Data Challenge
Tell a story with data
The Data Challenge will bring together three competitive events, Data Visualization (7th Annual), Data Analytics (3rd Annual), and Data Sprint (3rd Annual) on Nov. 18, 2022 in a hybrid format - virtually and in-person! Take up the challenge and demonstrate the power of data, with the flexibility to take part remotely.
In every challenge, there's opportunity
Participants and teams will have the chance to showcase their ability to tell a story driven by data in three unique competitive formats. Teams can participate in all three competitive events. It is an ideal setting for citizens to get engaged, to meet leaders in academia, government, and private organizations, and to explore the world of data science.
Pre-requisites
Every participant must meet the below pre-requisites to take part in the 2022 Data Challenge successfully. The competition is not restricted to students.
- Team registration with each team member's information (up to 4 people per team).
- Teams registered for Data Visualization & Data Analytics must submit their posters by Nov. 6 at 11:59 p.m. Atlantic time.
- One member from each team must carry their laptop and charger to the event venue.
- Online participants will also require a
- Laptop with a functioning webcam and microphone.
- Stable internet connection to run video calls smoothly.
- Microsoft Teams installed or Google Chrome / Microsoft Edge internet browsers installed.
Event schedule
The Data Challenge will take place on Nov. 18, 2022 in-person at the Wu Conference Centre. All teams in the Data Visualization & Data Analytics tracks will present in the morning, and finalists will present after lunch. Data Sprint participants will only have one chance to present in the afternoon.
Teams have the option to participate virtually via Microsoft Teams. Based on the competition schedule, online teams will hop on the meeting link and tell their data story to a panel of judges.
Nov. 18, 2022
- Data Visualization competition (eliminations and finals)
- Data Analytics competition (eliminations and finals)
- Data Sprint competition (finals)
- Afternoon for awards and networking
Competitions
Data Visualization
7th Annual
Teams will assess and analyze data related to one of the 17 goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and present to an audience to communicate a recommendation, story, or new idea. This allows for better decision-making and more varied solutions to problems that span a wide range of social, environmental, and economic topics.
Presentation round
Each team will be required to present their data story to a panel of judges through data visualizations (charts, graphs, etc.) using any software (PowerPoint, Tableau, Keynote, etc). Participants will need to share their screen on Microsoft Teams and present to a panel of judges.
- The presentations are limited to 4 minutes, followed by a 10 minute Q&A period.
- Eliminations before lunch.
- Finalists will present after lunch.
- Prizes: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.
- Submission deadline: All teams must submit their completed presentations via ibec@unb.ca on Nov 17, 2022.
Infographic round
Your infographic posters will be showcased at the event venue. You will not be presenting your infographic posters.
- Portrait format: JPEG or PDF file format, medium or high resolution (min 300 DPI).
- Submission deadline: Nov 6, 2022.
- Prizes: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place + viewer's choice
Data sets (open)
- You may use any open data sets available to the public that relate to at least 1 of the 17 Goals in the 2030 Agenda.
Team composition
- Teams can have up to 4 participants.
- Open to students and non-students.
- Check pre-requisites section.
Register now (complete by 11:59 p.m. Nov 1, 2022)
Data Analytics
3rd Annual
Teams will get to put their analytical skills to the test and present their insights to an audience. Teams must choose one of the five data sets provided one month before competition (Oct. 21). What insights are you able to discover? How well can you separate the useful information from the "noise"? What outcomes are you able to predict? What are your recommendations?
Presentation round
Each team is required to present their data insights to a panel of judges explaining how they arrived at those insights through a data analytics platform of choice. Teams must be able to convey their complex analysis as simply as possible, and tell a story.
You will need to present your analysis to a panel of judges. During your presentation you must show all the steps, tests, justifications and decisions you took to arrive at your insight or prediction. Will the problem be clearly articulated? Will the null hypothesis testing be stated properly? Do you have a clear rationale for the choice of a statistical method and have you checked for normality or variance? Is there any consideration of privacy and ethical issues? Are the charts used appropriately?
You must be able to explain to a lay person these steps in a clear and concise manner. You may use any method for displaying your analysis, for example Jupyter Notebook, PowerPoint or in SPSS or STATA directly so long as you are able to display this through Microsoft Teams.
- The presentations are limited to 10 minutes, followed by a 10-minute Q&A period.
- Eliminations before lunch
- Finalists will present after lunch
- Prizes: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place
- Submission deadline: All teams must submit their completed presentations via ibec@unb.ca on Nov 17, 2022.
Teaser poster round
Using only three sentences, how much curiosity can you generate for your presentation? The teaser-posters will be shared with the judges before the competition and showcased at the venue. You will not be presenting them.
- Word document: three sentences that capture your analysis and generate interest
- Submission deadline: Nov 6, 2022
- Prizes: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place + viewer's choice
Data sets (fixed)
- Data sets will be provided on Oct. 21
- Teams must select one data set to work on.
Team composition
- Teams can have up to four participants
- Open to students and non-students
- Check pre-requisites section
Register now (complete by 11:59 p.m. Nov 1, 2022)
Data Sprint
3rd Annual
This fun hackathon-style competition will put your data skills to the test in a time-tied scenario. There is little preparation required as the data set will be provided on Nov 11, 2022, one week ahead of the event date. Can you tackle a data set with speed, accuracy and creativity? Choose your teams wisely!
Presentation round
One data set will be released to all registered teams a week in advance. All teams will get one chance to present their findings to a panel of data experts, so speed, accuracy, and creativity all count!
Similar to the analytics track, you must be able to explain to a lay person these steps in a clear and concise manner. You may use any method for displaying your analysis, for example Jupyter Notebook, PowerPoint or in SPSS or STATA directly so long as you are able to display this on your laptop or Microsoft Teams (if you are a remote participant). At least one team member will be required to attend a pre-event Q&A with the ringmaster on Nov. 15.
How quickly can a complex data set be analyzed and presented in a meaningful way?
- The presentations are limited to 4 minutes, followed by a 10-minute question and answer period.
- Teams get one week prior to competition to work on the data set.
- Prizes: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.
Data sets (fixed, single)
- One data set will be provided on Nov 11, 2022.
- Teams will have one week to work on it and showcase their results.
Team composition
- Teams can have up to 4 participants
- Open to students and non-students
- Check pre-requisites section
Register now (complete by 11:59 p.m. Nov 1, 2022)
We are actively seeking sponsors and judges for this year's competition
Receive promotional opportunities and benefits by becoming a sponsor. See our sponsorship package and get in touch with ibec@unb.ca for more information.
All sponsors
Data sponsors
