General Provisions

The rules noted herein are subject to change and may, from time to time, be updated by the MTFC management. All updates shall be announced publicly on the MTFC website and through the MTFC email newsletter.

It is the responsibility of participants to ensure their understanding of and compliance with the MTFC rules.

Questions about the MTFC rules should be sent to: challenge@mtfchallenge.org

Responses to questions about the MTFC rules shall be made public on the FAQ page of the MTFC website.

The MTFC management shall not provide responses to questions that are specific to the team’s project.

Failure to adhere to the rules noted herein shall be cause for disqualification from the Modeling the Future Challenge. Determination of disqualification shall be at the sole discretion of the MTFC management. Any decision of disqualification is final.

Eligibility

Age: students must be no younger than 13 years old and no older than 19 years old by August 1st, 2026.

Country: students must be attending high school (grades 9-12) in the United States or its territories during the 2026-27 academic year. US Citizens and permanent residents attending high school in another country during the 2026-27 academic year are eligible to participate if the students are available for meetings during US Central Time business hours and have a reliable internet connection to attend hour-long virtual meetings. (Note that scholarship awards shall only be paid to colleges and universities in the United States.)

Mathematical Background: students must have taken or be taking at least one of the following junior or senior level mathematics courses at the time of registration for the Modeling the Future Challenge (MTFC): statistics, calculus, pre-calculus, probability, mathematical modeling, or another junior or senior level mathematics course covering similar material.

Grades: students must be junior or senior level students. Some special exceptions will be made for freshman- and sophomore-level students taking advanced junior or senior-level mathematics classes. No exceptions will be made for students in grades below ninth (freshmen). Petitions for freshman- and sophomore-level students to be eligible to participate can be made under the following process:

  • The student’s teacher or parent must contact MTFC via email at: challenge@mtfchallenge.org indicating the student’s interest in participating.
  • The student’s teacher or parent must submit evidence and confirm that the student has taken appropriate junior or senior level mathematics courses.
  • If approved the student and teacher/parent will receive an acceptance notification via email for participation in the MTFC.

Educational Organizations: students may be in any type of schooling; formal, informal, home-schooled, etc. Students do not need to attend the same school in order to be on a team together, as long as all students are within the United States, meeting the “Country” requirements above.

Student Team Limitation: students may be on no more than one team.

Team Members: teams may include between one to five students.

Adult Coach: each team must have an adult “coach” noted on the submission. The coach must be an adult that is not a participant on the team.

Limitations on the number of teams per coach: there are no limitations on the number of teams a coach may support.

Limitations on the number of teams per organization: organizations may submit as many teams as they like so long as the teams adhere to all rules and regulations herein. There is no limitation on the number of teams in the MTFC from any organization.

Past Participant Limitations: Students who have participated in past years of the MTFC may participate again under the following stipulations:

  • Any student that has participated in the MTFC before may not use the same Project Topic, or a significantly similar Project Topic, as was used previously. Definition of what constitutes a significantly similar project topic is up to the determination of the MTFC Judging Committee.
  • Students who won 1st place in a previous year are not eligible to win another award.

Ineligible Parties: Employees of Sponsor, or the Actuarial Foundation, their related entities, and their immediate families (spouse, parent, child, sibling, and their respective spouses and those living in the same household of each employee, whether or not related), and all other associated with the development and execution of this Contest and their immediate families (spouse, parent, child, sibling, and their respective spouses and those living in the same household of each employee, whether or not related) are not eligible to participate in the Contest. Volunteers within The Actuarial Foundation network who have a child participating in the MTFC are not eligible to concurrently serve as a program volunteer for that year of the MTFC.

Registrations

User registration: all student participants and team coaches shall register as users on the Institute of Competition Sciences (ICS) online platform. Participants must have a user account in order to officially register a team for the MTFC.

Team Registration: to compete for the MTFC, a team must be registered on the ICS platform. Team registration can be completed by a student Team Member or by the Team Coach. The user that creates the team shall become the Team Administrator with capabilities to add or remove other team members.

Team Members: all students participating on a team must be added as Team Members by the Team Administrator prior to the Scenario Phase submission deadline in the Challenge year. Team Members shall have capabilities to upload, edit, or remove team submissions.

Team Coach: all participating teams must have a team coach registered as a user on the ICS platform.

