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ARA Program Rules

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Last updated: March 12, 2021

By applying to or participating in the Amazon Research Awards Program (“ARA Program”), you agree to the following rules (“Rules”). These Rules are solely between Amazon Web Services, Inc. (“AWS,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) and the entity that you represent (“you” or “your”), including the lead researcher/s who applies to the ARA Program (the “Principal Investigator”) and any members of the research team. Capitalized terms not defined herein may be defined in the AWS Customer Agreement. The Principal Investigator is responsible for distributing these rules to all members of the research team before they participate in any research in connection with a proposal funded by the ARA Program.

I. Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for an ARA Program award (“Award”), the Principal Investigator must be (1) either a full-time faculty member at an accredited academic institution or a permanent researcher at a non-governmental organization with recognized legal status in their respective country (equivalent to 501(c)(3) status under the United States Internal Revenue Code) and (2) at or above the age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence at the time of application. Each Principal Investigator is permitted to submit only one proposal to the ARA Program per call for proposal period.

By submitting your proposal to the ARA Program, you represent that your Principal Investigator:

(a) is not a paid employee of a government entity (other than an accredited academic institution);

(b) is not under US export controls or sanctions;

(c) has not been a director, officer, employee, intern or contractor of Amazon or its affiliates within the 12 months preceding application to the ARA Program (“Ineligible Personnel”);

(d) is not a member of the immediate family or household of Ineligible Personnel;

(e) has not participated in or had decision-making authority over any cloud infrastructure procurements involving AWS or its affiliates; and

The ARA Program is void in Cuba, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Sudan, the region of Crimea, and where otherwise prohibited by law.

Amazon employees are not eligible to receive an Award.

II. Application Content

No proposal to the ARA Program may contain any confidential information and no part may be marked as ‘confidential.’ Amazon does not accept any legal obligation (whether of confidentiality, compensation, return or otherwise) with respect to any proposals. Amazon reserves the right to implement competitive, similar, or identical ideas in the future, without restriction or obligation. You understand and acknowledge that Amazon has wide access to technology, designs, and other materials, and may work on and/or develop projects and ideas that may be competitive with, similar to, or identical to your proposal in theme, idea, format or other respects, inclusive. You acknowledge and agree that you will not be entitled to any compensation as a result of Amazon’s use of any such similar or identical material that has or may come to Amazon from other sources.

You represent and warrant that your proposal

(a) is either your original work or an update to original work;

(b) does not, to your knowledge, infringe any third party patent rights; and

(c) does not infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any other third party intellectual property rights (i.e. other than patent rights), including any copyrights, trade secrets, trademarks, contract or licensing rights, rights of publicity or privacy, or moral rights.

III. Awards

Proposals selected for funding will receive an Award that may include cash, AWS Promotional Credit, or both. Award funding is not extendable or transferable without our written consent, but you may submit new proposals for subsequent ARA Program calls.

All Award amounts will be determined by AWS in its sole discretion. Any cash component of an Award:

(a) will be structured as a one-year unrestricted gift to your Principal Investigator’s academic institution or organization;

(b) will be provided directly to your academic institution or organization for distribution and management; and

(c) may not be used for indirect expenses which are not incurred solely for your Principal Investigator’s research.

You or your academic institution are responsible for any costs and expenses associated with an Award, including overhead or indirect costs. You will be required to complete administrative requirements to process any cash Award, which may include submitting a W-9 form, completing a tax questionnaire, and registering in Amazon’s Payee Central System. If your organization is unable to complete these requirements in a timely manner, AWS reserves the right to rescind the Award. Any payment from AWS to you under the Award may be issued by a purchase order. Except where prohibited by law, you are responsible for all taxes (including income tax and value added tax) that may be imposed on you by your local tax authorities. These Rules, the agreements referenced herein, and any other agreement regarding the relationship between you and AWS will constitute a Master Agreement under the terms of the purchase order.

