NOURISH Digital Health Challenge - Submission Form

The Phase 1 submission package includes the submission narrative and video demonstration of the phase 1 prototype. Both components are required to complete  your submission and must be uploaded via www.nourishchallenge.org by January 8, 2027. Narratives must be no longer than 6 pages long, with one-inch margins. Font size must be no smaller than 11-point Calibri. All submissions must be in English. Participants must not use the HHS logo or official seal or logo of the NIH or OADR in the submission and must not claim federal government endorsement. Participants should ensure that both the narrative and  video demonstration are: clear, concise, and well organized; address all five review areas; present a prototype that is grounded in scientific rationale and responsive to user needs; and demonstrate the relevance of the proposed solution to people living with or at risk for autoimmune disease.

The name of your proposed digital health prototype or application.
Full name of the individual, team lead, or POC of the entity submitting the application.
Email address for official challenge communications.
Name of your team, incorporated entity (if applicable), or individual name. Name of your entity has to match your SAM registration exactly.
U.S. Citizenship / Entity Verification
Federal Employment Verification
Age Verification & Consent

Download the Emancipated Youth Self Certification Form: Click here

Download the Parent or Legal Guardian Consent Form: Click here

The narrative proposal should describe the prototype, its scientific rationale, intended users, and potential impact. Participants are advised to organize the narrative to address the following five areas:

1. Understanding of the Problem, Scientific Rationale, and Scope of the Solution
Describe the unmet need your prototype is intended to address and explain how it will support people living with or at risk for autoimmune disease. Please include:
-A clear description of the problem or gap the prototype is designed to address
-How the prototype enables users to track and monitor dietary or nutritional interventions alongside both disease-specific and general symptoms
-Which autoimmune disease outcomes and/or immune system measures will be tracked
-The scientific rationale for selecting these outcomes or measures
-Whether the prototype incorporates validated, evidence-based metrics, such as standardized disease activity indices, biomarkers, or other established measures
-A summary of the prior research or evidence supporting the measures included in the prototype

2. Engagement
Describe how interdisciplinary expertise and end-user perspectives informed the design and development of the prototype.
Please include:
-The roles of team members and their relevant expertise, if applicable
-How people living with autoimmune disease, patient advocacy organizations, scientists, clinicians, caregivers, and/or other relevant constituents were engaged
-How end-user needs, preferences, and lived experience informed the prototype’s design, usability, and intended application
-Any co-design, advisory input, interviews, focus groups, or testing activities conducted during development

3. Potential Impact
Describe the anticipated impact of the prototype on people living with autoimmune disease and the broader autoimmune disease community.
Please include:
-How the prototype could improve health monitoring, self-management, research participation, and/or quality of life
-Why the proposed solution is practical and meaningful for intended users
-The strategy for implementation and real-world use
-Whether beta testing, pilot testing, or other user testing has been conducted
-If testing has occurred, what was learned and how those findings were used to refine the prototype
-The potential for the prototype to achieve sustained use and meaningful benefit over time

4. Feasibility
Describe the readiness of the prototype for continued development and broader use in autoimmune disease research and care settings.
Please include:
-The current stage of development
-A realistic plan for advancing the prototype beyond its current form
-Plans for further technical development, validation, deployment, and maintenance
-How the prototype could be integrated into research studies, care workflows, or patient self-management
-Whether the approach is adaptable across multiple autoimmune diseases, patient populations, and settings
-Considerations related to interoperability, privacy and data security, accessibility and usability, and long-term sustainability and scalability

5. Innovation
Describe what is new, distinctive, or meaningfully improved about the prototype.
Please include:
-How the prototype differs from existing digital health tools or approaches
-What makes the concept novel, creative, or forward-looking
-How the prototype advances the study of diet, nutrition, and autoimmune disease
-Whether it generates actionable insights, improves data collection or interpretation, or supports more personalized monitoring and self-management
-Its potential applicability across a broad range of autoimmune diseases and populations
-Its potential relevance for future research, clinical practice, or patient-centered care
Participants must also submit a 3–5-minute video demonstration of the prototype. The video should visually and clearly demonstrate the proposed digital health tool and should complement the written narrative. The video should address the same core areas outlined above, with a particular focus on how the prototype functions in practice. The video does not need to be highly produced, but it should be clear, legible, and easy for reviewers to follow.

The video should include:
-Name of the Participant (whether an individual, team, or entity) and the title or name of the proposed digital health application.
-A brief overview of the problem being addressed
-A demonstration of the prototype’s key features and user workflow

Examples of how users would track:
-diet or nutrition
-disease-specific symptoms
-general symptoms or health measures
-autoimmune disease outcomes and/or immune-related measures, if applicable
-A description of the intended users and use case(s)
-A concise explanation of what makes the prototype impactful, feasible, and innovative
AI Disclosure
Did you use artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the development of submission for this challenge? The use of AI tools in development of submission for the NOURISH: Autoimmunity Digital Health Challenge is permitted, provided that all AI usage is fully disclosed in the submission materials (i.e Narrative Proposal).
Intellectual Property & Licensing
Each Participant (whether an individual, team, or entity) warrants that they are sole author or owner of, or has the right to use, any copyrightable works that the submission comprises, that the works are wholly original with the Participant (or is an improved version of an existing work that the Participant has sufficient rights to use and improve), and that the submission does not infringe any copyright or any other rights of any third party of which the Participant is aware.
NIH License to Publish and Share
Each Participant (whether an individual, team, or entity) grants to the NIH an irrevocable, paid-up, royalty-free nonexclusive worldwide license to publish, post, link to, share, and display publicly the submission on the web or elsewhere."
Terms, Conditions & Liability Waiver
By submitting, I agree to assume all risks, waive claims against the federal government, and certify that I have not used federal funds to develop this submission. I have read and accept all Challenge Rules.
Confirm that no federal funds were used to develop this challenge submission
Participants (whether individuals, groups of individuals, or entities) may not use federal funds from a grant award or cooperative agreement to develop their Challenge submissions or to fund efforts in support of their Challenge submissions. By checking this box, the submitters confirm that no federal funds were used to develop this challenge submission.

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