Changing Team Members: The official Team Roster shall be the members that are listed within the Scenario Phase submission form in the ICS Dashboard. Changes to the Team Roster in each Phase are permitted as follows:

  • Scenario Phase: Team members may be added or removed by the team until Noon Pacific on Monday, December 7, 2026 (the Scenario Phase Deadline). At the Scenario Phase Deadline all team members must be registered and listed on the ICS Dashboard.
  • Project Phase: A Semi-Finalist Team who advances to the Project Phase is limited to the final Scenario Phase Team Roster. A team Coach may petition to remove a team member if the student has not made notable contributions to the project by emailing MTFC staff at challenge@mtfchallenge.org with a detailed request. No team members may be added. Team members can be removed until Noon Pacific on Monday, March 1, 2027 (the Project Phase deadline).
  • Presentation Phase: A Finalist Team who advances to the Presentation Phase is limited to the final Project Phase Team Roster. A team Coach may petition to remove a team member if the student has not made notable contributions to the project by emailing MTFC staff at challenge@mtfchallenge.org with a detailed request. No team members may be added. Team members can be removed until Noon Pacific on Monday, April 5, 2027 (the Presentation Phase deadline).

Changing Team Coach: A team may petition to change its Team Coach in rare circumstances where the original Team Coach is no longer available to support the team (e.g., due to illness, leaving the organization, or other unforeseen circumstances). To request a change, the team must email MTFC staff at challenge@mtfchallenge.org with a detailed explanation of the circumstances and the proposed replacement coach. Approval of a Team Coach change is at the sole discretion of the MTFC management.

Submissions

General Requirements

  • All submissions must be the work of the student team members.
  • A team’s coach or other adult mentors may provide guidance to the team; however, they may not make excessive contributions to the project submissions. Excessive contributions are defined as:
    • Writing or editing any sections of the team’s project report
    • Creating any charts or figures for the team’s project report
    • Directing team members on specific content to include in their project report.
  • Submissions may not plagiarize material from any other sources. All facts, figures, charts, or other information used must be cited.
  • All submission requirements shall be submitted electronically through the Institute of Competition Sciences’ (ICS) online platform.
  • If a team encounters any issues with a submission, they must contact the MTFC staff via challenge@mtfchallenge.org within 1 HOUR of the posted submission deadline (e.g., 1:00PM Pacific) on the day of submissions. The email must include the attachment of any items in question in order for the submission to be considered valid. It is recommended that teams submit well in advance of the deadline (e.g., the day before) as the mid-day deadline is meant to allow teams to communicate with Challenge staff during their working hours to address any last minute submission issues. All team work on the project should be completed in advance of the deadline.

Qualifying Scenario Phase

  • Teams will be presented with one Scenario Quest document including: (1) background information on the scenario, (2) a series of “mission” prompts on that scenario, and (3) a series of prompts on a proposed MTFC project topic of the team's choosing.
  • Complete Scenario Phase submissions shall include:
    • Scenario Quest Response: a document (pdf or MS Word format) that includes the team’s response to the mission prompts in the presented scenario.
    • The Scenario Quest Response shall be submitted by the submission deadline noted on the MTFC website. No late submissions will be allowed.
    • Every team member and team coach shall submit a completed waiver form, found on the ICS Dashboard in the Scenario Round.

