ALCOAST 032/20 - JAN 2020 DEADLINE FOR THE U.S. NAVAL INSTITUTE’S ANNUAL EMERGING AND DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES ESSAY CONTEST-WHAT ARE THE NEXT BREAKTHROUGHS

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FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//CG-5R//
TO ALCOAST
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ALCOAST 032/20
COMDTNOTE 5726
SUBJ:  DEADLINE FOR THE U.S. NAVAL INSTITUTE’S ANNUAL EMERGING AND DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES ESSAY CONTEST-WHAT ARE THE NEXT BREAKTHROUGHS
A. The External Affairs Manual, COMDTINST M5700.13 (series)
1. This ALCOAST announces the U.S. Naval Institute’s Emerging and Disruptive
Technologies Essay Contest.
2. Overview. Located at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, the U.S. Naval
Institute (USNI), a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization, has provided an
open forum for honest debate, informed discussion, and professional development for
members of the Naval Services since 1873. The vision and mission of the USNI is to
give a voice to those who seek the finest Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard by
providing an independent forum for those who dare to read, think, speak, and write
to advance the professional, literary, and scientific understanding of sea power and
other issues critical to global security. USNI is known for its flagship magazine
Proceedings and a variety of historical and professional books.
3. Summary. The Naval Institute's Emerging and Disruptive Technologies Essay Contest
provides service members, reservists, and civilians an opportunity to consider the
next transformative technologies and how they might be used to help the military
maintain its edge over U.S. adversaries. The Department of Defense seeks to leverage
emerging technology, focusing heavily on autonomy, man-machine teaming and machine learning, and innovative ways to harness new technologies with tactics, techniques, and strategies to maintain a pacing edge over adversaries. How should the Sea Services meld technology and innovation to maintain our nation's advantage?
4. The Challenge: Predict the next emerging and disruptive technologies, describe how
those technologies will be used by the U.S. military or against it, and discuss
practical approaches for fielding and wielding emerging and disruptive technologies
rapidly and getting them into the hands of the warfighters.
    a. Eligibility: Open to all persons eligible for membership (including existing
members) in the Institute (to include U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Coast
Guard). The essay must be original and not published or being considered for
publication elsewhere.
    b. Length: 2,500 words maximum, excluding notes and sources.
    c. Prizes: First prize - $5,000. Second prize - $2,500. Third prize - $1,500.
    d. Submission Deadline: The deadline for entries is 29 February 2020. The winning
essays will be published in a future issue of Proceedings. Note: essays are submitted
directly to USNI and the U.S. Coast Guard plays no role in selecting the winning essays.
Applicants shall ensure entries conform to Chapter 6, sections (A) through (C) of REF (A).
    e. Additional details: submit the essay as a word document online at:
www.usni.org/technologiesessay by 29 February 2020. Include word count on the title page but do not include your name on the title page or within the essay.
    f. The Proceedings staff members will evaluate every essay and screen the top essays
to a special Essay Selection Committee of at least six members who will include two
members of the Naval Institute's Editorial Board and four subject experts. All essays are
judged in the blind; the Proceedings staff members and judges will not know the authors of the essays.
5. Other Essay Contests and Writing Opportunities:
    a. Essay Contests. USNI hosts essay contests throughout the year on a variety of topics including: Coast Guard, Cyber, Enlisted Perspectives, Innovation & Risk, International Navies, Leadership, Marine Corps, Naval History, Naval Intelligence, Naval Mine Warfare, and Naval Postgraduate School Foundation/USNI. For details see:
https://www.usni.org/technologiesessay.
    b. Other Writing Opportunities. Authors can also submit articles for publication in
Proceedings or Naval History magazines, USNI Today (online), and USNI’s Blog (online). For details see: https://www.usni.org/periodicals/proceedings-magazine/submission-guidelines.
6. RDML Douglas M. Fears, Assistant Commandant for Response Policy, sends.
7. Internet release is authorized.