COMPETITION RULES AND REGULATIONS

PURPOSE:

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce supports American industry dedicated to protecting human health through the testing, manufacturing and marketing of biomedical products. As scientific innovation of biomedical products begins at the lab bench, the Chamber has formed a partnership with the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation, a Federal government agency with the mission of promoting and encouraging new discoveries, to recognize, through four monetary awards, one adult scientist; one current high school educator; and two current high school students who are judged to exemplify excellence in the field of life sciences.

ELIGIBILITY:

1. This is a competition NOT a grant application.  The Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation, herein known as the Foundation, is asking individuals to compete and their accomplishments are judged on how they exemplify excellence in life sciences. 
2. The 2012 Life Sciences Awards program shall present four awards as follows: Distinguished Life Sciences Scientist Award - Nominations for this award must demonstrate innovative thinking which will or recently has made a significant and positive contribution related to developing a "cutting edge" innovation in the field of life sciences.  Educator Award  - Nominations for this award must be current high school educators with at least five years of teaching experience, and who are making or have recently made significant and positive contributions related to promoting the study of life sciences to students. Student Awards - Nominations for these two awards must be current high school students who are making or have recently made significant and positive contributions related to the study of Biology, Chemistry and other life science courses.
3. Candidates must be United States citizens and be permitted to accept a monetary award bestowed by the Foundation, a Federal government agency. 
4. The awards may be taxable income to the recipients.  All tax liabilities are the sole responsibility of the winners.  All Federal, State and local laws and regulations apply.
5. The winners must attend the awards ceremony, date TBD, in Washington, D.C. in order to receive the award.  Anyone who cannot attend the awards ceremony will automatically be disqualified. 
6. All Nominations are a received online at: www.ccolumbusfoundationawards.org.  The deadline for Nominations is Tuesday, March 27, 2012.
7. The Foundation reserves the right to cancel or change the Life Sciences Awards competition at any time at its full discretion. 
8. Any Nomination that does not meet the above stated qualifications will be disqualified.

SELECTION PROCESS:

1. Nominations must demonstrate innovative thinking which will or recently has made a significant and positive contribution in the field of life sciences. 
2. This is a competition NOT a grant application.  All Nominations submitted that are seeking grant money, money for education, or funds for innovations not directly related to the field of life sciences  will be disqualified immediately.  Individuals will be competing and their accomplishments judged on how they exemplify excellence in life sciences.
3. All Nominations shall be categorized based on the three fields: a) Distinguished Life Sciences Scientist Award; b) Life Sciences Educator Award; and Life Sciences Student Awards. 
4. The Nominations much depict, through achievement, the Foundation's purpose and mission of benefitting mankind.
5. The Foundation's Board of Trustees, herein known as the Board, will review all Nominations and select the semifinalists for the three awards categories.  A panel of national Evaluators will rank the semifinalists, and the Board will select the winners for each award in the 2012 Life Sciences Awards.  The winners will be selected based upon the qualifications criteria and Nomination material without regard to age, gender, race or religion.

NOMINATION 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 Life Sciences Awards 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’s name, likeness, and other biographical information and 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, however, the Foundation does not claim ownership of the “intellectual property” submitted.

Questions? Contact Judith Shellenberger at judithmscolumbus@cs.com