Project Phase

  • The MTFC Project Phase is an “Open Theme” meaning that teams are allowed to define their own project topic rather than responding to a prompt provided by the MTFC management.
  • A team’s project topic shall be defined by the team.
  • A team’s project topic is not restricted to the team’s Project Proposal submitted during the Scenario Phase.
  • A team may change or update their project topic at any time throughout the Project Phase.
  • Complete Project Phase submissions include:
    • Infographic: A visual showcasing a team’s project risk to the general public and helping the team identify how to communicate their result(s) to the public.
    • Project Report: a single document in either Microsoft Word or PDF format.
  • Project reports must be submitted by the 2026-27 MTFC Project Phase deadline noted on the MTFC website. No late submissions will be allowed.
  • Project reports must be no more than 28 pages long and must include the following sections:
    • Title Page
      • Do not include any identifying information beyond the 5-digit Team ID # on the project report. The Title Page should include:
        • the title for the report
        • the date submitted
        • the team’s 5-digit Team ID number for the Challenge
        • Please see the disclaimer statement found in the Project Phase Guide.
      • Teams can optionally include information such as “2026-27 Modeling the Future Challenge” or other non-identifying details on the Title Page.
    • Executive Pitch
    • Background Information
    • Data Methodology
    • Mathematics Methodology
    • Risk Analysis
    • Recommendations
    • References Cited: all sources used in the development of the Project Report must be cited in a standard and consistent citation format (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) and adhere to the following stipulations:
      • Judges must be able to clearly distinguish between the team’s original modeling work and material derived from external sources.
      • Any data, quotes, definitions, methodologies, or insights drawn from existing research or publications must be properly cited in-text and listed in the References section.
      • If your work builds on or modifies an existing model, cite the original and clearly explain how your team extended or adapted it.
      • Failure to provide appropriate citations may result in disqualification for plagiarism.
  • The title page, references cited, and any appendices are included in the 28 page limit. Unless a section has a specific maximum (like title page and executive summary), the length of each section within the report is determined by the team, provided the report does not exceed 28 pages.
  • Project Reports exceeding the 28-page limit shall be disqualified from the Challenge.
  • Project Reports should adhere to the following formatting guidelines:
    • No less than a 10-point font shall be used on all text after the Title Page.
    • No less than a 0.75 inch margin shall be used on all pages.
    • No less than single line spacing shall be used on all pages.
    • Page numbers shall be included in the bottom right corner of all pages (except the title page).
    • A running header shall be included on all pages of the Project Report with the following format (single line only): Team #12345 title page).
    • “Shortened Report Title” Charts, graphs, and figure labels must use at least 10-point font and should be clearly legible and interpretable. Teams should ensure that all visuals are accessible to judges without requiring zooming or interpretation of overly complex graphics.
  • Additional detail on the Project Report structure shall be provided in the MTFC Project Phase Guide.

Presentation Phase

  • Teams shall submit an updated Project Report following the same guidelines for the Project Report for the Project Phase noted herein.
  • Teams shall submit a recorded Risk Project Pitch Video of their projects. Presentations shall adhere to these guidelines:
    • Be no more than 10 minutes in length
    • Be uploaded to a publicly accessible video sharing service such as Youtube or Vimeo with a link to the video shared via the team’s page on the ICS platform.
  • Risk Project Pitch Videos and updated Project Reports shall be submitted by the Presentation Phase deadlines noted on the MTFC website.
  • Teams shall participate virtually in all components of the MTFC Symposium including:
    • Opening Ceremonies & Activities
    • Judging Session
    • Closing Ceremonies
  • Teams shall be provided with a virtual question and answer session during the MTFC Symposium to respond to questions from the Judging Committee about their Project Report and Project Pitch Video.

Adjudication

Scenario Phase

  • Acceptable responses to all scenario response questions shall be defined in the MTFC scoring rubric.
  • Teams will be evaluated using the Quest Scenario Rubric and teams with a qualifying score shall be recognized by the MTFC management as “Semi-Finalists” and invited to the Project Phase of the Challenge.

Project Phase

  • Project evaluation is conducted by members of the actuarial community following a multi-round process:
      Round 1 – Initial Screening: Reports are reviewed for completeness and section quality. Only submissions meeting basic requirements advance.
      Round 2 – Project Scoring: Qualified reports are scored by multiple actuarial judges using the official scoring rubric.
      Round 3 – Judge Deliberation & Voting: Top-scoring reports are discussed in a Judges’ Meeting where rubric scores and actuarial judgment are used to determine Finalist selections
  • The evaluation criteria included in the scoring rubric shall be provided to teams on the MTFC website.
  • All teams that complete a Project Report and pass the initial screening process report detailing information from their scores and feedback.
  • Top scoring teams shall be recognized as MTFC Finalists and invited to the MTFC Symposium to compete for the scholarship awards.
  • The number of Finalist Teams recognized may vary from year to year and is up to the determination of the Judging Committee.
  • Evaluation of the Judging Committee is final.
  • In the case that a team mentor is also a judge, that mentor will not be permitted to judge their team’s project and does not have higher weight on a team advancing/not advancing to the finals.

Presentation Phase

  • Finalist project evaluation includes the following three components:
    • Project Report
    • Risk Project Pitch Video
    • Judging Question and Answer Session
  • Judging for the Finalist Phase of the MTFC shall be conducted by a panel of actuaries and other expert evaluators.
  • Finalist team adjudication shall be conducted in a two part process:
    • Using a scoring rubric including evaluation criteria for each of the three components of the finalist project (Report, Risk Project Pitch Video, and Q&A Session).
    • Scores will be used to guide a discussion and vote within the judging panel to determine final award winners. Only the top four teams will be ranked and announced.
  • Evaluation criteria included in the finalist scoring rubric shall be provided to teams on the MTFC website.
  • Evaluation of the Judging Committee is final.

