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Competition Rules

Competition Rules

The Open Societal Challenges Competition – 2024

1. Introduction

The Open Societal Challenges Programme at the Open University is a research initiative that aims to tackle some of the most important challenges of our time through impact-driven research. The Programme's aim is to apply the research excellence of OU academics to some of the most pressing societal challenges facing people across the UK and worldwide to transform lives. The Programme’s focus on the themes of Tackling Inequalities, Living Well, and Sustainability aligns with our mission to be open to people, places, methods and ideas. More information on the Programme is available at Open Societal Challenges.

The OSC Programme at the Open University is running a competition open to OU students, UK charities, and Milton Keynes businesses to find the most exciting research ideas tackling real-world problems. The competition is open between 1st March 2024 and 15th May 2024, and winners will be announced by the 31st October 2024.

2. Eligibility Criteria

2.a Current Undergraduate Students

Open University current full-time and part-time undergraduate students in any course are eligible to apply. Entrants must be current residents of the UK, and must be over the age of 18. Entrants must not already hold a postgraduate degree in a subject that is relevant to their entry.

2.b Current Postgraduate Students

Open University current full-time and part-time postgraduate students in any taught or research course are eligible to apply. Entrants must be current residents of the UK, and must be over the age of 18.

For research postgraduate students, entries must not be directly related to their research project. PhD students must obtain permission from their supervisor ahead of entering the competition. Entries must have been developed independently of the student’s supervisor.

2.c Recent Graduates

Individuals who are within 3 years of graduation from an OU undergraduate or postgraduate course are eligible to apply. Entrants must be current residents of the UK, and must be over the age of 18. Entrants must not be currently engaged in a research postgraduate course at any HEI in the UK or abroad. Entrants must not have been engaged in any research position at any HEI in the UK or abroad for over 12 months since graduating. For research postgraduates who have recently graduated, entries must not be directly related to their research project and have been developed independently of their supervisor.

2.d UK Charities

All UK registered Charities are eligible to enter. Each Charity must nominate a contact person, who must be an employee, trustee or volunteer of the Charity. The nominated contact person must be a resident of the UK, and over 18 years of age. The nominated contact person cannot also enter the competition as a current or recent OU student.

UK Charity entries must be directly related to the work and mission of the Charity.

2.e Milton Keynes Businesses

Entries are welcome from businesses with a home office or local branch in the Milton Keynes area (as defined as belonging to one of the Milton Keynes postcodes as detailed here). Challenges submitted by Milton Keynes businesses must be tackling real-world problems using technology and data and should have a direct impact on the community or future of Milton Keynes. Each business must nominate a contact person, who must be an employee of the business. The nominated contact person must be a resident of the UK, and over 18 years of age. The nominated contact person cannot also enter the competition through any other stream.

3. Submission Deadline

Entries can be submitted from the 1st March 2024 to the 15th May 2024. Finalists will be announced by the 28th June 2024, and Winners will be announced by 31st October 2024.

4.Entry Format

Participants can enter the OSC Competition using the Online Form at Open Societal Challenges. Entries are classified into 4 separate streams: OU undergraduate students (or recent graduates), OU postgraduate student (or recent graduates), UK Charities, and Milton Keynes businesses.

5. Submission Process and Requirements

5a. Online Submission

Online submissions must be completed at Open Societal Challenges. While the competition is open to all submissions, the Open Societal Challenges Team is especially keen to receive submissions in the broad thematic areas of Tackling inequalities, Living Well, Sustainability, and International Development. Specifically, the following areas are some where the Open Societal Challenges community holds specific expertise:  

  • Sustainability and Climate Change
  • Disabilities
  • Machine learning and AI
  • International development
  • Justice and democracy
  • Health
  • Nature
  • Transportation
  • Relationships and Sex Education

Questions differ for the four competition streams (OU undergraduate students, OU postgraduate students, UK Charities, and Milton Keynes businesses). Common questions are:

Please summarise the real-world problem you are trying to solve

In 100 words or less, please summarise the real-world problem you wish to focus on for your entry. At the Open Societal Challenges, we are interested in problems across the spectrum, from local issues to global questions. Please try to refrain from excessively broad problems (e.g. ‘world hunger’) and equally try to stay away from overly specific issues (e.g. lack of public service provision in the Northstowe development in Cambridgeshire).

What should OU research teams aim to do to tackle the problem?

Researchers aim to tackle real-life problems in several ways. Examples include:


We do not expect entries to come up with a specific research plan, but we are interested in your ideas for how researchers can help with the real-life issues that matter to you.  

