Eligibility

Competition Goal:

Through the Department of Energy CyberForce Competition®, we aim to leverage the people, research and capabilities of the National Laboratory Complex by providing a competition that tests the next generation of cyber professionals’ ability to protect and defend energy-focused critical infrastructure.

Student (Blue Team) Eligibility:
  • Participants must be at least 18 years of age to participate.
  • Participants must be attending an accredited U.S. higher education institution.
  • Participants must be degree seeking: associates, undergraduate, graduate, and PhD.
  • Participants must be actively attending the institution they wish to represent.
  • Participants must be on a team of 4-6 individuals.
  • Once the competition has begun, a participant must complete the competition.
Successful teams will have:
  • A connection to an accredited cyber program.
  • A base knowledge in industrial control systems.
  • The ability to work together as a team.
  • The motivation and want to learn and try new things.
  • A passion to think outside the box for defensive measures.
  • A drive to provide innovative solutions.
To be eligible, you must satisfy the eligibility requirements set forth at Eligibility – Department of Energy’s CyberForce Program:
The following individuals are not eligible to participate:
  • Individuals publicly banned from doing business with the U.S. government, such as individuals debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participation in federal programs, are not eligible to compete.
  • Individuals identified as a restricted party on one or more screening lists of the U.S. Departments of Commerce, State, and Treasury are not eligible to compete. See the Consolidated Screening List at Consolidated Screening List: https://www.trade.gov/consolidated-screening-list.
Individuals participating in malign foreign talent recruitment programs[A] of foreign countries of risk[B] are not eligible to compete. Further, teams, including mentors, that include individuals participating in malign foreign talent recruitment programs of foreign countries of risk are not eligible to compete. I understand that I am providing this application to the Federal Government. I certify under penalty of perjury that I, named competitor, as applicable, meet the eligibility requirements for this competition and will comply with all other rules contained in the Official Rules document. My participation in the competition constitutes a deemed representation that I comply with the Official Rules document. I further represent that the information contained in the application is true and contains no misrepresentations. I understand false statements or misrepresentations to the Federal Government may result in civil and/or criminal penalties under 18 U.S.C. § 1001 and § 287, and 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-3733 and 3801-3812.

[A] A malign foreign talent recruitment program is any program, position, or activity that includes compensation in the form of cash, in-kind compensation, including research funding, promised future compensation, complimentary foreign travel, things of non de minimis value, honorific titles, career advancement opportunities, or other types of remuneration or consideration directly provided by a foreign country at any level (national, provincial, or local) or their designee, or an entity based in, funded by, or affiliated with a foreign country, whether or not directly sponsored by the foreign country, to the targeted individual, whether directly or indirectly stated in the arrangement, contract, or other documentation at issue, in exchange for the individual:

– engaging in the unauthorized transfer of intellectual property, materials, data products, or other nonpublic information owned by a United States entity or developed with a Federal R&D award to the government of a foreign country, or an entity based in, funded by, or affiliated with a foreign country regardless of whether that government or entity provided support for the development of the intellectual property, materials, or data products;
– being required to recruit trainees or researchers to enroll in such program, position, or activity;
– establishing a laboratory or company, accepting a faculty position, or undertaking any other employment or appointment in a foreign country or with an entity based in, funded by, or affiliated with a foreign country if such activities are in violation of the standard terms and conditions of a Federal R&D award;
– being unable to terminate the foreign talent recruitment program contract or agreement except in extraordinary circumstances;
– through funding or effort related to the foreign talent recruitment program, being limited in the capacity to carry out a R&D award or required to engage in work that would result in substantial overlap or duplication with a Federal R&D award;
– being required to apply for and successfully receive funding from the sponsoring foreign government’s funding agencies with the sponsoring foreign organization as the recipient;
– being required to omit acknowledgment of the recipient institution with which the individual is affiliated, or the Federal research agency sponsoring the R&D award, contrary to the institutional policies or standard terms and conditions of the Federal R&D award;
– being required to not disclose to the Federal research agency or employing institution the participation of such individual in such program, position, or activity; or
– having a conflict of interest or conflict of commitment contrary to the standard terms and conditions of the Federal R&D award; and

A program that is sponsored by:
– a foreign country of concern or an entity based in a foreign country of concern, whether or not directly sponsored by the foreign country of concern;
– an academic institution on the list developed under section 1286(c)(8) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (10 U.S.C. 2358 note; Public Law 115-232); or
– a foreign talent recruitment program on the list developed under section 1286(c)(9) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (10 U.S.C. 2358 note; Public Law 115-232).

[B] Currently, the list of countries of risk includes Russia, Iran, North Korea, and China. This list is subject to change.