DS+X stands for Data Science + X: where X is any domain, discipline, or challenge you want to explore.
The idea is simple: data science is powerful on its own, but when you combine it with something else, it becomes transformative. That “X” could be:
- DS + Public Policy → Using data to drive civic change.
- DS + Health → Applying analytics to improve patient care.
- DS + Art → Turning datasets into visual, auditory, or interactive creations.
- DS + Climate → Modeling and predicting environmental change.
- DS + Finance → Making smarter, faster, more ethical economic decisions.
The “X” is whatever you’re passionate about. It’s your field, your cause, or your curiosity and DS+X is the framework to combine it with the tools of data science to solve real-world problems.
Whether you’re a coder, a designer, a storyteller, or an activist, DS+X invites you to bring your unique expertise and merge it with the analytical power of data.
How to Get Started:
- Assemble Your Team: Create teams of 4-5 individuals who share your passion for civic tech.
- Brainstorm Ideas: Identify challenges within the tracks that you are passionate about solving.
- Develop Your Solution: Use your skills to create a prototype that addresses your chosen challenge. You are free to use any language, framework, or library.
- Document Your Work: Ensure all code and documentation are pushed to GitHub. It’s highly recommended to have a deployed frontend to showcase your solution.
- Prepare Your Presentation: Create a PowerPoint presentation to effectively communicate about your project, its features, and its impact.
- Pitch Your Project: Present your solution to a panel of judges and receive valuable feedback
Requirements
What to Build:
Participants in the DS+X Hackathon are invited to create innovative data-driven solutions that address real-world challenges across domains such as Art, HackBU, Public Policy, Climate, Finance, Social Impact etc. Your projects should demonstrate how data science and technology can be used to empower communities, improve lives, and promote meaningful change.
Ethical Considerations:
As data scientists and technologists, it’s important to design and deploy your projects responsibly — with attention to privacy, bias, transparency, and societal impact.
Questions to consider:
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What ethical and responsibility concerns are relevant to your project?
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How has your team addressed these issues, or what steps do you still need to take before deployment?
If you’d like guidance, stop by the #ethics-genius-bar channel to chat with a mentor who can help you think through your project’s ethical implications!
What to Submit:
- A link to your project’s GitHub repository, which should include a README file that explains your project in detail.
- If applicable, a link to any website or web application you managed to create for your project.
- A link to your PowerPoint slides that effectively explain your project, its features, and its impact.
- A video that demonstrates how to set up and use your solution.
Prizes
Best Overall
Best Tech Implementation
Best Technical Execution
HackBU - 1st
HackBU - 2nd
HackBU - 3rd
HackBU - 4th
HackBU - 5th
ArtHack - Open
ArtHack - Prompt
FirstHack - 1st
FirstHack - 2nd
FirstHack - 3rd
Devpost Achievements
Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:
Judges
Ziba Cranmer
Judging Criteria
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Problem-Need Fit (20%)
Clarity of problem definition and alignment with user needs. -
Idea & Relevance (25%)
Creativity and potential impact of the idea. -
Technical Execution (25%)
Functionality, stability, usability, and innovative use of tools. Emphasis on accessibility and working demos, not unrealistic deployment. -
Design (15%)
UX clarity, navigation, visual consistency, accessibility, and thoughtful details that enhance usability. -
Responsibility & Ethics (10%)
Reflection on ethical and responsible use of data/AI. Considerations of bias, fairness, accessibility, transparency. -
Presentation (5%)
Clarity, engagement, and ability to communicate the project’s purpose and impact.
Questions? Email the hackathon manager
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