Q: What is Phase 1 of the ACL Caregiver AI Prize Competition? A: Phase 1 is the first stage of a national prize challenge run by the Administration for Community Living (ACL) within HHS to support caregivers and the caregiving workforce through responsible uses of AI. It supports development and early testing and offers up to $2.5 million in Phase 1 prize funding with awards expected for as many as 20 winners. When preparing a caregiver AI competition application, teams should align to Phase 1’s practical, safe, and fair focus areas. Q: How much funding and how many winners are available in Phase 1? A: Phase 1 offers up to $2.5 million in total prize funding and is expected to award as many as 20 winners. It is the first of a three-phase challenge and is intended to support development and early testing. Q: What priority uses does Phase 1 encourage applicants to address? A: The challenge focuses on delivering on-demand support and training, monitoring well-being, and automating processes and documentation so caregivers can focus on people. Submissions should target practical uses that lower caregiver burden while protecting against biased, unsafe, or harmful AI. Q: What are the two tracks and how should I choose one for my application? A: The competition includes Track 1 for AI caregiver tools that support family, friends, and direct care workers providing person-centered care at home, and Track 2 for workforce tools that help home care organizations improve efficiency, scheduling, and training. When preparing a caregiver AI competition application, entrants should clearly state which track they align with and identify target users and the core jobs the tool will do on day one. Q: What should I include to demonstrate safety, equity, and privacy in my proposal? A: Your caregiver AI competition application should list key risks and mitigation strategies—such as addressing misinformation, over-reliance, and false alerts—and describe testing for bias across race, language, disability, and rural/urban settings. It should also explain data protections like consent, de-identification, encryption, minimal data collection, clear user controls, and plans to keep a human in the loop with fallback and escalation rules. Q: How should I show measurable caregiver impact in a caregiver AI competition application? A: Proposals should include 3-5 clear metrics—examples include minutes of paperwork saved per visit, fewer missed medications, and faster responses to risks—and estimate cost and time savings tied to caregiver burnout and turnover. Your caregiver AI competition application should also describe how the tool detects issues early and guides next steps to reduce unintentional neglect, with thresholds and success criteria for pilot testing. Q: What should a practical pilot and deployment plan include for Phase 1? A: Applicants should present a simple pilot plan in real homes or agencies with clear milestones, decision gates, and acceptance criteria that make the submission testable. A strong caregiver AI competition application will also address low-bandwidth and basic-device support, outline current integrations such as secure CSV uploads and a path to APIs or FHIR for later scale. Q: What common pitfalls should applicants avoid when preparing a caregiver AI competition application? A: Common pitfalls to avoid include building the technology before engaging caregivers, making vague impact claims without metrics or a test plan, and neglecting accessibility features like large text and screen-reader support. Also avoid weak data privacy stories, requiring high-speed internet or high-end devices, and shipping a general chatbot without guardrails or clinical review when preparing your caregiver AI competition application.