DNA Day Innovation Contest Official Rules
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. BY ENTERING OR OTHERWISE PARTICIPATING IN THE CONTEST, YOU AGREE TO THESE OFFICIAL RULES (“RULES”). ALL DECISIONS OF THE SPONSOR OR JUDGES ARE FINAL AND BINDING.
- Sponsor:Watchmaker Genomics, Inc. (“Sponsor”)
- Eligibility:DNA Day Innovation Contest (hereafter, “Contest”) is open to:
- legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia;
- who are 21 years of age or older at the time of entry;
- who are not healthcare providers; and
- that are employed by an organization that is a non-profit organization or that has received funding from the National Institute of Health within the past three (3) years
(each, an “Eligible Contestant”). Sponsor, its affiliates, and its and their respective, employees, officers, directors, shareholders, agents, and representatives (each, a “Sponsor Party”) and the immediate family members (parent, spouse, sibling or child, and their respective spouses, regardless of where they reside) and those live in the same household of each, whether or not related, are not eligible to participate or win the Contest. The Contest is void where prohibited or restricted by law, rule or regulation. This Contest is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws. The Sponsor's determination of eligibility, in its sole discretion, shall be final.
- Contest Period and Dates:The Contest entry period starts at 9:00:00 AM ET on 4/25/2025 and ends at 11:59:00 PM ET on 5/30/2025 (“Contest Entry Period”).
- CONTEST:
- Contest Submission Phase: To participate in the Contest, each Eligible Contestant must, during the Contest Entry Period, submit an abstract on novel and innovative work conducted leveraging a Watchmaker Genomics product (upon submission, each Eligible Contestant becomes a "Contest Participant"; and each such submission shall be referred to hereafter as the “Contest Entry”). Contest Entry’s may be submitted through an online submission portal. Eligible Participants may submit multiple Contest Entries during the Contest Entry Period. All Contest Entries must meet the Contest Entry Requirements set forth below.
- Contest Entry Requirements:
- Each Contest Entry must submit an abstract intended for possible submission to the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) 2025 Annual Meeting. The work summarized in the abstract must leverage a Watchmaker Genomics product.
- To be eligible, a Contest Entry (and individual components therein) cannot have been previously published or submitted in any competition or have won any awards. In addition, to be eligible, a Contest Entry must not include any third-party packaging, logos or any other third party intellectual property or general property other than the products, logos, or slogans of Sponsor (hereafter, “Permitted Marks”).
- A Contest Entry will be deemed ineligible if, in the determination of Sponsor in its sole discretion, it defames or invades publicity and/or intellectual property rights or the privacy of any person, living or deceased, or otherwise infringes upon any copyrighted, trademarked, or patented works or person’s personal or proprietary rights. A Contest Entry will also be deemed ineligible if it, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion, promotes any activities that may be unsafe, dangerous, violate applicable law, or violate permitted use of the Sponsor products.
- Sponsor shall review all Contest Entries for eligibility. Contest Entries deemed by the Sponsor, in their sole discretion, to be immoral, obscene, profane or not in keeping with Sponsor’s image or in violation of these Rules will be void. In the event of non-compliance with any requirements specified herein or with any of the terms of these Rules, the Contest Entry will be void. If the Contest Entry contains any material or elements that are not owned by the Contest Participant (with the exception of Permitted Marks), and/or which are subject to the rights of third parties, the Contest Participant is responsible for obtaining, prior to submission of the Contest Entry, any and all releases and consents necessary to permit the use and exhibition of the Contest Entry by Sponsor in the manner set forth in these Rules, including, without limitation, name and likeness permissions from any person who appears in or is identifiable in the Contest Entry. Sponsor reserves the right to request proof of these permissions in a form acceptable to Sponsor from any Contest Participant at any time. Failure to provide such proof may, if requested, render Contest Entry null and void.
- By submitting a Contest Entry, the submitting Contest Participant warrants and represents that he/she/they is an Eligible Contestant and the Contest Participant and consents to the submission and use of the Contest Entry in the Contest and to its use as otherwise set forth herein. Sponsor grants to Contest Participant a limited revocable, non-sub-licensable, license to use the Permitted Marks for the sole purpose of creating a Contest Entry and Contest Participant may make no further use whatsoever of the Contest Entry for any purpose whatsoever. In addition, Contest Participant recognizes that all of the right, title, and interest in the Permitted Marks as well as all derivative works created using the Permitted Marks (including the Contest Entry) shall vest exclusively in Sponsor, and Contest Participant will not have or take any action that might harm or adversely affect such rights. No right, title, or interest in and to the Permitted Marks except for the limited license granted to Contest Participant in these Rules is transferred or created.
