The Navy is launching its first Navy-wide Sustainment Data Challenge and is seeking Navy workforce volunteers to form a challenge team that will develop solutions impacting the future of Navy readiness. The application period is open through Jan. 8, 2019.

“Creativity is authorized and highly encouraged. Get involved to develop innovative solutions so that we can build and sustain the Navy the Nation Needs,” said Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition James F. Geurts.

“The Sustainment Data Challenge is focused on leveraging our combined talents to radically improve how we use data and modelling to improve readiness in support of our National Defense Strategy,” said Geurts. "This new approach to solving these complex problems accelerate the pace of positive change and leverage new sources of innovation and talent.”

Sponsored by Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Research, Development and Acquisition (ASN RDA), Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV) and the Office of the Chief Management Officer (DON OCMO), the challenge is to develop prototype predictive system-of-systems analytical model(s) to identify future program sustainment requirements and resources that consider dynamic operational scenarios to achieve Navy readiness goals. The ability to apply, scale and extend the solutions to additional Navy programs is anticipated.

Modeling future sustainment needs for a weapon system from a variety of disparate systems is no trivial challenge. The Navy has a wealth of historical sustainment data, and a workforce willing and able to solving complex problems.

This Sustainment Data Challenge will use crowd-sourcing to leverage historical data, existing structures and workforce experience to tackle the disparate data sources that generate Navy program sustainment resource plans. It brings together data scientists and data engineers to get hands-on experience predicting sustainment resources by generating models and candidate solutions over the course of four months.

If interested in participating, organize and apply as a team by Jan. 8, 2019. Teams will attend a virtual kickoff event to gather context, rules, starting data sets and will have access to subject matter experts. Teams will submit checkpoint progress briefs as scheduled and one of the checkpoints may be used to down-select amongst the teams. Finalist teams will present proposed solutions and demonstrate a data model at the May summit. The summit location is still being finalized.  

Judges will name a winner(s) at the summit conclusion. The incentive for teams to participate is an opportunity to inform future sustainment planning models and data science within the Navy.

Travel costs for finalist teams to attend the May summit will be covered by the challenge event sponsors. The summit provides a number of learning and networking opportunities. Senior leaders in ASN(RDA) and OPNAV will be among the judges for the summit. Winning and finalist teams have the potential for their prototype solution to result in funding and follow-on tasking.

Key Data Challenge Dates:

• Applications due: Jan. 8, 2019 
• Kickoff: Jan. 30, 2019
• Checkpoint 1: Feb. 28, 2019
• Checkpoint 2: March 28, 2019
• Project submission: May 2, 2019
• Summit start: June 3, 2019

For more information, visit http://go.usa.gov/xPm7y or email NAVAIR_IBC.gm@navy.mil.