Awards

  • The MTFC provides the following awards:
    • Scenario Phase:
      • Semi-Finalist Recognition: all teams passing the Scenario Phase are recognized publicly as Modeling the Future Challenge “Semi-Finalists.”
      • Recognition of Completion Certificates: all teams completing a Scenario Phase submission shall receive electronic recognition for their efforts in conducting a Modeling the Future Challenge project.
      • Semi-Finalist Recognition:all teams recognized as Semi-Finalists shall be provided electronic recognition certificates.
    • Project Phase:
      • Mentorship: All Semi-Finalist teams are given an opportunity to select an MTFC mentor who shall help guide the team through a defined mentorship process. The mentorship process shall be shared with teams on the MTFC website or through the MTFC Project Guide.
      • Recognition of Completion Certificates: all teams completing a full Project Report submission shall receive electronic recognition certificates for their efforts in conducting a Modeling the Future Challenge project.
      • Finalist Recognition: top scoring teams shall be recognized as Modeling the Future Challenge “Finalists” and shall be invited to participate in the MTFC Symposium to compete for scholarship awards.
      • Finalist Recognition Certificates: all teams recognized as “Finalists” shall be provided printed recognition certificates mailed to the team coach.
    • Presentation Phase:
      • Scholarship awards:
        • 1st Place: $25,000
        • 2nd Place: $15,000
        • 3rd Place: $10,000
        • 4th Place: $5,000
      • Certificates of Recognition: all teams winning a scholarship award shall be provided with mailed certificates of recognition.
      • Helen Galt Awards:
        • School Support Award: the school with the most Semi-Finalist teams shall receive a $1000 grant to support their mathematics education programs. The award shall be paid directly to the receiving school or organization, or to the coach.
        • Educator Awards: Coaches of scholarship award winners shall each receive a $1000 stipend paid directly to the coach, or to the coach’s school or organization as directed by the coach’s choice.
      • Horace Mann Awards:
        • Scenario Phase: All coaches who are employed in formal education settings (i.e., not a parent) who successfully coach at least two distinct teams through the Scenario Phase with successful submission of all required Scenario Phase items shall be entered into a Scenario Phase Educator drawing. Two coaches will be selected at random from the pool of eligible candidates and each will receive a $1,000 educator grant to be used for educational purposes. The MTFC reserves the right to verify the status of the educator prior to awarding the grant.
        • Project Phase: All Semi-Finalist coaches who are educators who successfully coach a Semi-Finalist team to submission of all required Project Phase items shall be entered into a Project Phase Educator drawing. Two coaches will be selected at random from the pool of eligible candidates and each will receive a $1,000 educator grant to be used for educational purposes. The MTFC reserves the right to verify the status of the educator prior to awarding the grant.
      • ARCH Paper Publications:
          • The 1st and 2nd place award winners shall be submitted to the Actuarial Research Clearing House (ARCH) for online publication.
  • Scholarship awards shall be paid as university tuition scholarships paid directly to the winning students’ schools.
  • Scholarship awards shall only be paid to colleges or universities in the United States. If a student wins an award and chooses to attend college outside of the United States they will void their scholarship award.

Code of Conduct

All MTFC participants are held to high personal ethical standards. We expect all participants to treat others with respect and courtesy. Participants should be considerate of the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of others.

The decisions you make and actions you conduct during your participation in the Challenge should be honest and truthful to the best of your ability and should refrain from disparaging other participants in any way. We trust that you will not conduct yourself in a matter that tampers with the outcomes, fabricates submissions, or plagiarizes content. If at any point you are unsure about the ethical conduct of your team, please reach out to the MTFC management for clarification. Failure to abide by the MTFC Code of Conduct may result in the team’s disqualification from the Challenge.