- By submitting a Contest Entry, each Contest Participant acknowledges and agrees that Sponsor and its designees shall have, the perpetual right worldwide to edit, adapt, modify, publish, exploit and use the Contest Entry for trade, advertising, promotional, public relations and/or other purposes as Sponsor and/or its designees may determine without further permission from, or notification or consideration to Contest Participants or any third parties. Further, Contest Participants agree that Sponsor Parties are not responsible for any unauthorized use of Contest Entries by third parties. Sponsor Parties do not guarantee the posting of any Contest Entry and may remove a posted Contest Entry at any time. In addition, Contest Participants acknowledge and agree that Sponsor may obtain many submissions under this Contest and that such Contest Entries may be similar or identical in theme, idea, format or other respects to others submitted under this Contest and/or other promotions staged and/or sponsored by the Sponsor, or to other ideas conceived by or provided to Sponsor and Contest Participant waives any and all claims Contest Participant may have had, may have, and/or may have in the future, that any Contest Entry and/or other works accepted, reviewed and/or used by the Sponsor (or its designees) may be similar to his/her/their Contest Entry. Except where prohibited by law, each Contest Participant acknowledges and agrees that the Sponsor does not have now, nor shall it have in the future, any duty or liability, direct or indirect, vicarious, contributory, or otherwise, with respect to the infringement or protection of any copyright in and to Contest Participant’s Contest Entry or any other right related thereto.
- Contest Winner Determination: The Contest Entries received will be judged on the following criteria by a judging panel selected by the Sponsor in its sole discretion: 1) Scientific Rigor: Is the research question or problem statement well-defined, is the methodology sound, and does the work demonstrate originality?: 0-3 points; 2) Clarity: Is the abstract well-organized and easy to understand, and is the information presented logically? ; and 3) Impact: Does the research have the potential to advance the field and does it reflect thoughtful interpretation and broader implications?: 0-3 points (collectively, the “Judging Criteria”). The highest-ranked Contest Entry based on the Judging Criteria will be named the Contest Prize winner and will receive the Contest Prize outlined below. The Contest Prize award is subject to the winner’s verification of eligibility, any background screening sought by Sponsor, and compliance with these Rules, which may include a virtual meeting with the winner hosted by Sponsor. In the event of a tie, such tied Contest Entries will be re-judged (by a panel of judges determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion) based on Overall Impression: Does the abstract stand out as particularly compelling, inspiring, or memorable compared to other entries?: 0-10 points.
- Contest Prize: The Contest Prize is a five (5) day five (5) night trip to attend the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) 2025 Annual Meeting in Boston, MA. The Contest Prize consists of one round trip coach class air transportation from a major U.S. gateway airport nearest winner’s residence, standard hotel accommodations (one (1) room) for five (5) nights, attendance for one (1) at ASHG 2025 scheduled to take place on October 14 through 18th at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, and ground transportation to/from the airport and the applicable hotel. Total Approximate Retail Value “ARV” of the Contest Prize = $5,000.00. The Contest Prize winner may be filmed at ASHG 2025 and his/her/their written content and likeness or video recording may appear (no payment of appearance fees or other compensation of any nature will be paid, and additional paperwork may be required) on various media channels designated by Sponsor (subject to editorial approval). Actual prize value may vary based upon location of winner’s residence. Any difference between stated value and actual value will not be awarded. If winner resides within a one hundred fifty (150) mile radius of Boston, MA, ground transportation may be provided in lieu of air transportation at Sponsor’s sole discretion, and no compensation or substitution will be provided for difference in Contest Prize value. The trip must be taken on dates designated by Sponsor or the Contest Prize will be forfeited in its entirety and, at Sponsor's discretion, awarded to a runner-up. Travel and accommodation restrictions and other restrictions may apply. The winner is responsible for obtaining all required travel documents. All travel arrangements must be made through the travel agent of Sponsor's selection on a carrier of Sponsor's choice. Sponsor Parties are not responsible for travel delays or cancellations. In the event conference is postponed and rescheduled, the trip may be rescheduled. In the event any related event is postponed and not rescheduled, no compensation or substitution for such portion of the Contest Prize will be provided; however, the remainder of Contest Prize package will be awarded, and Sponsor will have no further obligation to winner. The winner must comply with all venue rules and regulations. Failure to do so may result in forfeiture of such portion of the Contest Prize and removal from the event. The terms and conditions of the tickets awarded as part of the Contest Prize will govern in the event the event, as defined by Sponsor, is not held, as applicable, due to weather conditions, health crisis, epidemic, pandemic, an act of God, an act of terrorism, civil disturbance or any other reason. If unused, tickets cannot be returned, refunded or exchanged for cash value or substitute tickets. The winner will be responsible for any taxes due based on the value of the Contest Prize and will receive an IRS Form 1099 for the Contest Prize value. This Contest may be canceled or rescheduled, canceled, substituted, or postponed by Sponsor at any time in its sole and absolute discretion.
