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COMPETITION RULES AND REGULATIONS

PURPOSE: The $25,000 Homeland Security Award is designed to encourage and promote "cutting edge" innovation in the homeland security area to provide incentive for continuing research.

ELIGIBILITY:

1) This is a competition NOT a grant application. The Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation, herein known as the Foundation, is asking individuals and companies to compete with each other to develop new concepts or inventions that will bring homeland security and stability to America and Americans, whether against threats from natural or man-made disasters, terrorists or cyberspace criminals.

2) Nominations must demonstrate innovative thinking that has or will lead to creative work, process, product or other achievement in the homeland security area that has or will make a significant and beneficial impact on society. There must be substantial evidence presented as to the impact.

3) Candidates/companies must be United States citizens/companies and be permitted, by their employer or any other relevant authority, to accept a $25,000 award bestowed by the Foundation, a Federal government agency.

4) The award may be taxable income to the recipient. All tax liabilities are the sole responsibility of the winner. All Federal, State and local laws and regulations apply.

5) The winner must attend the awards ceremony on TBA, in Washington, DC. in order to receive the award. Anyone who cannot attend the award ceremony will automatically be disqualified.

6) All Nominations are received online at: www.ccolumbusfoundationawards.org. The deadline for submissions is May 29, 2009.

7) The Foundation reserves the right to cancel or change the Homeland Security Award competition at any time at its full discretion.

SELECTION PROCESS:

1) The Nomination must demonstrate innovative thinking that has or will lead to creative work, process, product or other achievement in the homeland security area that has or will make a significant and beneficial impact on society. There must be substantial evidence presented as to the impact.

2) This is a competition, NOT a grant process. All Nominations submitted that are seeking grant money, money for education, or funds for innovations that have nothing to do with homeland security will be disqualified immediately. Individuals and companies will be competing with each other over the development of new concepts or inventions that will bring security to America. One Nomination in the competition will be selected to receive the $25,000 award. Please read the Eligibility qualifications before submitting a Nomination. Only Nominations containing new "cutting edge" ideas for homeland security will be judged.

3) All Nominations shall be categorized and submitted based on five fields as follows: a) Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Chemical and Explosive Attacks; b) Border and Transportation Security; c) Emergency Responses to Natural and Man-Made Disasters; d) Cyber Security and Information Sharing; and e) Other. These fields are used solely for categorizing Nominations. The winner may be chosen from any of the fields.

4) The entry must depict, through achievement, the Foundation's purpose and mission of benefiting mankind.

5) The Foundation's Board of Trustees, herein known as the Board, will review all Nominations and select the semifinalists. A panel of national Evaluators will rank the semifinalists, and the Board will select the individual/company to win the 2009 $25,000 Homeland Security Award. The winner will be selected based upon the qualifications criteria and nomination material without regard to age, gender, race or religion.

6) Any Nomination that does not meet the above stated qualifications will be disqualified.

APPLICATION MATERIALS:

1) If a Nomination is selected as a semifinalist, the Nominator will be notified and asked to provide copies of supporting materials.

2) All Nominations and materials submitted in connection with the Homeland Security Award and any reproductions made therefrom, shall be solely, exclusively and entirely the property of the Foundation and shall not be returned.

3) The Foundation shall have the sole and exclusive right to use, and permit others to use, the above stated Nomination and materials, including the candidate/company name, likeness, and other biographical promotions, news releases and advertising in connection with either present or future Foundation programs or similar programs or awards. All materials submitted become the property of the Foundation without any compensation to the candidate, but the Foundation does not claim ownership of the "intellectual property" submitted.