    All MTFC participants shall adhere to the following codes of conduct:
    • Judging: participants shall not make disparaging remarks about other participants of the MTFC or their work. Participants are expected to conduct themselves according to the following rules of good sportsmanship:
      • Treat other participants, judges, mentors, staff, and volunteers with respect, regardless of race, sex, creed, ability or any other factor.
      • Encourage good sportsmanship in all participants and assist in maintaining a respectful environment for all. Provide positive support and encouragement to team members, and other teams alike.
      • Refrain from making offensive or disparaging remarks about another team’s project or participants.
      • Refrain from making offensive or disparaging remarks about individuals supporting the MTFC including but not limited to: personnel, staff, mentors, judges, and volunteers. Recognize that all supporters of the MTFC are conducting themselves so as to organize and manage the best academic challenge possible. If you have a concern with the manner in which the MTFC is conducted, follow the petition process mentioned below to bring up a specific concern.
      • Be courteous to opposing teams, judges, mentors, staff, and volunteers at all times.
      • Recognize that judges are donating their time and are doing their best to make unbiased, fair and timely decisions.
      • Accept the decisions of judges as final, and with good grace. If you have a specific concern with how the judging process was conducted you may bring it up with the MTFC staff following the petition process mentioned below.
    • Harassment: participants shall not make disparaging remarks about other participants of the MTFC or their work. Participants are expected to conduct themselves according to the following rules of good sportsmanship:
      • Offensive comments related to race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, physical appearance, body size, or religion
      • Deliberate intimidation
      • Stalking
      • Unwanted photography or recording
      • Inappropriate physical contact
      • Unwelcome sexual attention
      • Sexual imagery and language in public spaces
    • Privacy: participants shall respect the privacy of other teams, individuals, and MTFC personnel.
        Do not share or distribute other teams’ work, ideas, or submissions without explicit permission.
        Do not attempt to obtain private or proprietary information about another team.
        Recording of events, including judging Q&A sessions, without explicit permission is strictly prohibited. This includes the use of automated note-taking tools such as Notetaker AI, Otter.ai, or similar applications.
    • Plagiarism: participants shall not plagiarize materials of any kind in their work for the MTFC. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the use of another’s words or ideas as if they are one’s own. Plagiarism and any kind of academic cheating are grounds for dismissal from the Challenge. The Actuarial Foundation and the Institute of Competition Sciences reserve the right to use Plagiarism Detection Technologies to check for plagiarized content in the team Project Report. All written content, models, visualizations, and data analysis must be the team’s original work or clearly cited if derived from another source. Examples of plagiarism include (but are not limited to):
        1. Copying text directly from an article, website, book, or report without citation.
        2. Paraphrasing or summarizing another’s ideas without credit
        3. Using charts, figures, or data from another source without attribution Submitting content written or significantly modified by someone outside the student team (e.g., a teacher, mentor, or another student)
        4. Incorporating AI-generated content (e.g., from ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, etc.). Representing AI-generated content as your own writing is a form of plagiarism. While AI may be used during early research or brainstorming (e.g., to learn about relevant mathematical models or identify possible data sources), any such use must be clearly cited in the References section, along with a brief explanation of how it was used. Read more under Use of Artificial Intelligence.
    • Use of Prior Work: A participant may use prior research, data compilations, or other written work that was authored by them before the start of the MTFC. All MTFC submissions have to meet the requirements of the rubric and be substantially different from any previous work submitted to the competition. The Project Report must also be the sole authorship of the student team. If the prior work was published, it should be properly cited in the project report.
    • Use of Artificial Intelligence: Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used to support certain aspects of a team’s work in different stages of the competition. The tone and tenor in the intention of the rules is that teams may use AI as a tool but that the critical thinking, presentation, and thoughts are formulated by and communicated by the team themselves. Violation of this policy may result in disqualification and forfeiture of any awards or prizes. If you are unsure whether a specific use of AI is allowed, please contact MTFC management via challenge@mtfchallenge.org for clarification before including it in your project.
      • AI Detection and Review:
        • The Actuarial Foundation and the Institute of Competition Sciences reserve the right to use AI Detection Technologies to check for AI-generated content in the team Project Report. If the Sponsor, The Actuarial Foundation, or their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, dealers, and dealer personnel, advertising and promotion agencies (collectively referred to as “Sponsors’ Related Entities”) discover at any time, during or after the contest, that an entry contains material generated by Artificial Intelligence contrary to the rules outlined below for permitted use in a particular Phase of the Challenge, the student and teacher who submitted the entry may be immediately disqualified and may be obligated to immediately return any and all prizes that may have been provided to them in connection with their entries.
