Submit concise, intriguing concepts to help NASA rename their Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation, a program that helps the agency and the government at large to generate ideas and solve important problems by working with global communities via challenges, crowdsourcing initiatives, and other innovative mechanisms.

For decades, NASA has been an integral part in helping solve tough, mission-critical problems. These missions span technological catergories in space, aeronautics, and beyond, and have been a strong influence in the advancement of many life-improving technologies in the modern world. The Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation (CoECI) has been NASA's valuable organization serving the NASA workforce and different government agencies to generate ideas and solve important problems by working with global communities via challenges, crowdsourcing initiatives, and other innovative mechanisms. Now, after a very successful launch and more than 15 years running, they are looking to update and simplify to a new, memorable name. In addition to CoECI, the new program name will encompass NASA’s Centennial Challenges as well as NASA’s Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing program overall.

The goal of this campaign, using Tongal's own crowdsourcing platform, is to ideate new potential names and taglines for CoCEI that feel intriguing, active, clear, and concise. Specifically, NASA wants the new program name to be 1 to 2 words after "NASA" that include an actionable verb, such as "NASA Spark." The name itself should evoke a certain feeling of creation, innovation and ingenuity — something that pushes the boundaries of what people normally think of when it comes to NASA while, also catching one's attention with its simplicity. Importantly, they're NOT looking for a new acronym, or even something that could be an acronym. The program's strength is in connecting people (inside and outside of NASA) to help generate ideas and solve problems, so we want to aim for accessible as opposed to granular here.

The tagline itself is also a key part of this challenge, and it should be a brief phrase — not a full sentence — that helps to define the mission of the program. When formally presented, the program might appear with both the name and tagline, and the tagline will help to give more definition and scope to the name. While it might be harder to communicate the idea of connection or community in the name, the tagline may be a good place for language that speaks to those concepts and collaboration.

An ideal name should look to avoid space-centric themes. If your name and tagline do have a space or aeronautics angle to it, you'll want to be sure that they involve words with multiple possible meanings that can encompass more than just those categories. Though "innovation" and "center of excellence" are key ideological staples behind the programs at NASA, these are words we want to avoid. Instead, NASA's much more interested in actionable verbs that can give the program a more dynamic and flexible feel to it. Finally, the name “NASA Spark” and other existing program names at NASA should be avoided.

There is a careful balance that needs to be struck with the name: it must convey the responsibility and reliability of a NASA program that empowers the agency and the government at large, while evoking the exciting and creative possibilities that the program offers. Should it be helpful, you can browse through some of the challenges that CoCEI has run for NASA or for other government agencies. 

For your submission, we'd like to know about the inspiration behind your idea too. What does your proposed program name make you think of when you hear it? Why do you think it could work for NASA? Where did your idea derive from? Any additional context that helps support the strength of your title, we want to hear it! For any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.

EXPOSURE: We expect content will be used on the platforms below.

• NASA website and web presence overall
• NASA internal platforms

TARGET AUDIENCE: 

• Primary: NASA employees (e.g. engineers, scientists, etc) and government agencies
• Secondary: People curious about NASA, public at large, innovators and subject matter experts from any sector

TONE/FEEL: Intriguing, innovative, active, concise

AI USAGE: We are NOT looking for AI-generated submissions or content in this project.

By participating in this project, creators acknowledge that the Sponsor is under no obligation to greenlight a submission. Though most projects do move forward, we'll notify you in the event the Sponsor decides not to fund any submissions via the Project Forum. Regardless of the result, all submissions will be reviewed and evaluated by the Sponsor and project team.

More information about CoECI can be found at their website.

In order to be considered for this project, you must include the below materials in your submission.

• NAME IDEA & TAGLINE (REQUIRED): Tell us your name and tagline concept using up to 250 characters.
  
  
• INSPIRATION (REQUIRED): Tell us what inspired your Concept. It could be anything, there's no wrong answer, and it won't impact your chances of selection. Whether it's an existing trend, a word that could have multiple meanings, a generational perspective of NASA, a space-related movie trope, a shower thought, or that new best selling novel, we're just trying to get a sense of what's influencing creative decisions. 
  
  

Five concept submissions will be selected and receive $300 each. Five additional concept submissions will be selected for Honorable Mentions and will receive $50 each. Submissions selected for Honorable Mention will not be used by the client, and not all submissions identified as Finalists will receive an Honorable Mention.

Should your submission be selected, you must complete the Winner Affidavit and IP Assignment forms in order to receive payment. All submitters will also receive an automated email notification when a selection has been announced. To ensure that you’re receiving project updates, review your email settings to check that you haven't unsubscribed.

1. Unless provided otherwise, all work must be your own original creation and free of any copyrighted material. You shall provide detailed information of your work regarding the source, the creator and background information as requested by Tongal.
   
   
2. BY SUBMITTING A VIDEO ENTRY, YOUR SUBMISSION IMMEDIATELY BECOMES THE SOLE PROPERTY OF TONGAL OR ITS ASSIGNEES - SEE OFFICIAL RULES FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT OWNERSHIP OF ENTRIES. YOU MAY NOT PUBLICLY SHARE OR PUBLISH YOUR SUBMISSION IN ANY MANNER AND YOU MAY NOT POST OR UPLOAD YOUR SUBMISSION TO ANY WEBSITE OR VIDEO HOSTING SITE (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE OR VIMEO), WITHOUT THE PRIOR EXPRESS WRITTEN CONSENT OF TONGAL. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS REQUIREMENT MAY RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION OF YOUR ENTRY IN THE PROJECT.
   
   
3. You may not contact any employees or members of the Sponsor's organization, their affiliates, or any of their partners. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in disqualification of your entry in the project.
   
   
4. In addition to the judging criteria stated in the OFFICIAL RULES, Pitches will also be evaluated on that member's ability to execute the final Video based on their prior work and experience as a creator.
   
   
5. Submissions must be in the English language or subtitled.
   
   
6. Submissions must not portray Sponsor in a negative way, the determination of which will solely reside with Sponsor, nor can Submissions contain any profanity, offensive language, nudity or otherwise objectionable material, the determination of which is solely at the discretion of Sponsor.
   
   
7. You must be at least thirteen (13) years or older to enter.
   
   
8. The Sponsor reserves the right to repost the contest.
   
   
9. See OFFICIAL RULES for additional contest information, terms and conditions. If there is any conflict or inconsistency between these requirements and the Official Rules, the terms and conditions of these requirements shall prevail.