a strong network of forward thinking individuals committed to advancing security and prosperity in a world growing increasingly complex," said Volcheff. Visit http://www.coloradohda.org for more information.

For more information about the annual National Security Innovation Competition visit http://www.coloradohda.org.