        • Reports that are flagged or appear to rely heavily on AI (e.g., due to tone, lack of depth, or inconsistencies with team Q&A responses) may be subject to further review and may result in:
          • A request for clarification or revision
          • Additional authorship verification (e.g., team writing samples)
          • Disqualification from the Challenge
      • The rules pertaining to use of AI in each Phase of the Challenge are as follows:
        • Scenario Phase
          • Permitted uses of generative AI tools include:
            • Brainstorming project topic ideas
            • Identifying potential datasets or data sources
            • Exploring existing models or methodologies (for understanding purposes only)
            • Explaining mathematical or statistical concepts (e.g., using AI as a tutor)
            • Suggesting general research directions or helping formulate initial questions
            • Assisting with code development or debugging in support of programming models (e.g., helping understand syntax, structure, or logic)
          • Permitted uses of machine learning or data analysis AI include:
            • Applying machine learning algorithms as part of a team's modeling or analysis
            • Using AI-assisted statistical or forecasting software to analyze data
            • Employing AI-based analytical methods where the methodology, inputs, outputs, and the team's interpretation are clearly documented within the Project Report
            • Using AI tools to support data analysis, provided the team's methodology and conclusions remain the team's own work
          • Prohibited uses of AI tools include (but are not limited to):
            • Generating, drafting, or editing any part of the Scenario Quest Response or Project Proposal using AI
            • Paraphrasing or rewriting student-authored content using AI
            • Using AI to summarize source material or generate citations
            • Creating explanations, visuals, figures, or tables for inclusion in the Scenario Quest or Project Proposal
          • Citing AI:
            • Any content or insight derived from AI that informs the team’s thinking or approach must be properly cited.
            • Teams must clearly state how AI was used, even if no content from AI appears directly in the Scenario Quest or Project Proposal.
            • Example citation format: OpenAI. (2026). ChatGPT [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com
        • Project Phase
          • Machine learning and data analysis AI tools (e.g., AI-assisted statistical, forecasting, or modeling software) may be used as part of a team's analytical methodology, provided that the use of such tools is clearly described and appropriately cited within the Project Report. Teams must explain how AI was used in their methodology so that judges can understand the team's original work and the role AI played in the analysis.
          • Permitted uses of generative AI tools include:
            • Brainstorming project topic ideas
            • Identifying potential datasets or data sources
            • Exploring existing models or methodologies (for understanding purposes only)
            • Explaining mathematical or statistical concepts (e.g., using AI as a tutor)
            • Suggesting general research directions or helping formulate initial questions
            • Assisting with code development or debugging in support of programming models (e.g., helping understand syntax, structure, or logic)
            • Initial design of elements of the Risk Infographic using content directly from the team’s Project Report.
          • Permitted uses of machine learning or data analysis AI include:
            • Applying machine learning algorithms as part of a team's modeling or analysis
            • Using AI-assisted statistical or forecasting software to analyze data
            • Employing AI-based analytical methods where the methodology, inputs, outputs, and the team's interpretation are clearly documented within the Project Report
            • Using AI tools to support data analysis, provided the team's methodology and conclusions remain the team's own work
          • Prohibited uses of AI tools include (but are not limited to):
            • Generating, drafting, or editing any part of the Project Report using AI
            • Paraphrasing or rewriting student-authored content using AI
            • Using AI to summarize source material or generate citations
            • Creating explanations, visuals, figures, or tables for inclusion in the Project Report
          • Citing AI:
            • Any content or insight derived from AI that informs the team’s thinking or approach must be properly cited.
            • Teams must clearly state how AI was used, even if no content from AI appears directly in the Project Report.
            • Example citation format: OpenAI. (2026). ChatGPT [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com
        • Presentation Phase
          • It is NOT expected or required that a team uses AI for creating their presentation. Well-designed presentations to clearly communicate the project recommendations are key.
          • Permitted uses of machine learning or data analysis AI include:
            • A team is permitted to use generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Copilot, etc.) for initial design, content placement, and elements in their team's presentation materials provided the content is the team’s own work.
          • Prohibited uses of AI tools include (but are not limited to):
            • Presenting an AI-designed presentation without human editing.
            • Using AI to write responses or statements for inclusion in presentation materials or Q&A preparation.
          • Citing AI:
            • Any content or insight derived from AI that informs the team’s thinking or approach must be properly cited.
            • Teams must clearly state how AI was used in the creation of the presentation (if it was used).
            • Example citation format: OpenAI. (2026). ChatGPT [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com