Who should OU researchers work with when tackling this problem?

Please identify any stakeholders or affected groups, relevant organisations, companies, communities and members of the public. At the Open University, we are committed to open and accessible research and to bringing people along with us on the journey.

(for UK Charity stream only) How does the proposed research Challenge relate to the work of your Charity?

Please briefly outline how your entry relates to the work or mission of your Charity. This is also where you can outline any pieces of work your Charity is currently undertaking that might be relevant to your entry. We aim to co-design the winning research project with the winning Charity, and we are very much interested in any insight and plans you may have already made.

(for Milton Keynes businesses only) How does the proposed research Challenge relate to your business?

Please briefly outline how your entry relates to your business. This is also where you can outline any pieces of work you are currently undertaking that might be relevant to your entry, with a specific focus on any data you might have collected or be in the process of collecting.

5b. Finalists

Finalists will be selected by the Open Societal Challenges Team for all three streams. Finalists will be notified by email by the 28th June 2024.

The criteria for judging Finalist entries are:

  • Is the entry tackling a real-world problem of relevant scale?
  • Does the entry outline a viable research approach to the problem?
  • Does the proposed Challenge fall within the 3 Themes of the OU Open Societal Challenges Programme (Sustainability, Tackling Inequalities, and Living Well)?

Finalists may be required to record a 3-minute ‘elevator pitch’ video, or to attend an in-person pitching event at the Open University Campus in Milton Keynes. All finalist entries will be brought for discussion to the Open University research community, to look for common ground with researcher interests and availabilities.

All finalist entries will be published on the Open Societal Challenges Online Platform. Finalists can choose to withdraw their entry from the Platform at any time. Finalists will be able to use the Open Societal Challenges Online Platform to take their ideas forward regardless of competition outcomes, and are welcome to use their Challenge Page on the Platform to make connections with potential research partners at the Open University and beyond.

5c. Winners

At least one winner will be selected from each stream. Winners will be notified by email by the end of October 2024, and may be invited to an in-person award ceremony.

The Open Societal Challenges team will present all finalist entries to the Open University Research Community, with the aim to attract research teams around specific entries. Winners will be selected by the Open Societal Challenges Citizen Advisory Panel1, and Academic Leads among the entries that have attracted a Challenge Team.

Winners will be entitled to prizes and recognition in line with Section 6 of the Terms of Reference.

6. Prizes and Recognition

6a. OU undergraduate student stream

1- A paid 3-month internship for the main applicant with the OU research team that has taken up the Challenge.

  • Internships will be available either virtually or in person where possible and will include access to research training and development opportunities. The Open University will not be coving travel or relocation costs for interns.
  • Internships must be started within 6 months of winners being announced (further flexibility may be possible on a case-by-case basis)
  • Internships will be paid at the applicable rate for OSC Interns (currently £15.54 per hour)
  • Internships will be available both on a full-time or part-time basis

2- A commitment from the Open Societal Challenges Programme that the Challenge will receive a baseline of £25,000 in pump-prime funding following the OSC processes and procedures.

6b. OU postgraduate student stream

1- A paid 6-month internship for the main applicant with the OU research team that has taken up the Challenge.

  • Internships will be available either virtually or in person where possible and will include access to research training and development opportunities. The Open University will not be coving travel or relocation costs for interns.
  • Internships must be started within 6 months of winners being announced (further flexibility may be possible on a case-by-case basis)
  • Internships will be paid at the current rate for OSC Interns of £15.54 per hour
  • Internships will be available both on a full-time or part-time basis

2- A commitment from the Open Societal Challenges Programme that the Challenge will receive a baseline of £25,000 in pump-prime funding following the OSC processes and procedures.

6c. UK Charity stream

1- A paid 3-month internship with the Challenge team with the intent to build long-term research capacity within the winning Charity.

  • Internships will be available either virtually or in person where possible and will include access to research training and development opportunities.
  • Internships must be started within 6 months of winners being announced (further flexibility may be possible on a case-by-case basis)
  • Internships will be paid at the current rate for OSC Interns of £15.54 per hour
  • Internships will be available both on a full-time or part-time basis
  • The internship can be taken up by an employee, volunteer, or trustee of the Charity

2- Regardless of whether charity staff are able to undertake the research internship, a commitment from the OU research team to co-design and co-deliver the proposed research programme, thus building research capacity within the winning charity.