IV. AWS Customer Agreement

Your use of any AWS Promotional Credit is subject to the general AWS Customer Agreement terms or other terms governing your use of AWS Services (“Agreement”). In the event of a conflict between these Rules and the Agreement, the Agreement will control with respect to your access to and use of the Service Offerings. Additionally, any use of AWS Promotional Credit will be in accordance with and subject to the AWS Promotional Credit Terms & Conditions. In the event of a conflict between these Rules and the AWS Promotional Credit Terms & Conditions, the AWS Promotional Credit Terms & Conditions will govern with respect to any AWS Promotional Credit you receive.

V. Privacy

You acknowledge and agree that we may collect, store, share, and otherwise use personally identifiable information provided during the ARA Program application process, including but not limited to, name, mailing address, phone number, and email address. All personally identifiable information collected is subject to, and will be used in accordance with, the Amazon Privacy Notice, including for administering ARA Program and verifying applicant’s identities, addresses, and telephone numbers in the event a proposal is selected for funding. By participating in the ARA Program, you consent to the transfer of personal data to the United States for purposes of administering the ARA Program, conducting publicity about the ARA Program, and additional purposes that are consistent with goals relating to the ARA Program. The data controller for information collected by us is Amazon.com Services, Inc., 410 Terry Ave North, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA.

VI. Marketing & Publicity

Except where prohibited, you consent to our use of your name, likeness, biographical information, and voice in advertising, publicity, trade, and other marketing and promotional materials (including video, audio, and print through all means of distribution) worldwide without compensation, notice or approval, and you disclaim any ownership rights to the content of such materials.

You may acknowledge our support by stating that your research is supported by the ARA Program. Any use of the AWS logo is subject to the AWS Trademark Guidelines. Any other use of Amazon logos requires Amazon’s prior written consent. You must receive AWS’s prior written consent before issuing a press release or making any public disclosure regarding your participation in the ARA Program. You agree not to misrepresent or embellish the relationship between us and you. You will not imply any relationship or affiliation between us and you except as expressly permitted by these Rules.

VII. Limitation of Liability

YOU ACCEPT THE CONDITIONS STATED IN THESE OFFICIAL RULES, AGREES TO BE BOUND BY THE DECISIONS OF AMAZON, AND WARRANT THAT YOU ARE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ARA PROGRAM. EACH RESEARCH TEAM MEMBER, THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR AND THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR’S INSTITUTION HEREBY RELEASES AMAZON FROM, AND WAIVES ANY AND ALL CLAIMS AGAINST AMAZON FOR, ANY LOSSES, LIABILITY, AND DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, (INCLUDING FOR ANY LOSS OF DATA, LOST PROFITS, COST OF COVER OR OTHER SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, EXEMPLARY OR RELIANCE DAMAGES) INCURRED OR SUSTAINED IN CONNECTION WITH OR RISING OUT OF (1) THE ARA PROGRAM OR ANY TRAVEL OR ACTIVITY RELATED THERETO, (2) USE OF ANY PROPOSAL OR RIGHTS THEREIN, OR (3) ANY BREACH OF ANY AGREEMENT OR WARRANTY ASSOCIATED WITH THE ARA PROGRAM, INCLUDING THESE OFFICIAL RULES, HOWEVER CAUSED AND REGARDLESS OF THEORY OF LIABILITY.

VIII. Changes

We may amend any of these rules at our sole discretion by posting the revised terms on the ARA Program website. Your continued participation in the ARA Program after the effective date of the revised rules constitutes your acceptance of the rules.

IX. Disputes

Any dispute or claim relating in any way to the ARA Program will be resolved in accordance with terms set forth in the AWS Customer Agreement.

X. Representations and Warranties

You represent and warrant that:

(a) your receipt of any Award is neither prohibited nor inconsistent with any applicable laws, regulations, or binding orders, including applicable ethics rules or internal institutional rules;

(b) you have completed or will complete all legal and ethical requirements necessary to accept the Award;

(c) your receipt of the Award will not create a conflict of interest for AWS or its affiliates;

(d) you are not participating in, nor have any decision-making authority over, any procurements or purchasing decisions involving AWS or its affiliates on behalf of your organization; and

(e) you will properly book and record the Award in your accounting documents in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

In the event that your representations and warranties under this section are or become inaccurate, you must notify us immediately and any Award your organization receives will be voidable.

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