Petitions

Petition requirements: petitions to the MTFC management shall be considered under the following conditions:

  • Judging:
    • Shall be considered prior to the judging period for conflict of interests between a judge and a team. Conflict of interest petitions shall NOT be considered during or after the judging period.
    • Shall NOT be considered for a change in a team’s score at any time. The review of the judges is final.
  • Petitions for deadline or milestone extensions:
    • Shall be considered if incorrect information about the date or time of the deadline requirement was shared with the team and caused the team to miss the deadline or milestone. In order for this petition to be considered, the team must demonstrate specific evidence where the date or time of the deadline was shared incorrectly to the team.
    • Shall be considered if a system malfunction on the MTFC or ICS platform caused the team to not be able to meet the deadline or milestone. A technical error on the team’s side is not cause for consideration of a petition.
    • Shall NOT be considered due to a misunderstanding of the rules or other information about the MTFC. It is the team’s responsibility to ensure they understand all rules and requirements for the Challenge. If a team is unsure about a particular rule or requirement for the competition, the team has the right to contact the MTFC management to request clarification.
  • Petitions for clarification of information:
    • Shall be considered at any time if made to the MTFC management team through the MTFC website or email communications to challenge@mtfchallenge.org. We cannot guarantee receipt of a question for clarification if not made through one of these channels
    • Shall NOT be considered if the question is specific to a team’s project, or asking for information relevant to their team alone.
    • Shall be considered for clarification of publicly available information about the MTFC including but not limited to: rules, submission requirements, deadlines, or resources available.
    • Shall be made public on the MTFC website’s FAQ page, the MTFC does not provide responses specific to one team.
  • For code of conduct concerns:
    • Shall be considered at any time.
    • Shall be considered if the offended party demonstrates specific evidence of a breach of the MTFC’s Code of Conduct.

Petition review process:

  • All petitions shall be reviewed by the MTFC management for adherence to the regulations noted herein.
  • If a petition meets the regulations for review, the petition shall be reviewed by a minimum of three people including but not limited to: (1) a representative from the Institute of Competition Sciences, (2) a representative from The Actuarial Foundation, and (3) a representative from the Challenge Development Committee.
  • Upon completion of review of the petition, a representative of the MTFC shall contact the petitioner with one of three determinations: (1) the petition is accepted, (2) the petition is rejected, or (3) the petition requires additional information.
  • In some extreme instances, such as a breach of the MTFC Code of Conduct where laws are broken, petitions to the MTFC may go beyond what is noted in this petition review process. The MTFC management, Institute of Competition Sciences, and The Actuarial Foundation shall cooperate fully with the legal investigation of the matter.
  • Petitions shall only be reviewed once. Petitioners shall accept the response of the review. There shall be no appeals process after the petition.

Petition Results: petitions to the MTFC may result in the following actions.

  • If the petition is rejected: the petitioner will be contacted by the MTFC including a reason for the petition's rejection.
  • If the petition requires additional information: the petitioner shall have the opportunity to send new information for further review. After receiving any additional information, the MTFC shall contact the petition with either an accepted or rejected determination.
  • If the petition is accepted:
    • In the event that the petition is for a conflict of interest in adjudication, the subject of the conflict of interest (the Judging Committee member) shall be removed from the Committee.
    • In the event that the petition is for a deadline or milestone extension, the team requesting the extension shall be provided a new deadline date for them to meet the appropriate requirements.
    • In the event of a petition for clarification of information, the response to the petition shall be made public on the MTFC website’s FAQs page.
    • In the event of a petition for a breach in the MTFC Code of Conduct there shall be two potential responses:
      • In the event of a minor infraction, the offending party shall be contacted by an MTFC representative and given a warning that they must abide by the MTFC Code of Conduct. If the offending party conducts a second breach of the MTFC Code of Conduct, the offending party shall be removed from all MTFC activities. If the offending party is a member of a team, the team shall have the option of removing the offending party from the team or having the team removed from the MTFC.
      • In the event of a major infraction, the offending party shall be contacted by an MTFC representative and immediately removed from all MTFC activities. If the offending party is a member of a team, the team shall have the option of removing the offending party from the team or having the team removed from the MTFC. All breaches of the MTFC Code of Conduct involving the breaking of any laws shall be considered a major infraction and may be elevated to the appropriate authorities as required under local, state, or federal law.