- Winners Notification: By entering, Contest Participants agree to be bound by these Rules and to the decisions of the Sponsor and judges, which will be final and binding in all respects, and not subject to review by any Contest Participants. On/about June 4th, 2025, the potential Contest Prize winner (i.e., the Contest Participant featured in the winning Contest Entry) will be notified by telephone and/or email and/or mail and/or overnight mail and may be required to execute and return any additional paperwork required by Sponsor within one (1) business day of date of issuance of notification. The Contest Prize winner will be required to complete an IRS Form W9 and provide S/S number for tax reporting purposes. Non-compliance with the foregoing or with these Rules in any way, the inability to contact the potential winner (as specified above) or return of Contest Prize notification as non-deliverable may result in disqualification and, at Sponsor’s discretion, the awarding of the Contest Prize to an alternate potential winner based on results from the Judging Criteria.
- Miscellaneous:
- No transfer, assignment, cash redemption, or substitution of prize (or portion thereof) is permitted except by Sponsor who reserves the right to substitute the Contest Prize (or applicable portion thereof) with one of comparable or greater value, at its sole discretion. Contest Participants agree, by entering, that (1) Sponsor and its designees may use (unless prohibited by law), Contest Participant’s name, city and state of residence, photograph, any recording (voice, film or video), and/or likeness for advertising, trade and/or any other purposes in any media now or hereafter known throughout the world in perpetuity, without further compensation, permission or notification, and (2) the Sponsor Parties shall have no liability and will be indemnified and held harmless by Contest Participant for any claim, action, liability, loss, injury or damage to Contest Participant or any other person or entity, including, without limitation, personal injury or death to Contest Participant or any other person or damage to personal or real property, due in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, by reason of the acceptance, possession, use or misuse of the Contest Prize or participation in this Contest. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to modify, suspend, and/or terminate this Contest (or portion thereof) for any reason, including should virus, bugs, non-authorized human intervention, Acts of God, acts of terrorism, health crisis, epidemic, pandemic, civil disturbances, work stoppage, or other causes corrupt or impair the administration, security, fairness or proper play of the Contest and, in the case of termination, at its discretion, select the winners from eligible non-suspect entries received prior to the event that required such termination.
- Sponsor Parties are not responsible for late, lost, stolen, incomplete, misdirected, delayed, garbled, inaccurate, or undelivered Contest Entries, registrations, or for telephonic, human or computer failures, problems or errors, interruptions in service due to system upgrades, repairs, modifications or other causes, failures or malfunctions of connections, satellite, network, cable, Internet Service Provider (ISP), phones, phone lines or telephone systems, traffic congestion on the internet, technical or mechanical malfunctions, or other malfunctions or errors, whether caused by equipment, programming, human error or otherwise relating to or in connection with the Contest, including, without limitation, errors which may occur in connection with the administration of the Contest, the announcement of the Contest Prize, any injury or damage to Contest Participant’s or any other person’s computer relating to or resulting from participation in this Contest, the failure of any Sponsor products in any Contest -related materials, for any travel delays or cancellations, or for printing, typographical, human or other errors appearing in these Rules or other Contest-related materials. All Contest Entries become property of Sponsor and will not be returned. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to post all approved Contest Entries on Sponsor’s websites for public viewing. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE; THE SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK ANY AND ALL REMEDIES AVAILABLE FROM ANY SUCH PERSON(S) FOR THE ATTEMPT TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.
- Arbitration: Except where prohibited by law, as a condition of participating in this Contest, Contest Participant agrees that (a) any and all disputes and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Contest, or any prizes awarded, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by final and binding arbitration under the rules of the American Arbitration Association and held at the AAA regional office nearest Sponsor; (b) the Federal Arbitration Act shall govern the interpretation, enforcement and all proceedings at such arbitration; and (c) judgment upon such arbitration award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction. Under no circumstances will Contest Participant be permitted to obtain awards for, and participant hereby waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental or consequential damages, or any other damages, including attorneys' fees, other than participant's actual out-of-pocket expenses (i.e., costs associated with participating in this Contest), and participant further waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased.
- Privacy Policy: The personal information collected/provided in connection with this Contest will be used in accordance with the Privacy Policy, which can be found at https://www.goodles.com/privacy-policy/. Contest Participants who provide their email address will automatically be enrolled to receive emails from or on behalf of Sponsor, as well as be enrolled in Sponsor’s marketing database, and can opt out of receiving future emails at any time by following the directions provided in such emails.
- Choice of Law: All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Rules, or the rights and obligations of participant and Sponsor in connection with the Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the substantive laws of the State of Colorado, USA.
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