3- A commitment from the Open Societal Challenges Programme that the Challenge will receive a baseline of £25,000 in pump-prime funding following the OSC processes and procedures.

6b. Milton Keynes businesses

1- A commitment from the OU research team to co-design and co-deliver the proposed research programme.

2- A commitment from the Open Societal Challenges Programme that the Challenge will receive a baseline of £25,000 in pump-prime funding following the OSC processes and procedures. The winning business(es) must commit to support the Challenge either by match-funding work or by providing in-kind support (including but not limited to staff time, use of proprietary technology, data, or equipment and use of facilities to be agreed upon on an individual basis before the start of the research programme).

7. Rights and Permissions

7a. Privacy Notice

By entering the competition, entrants agree to the OSC Privacy Notice and agree to have their names published on the Open Societal Challenges Online Platform.

7b. Publication and promotion

Entrants grant the Open Societal Challenges team the right to publish, showcase, or promote entries under Creative Commons Licence CC-BY-NC

8. Rules and Regulations

8a. Entry Limits

Entries are limited to one entry per business or Charity.  

8b. Originality

Entries must be the original work of the entrant and should not infringe upon any third-party copyrights or intellectual property rights. The Open University will not be responsible for any entries that infringe third party intellectual property rights. 

8c. Plagiarism and Attribution

All entries will be scanned for plagiarism. Any form of plagiarism is in breach of the competition’s code of conduct and will result in disqualification. Generative AI use is allowed provided it follows Open University guidelines.

8d. Language

All entries must be written in English. We encourage entrants to produce text in plain English, keep to word limits and to make entries accessible to non-specialists in their field.

8e. Proprietary Information

Please do not include any proprietary or commercially sensitive information in entries. The Open University will not be responsible for any proprietary or commercially sensitive information made available to use as part of a competition entry. 

8.f Intellectual Property

Any OU Intellectual Property (IP) in existence prior to the start of the competition will remain the property of the OU. Any Entrant IP in existence prior to the start of the competition will remain the property of the entrant. The ownership and rights to any new IP created as a result of a funded internship or research project will be agreed on a case-by-case basis.  

8g. Disqualification

The Open Societal Challenges Team will disqualify any entries that are in any way in breach with the competition’s code of conduct, or that have been authored by entrants who are not eligible (see ‘2. Eligibility Criteria’). Late or incomplete entries will also be automatically disqualified.  

8h. Code of Conduct

All entrants are expected to conduct themselves in a respectful and fair manner throughout the duration of the competition. The following code of conduct outlines the expected behaviour: 

  • Respect: Entrants are expected to treat competition organizers, judges, fellow entrants, and the broader community with respect and courtesy. Disruptive or disrespectful behaviour, including but not limited to harassment, bullying, or discrimination, will not be tolerated. 
  • Fair Play: Entrants are expected to participate in the competition with fairness and integrity. Cheating, fraud, or any form of unethical behaviour, including plagiarism or misrepresentation, will result in disqualification. 
  • Compliance: All entries must comply with the competition rules, including eligibility and submission requirements. Failure to adhere to the rules may result in disqualification. 
  • Privacy: Entrants are expected to respect the privacy of others. Do not share personal information about yourself or others, and do not engage in activities that compromise the security or privacy of fellow participants. 
  • Dispute Resolution: Any concerns or disputes related to the competition should be reported to the Open Societal Challenges team and will be addressed according to the terms outlined in the Competition Rules.  

Failure to abide by this code of conduct may result in disqualification, as determined by the Open Societal Challenges team. 

8j. Modifications to the Competition Rules

The Open Societal Challenges team reserves the right to modify the Competition Rules at any time during the course of the competition. Entrants will be immediately informed of any changes via email.  

8k Liability and Indemnity

  • The Open University, including their officers, employees, agents, and partners, shall not be liable for any loss, injury, or damage, whether direct, indirect, consequential, or incidental, arising out of or in connection with participation in this competition or acceptance and use of any prizes or awards. 
  • Entrants agree to indemnify and hold harmless The Open University from any claims, demands, actions, or causes of action by third parties, including, but not limited to, intellectual property infringement claims related to the entrant's submission. 
  • Entrants are responsible for any taxes, fees, or other obligations arising from winning this competition. The Open University are not responsible for any tax implications related to the receipt of prizes or awards. 
  • The Open University does not assume any responsibility for technical problems, including but not limited to, technical malfunctions of computer systems, servers, or software, traffic congestion on the internet, or any combination thereof, which may affect the submission or receipt of entries.