Stemming from the Obama administration's Open Government Initiative and the America COMPETES Act, which together strongly encourage and provide specific guidance on the use of competitions and challenges in the Federal Government, there has been significant momentum in the use of incentive prizes in the public sector in the past two years.

WHITEHOUSE: Unleashing Innovation & Deepening Democracy Through Prizes | The White House

In March 2011 taking advantage of the prize-awarding authority granted by the America Competes Act and with help from the non-profit Wright Brothers Institute and Innocentive, an industry leader in open innovation the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) opened this challenge to the world to solve by posting it on its open innovation portal.

WHITEHOUSE: Office of Science and Technology Policy Blog

Last year, the president signed into law the "America COMPETES Act, " which increases funding for math and science research programs.

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