Dates

  • Event Date: January 31, 2026

  • Time: 10:30 AM – 5:30 PM ET

  • Location: Marston Science Library, Room L136, University of Florida

  • Submission Deadline: All projects must be submitted on Devpost by 5:30 PM ET on January 31, 2026.

Late submissions will not be eligible for prizes.

Eligibility

  • Open to:

    • University of Florida undergraduate and graduate students

    • Students from other institutions

    • Community members from Gainesville and surrounding areas

    • Librarians, educators, and independent learners

  • Participants may attend in person or virtually.

  • No prior coding, data science, or geospatial experience is required.

  • Participants may work solo or in teams.

  • All participants must register using the official event registration form to be eligible for prizes.

Project and Submission Requirements

To be eligible for judging, each team or individual must:

  • Create a project on the official Devpost page for the EMERGE NASA Data Hackathon

  • Submit one Devpost project per team

  • Add all team members to the Devpost submission

  • Select one official hackathon track (put your track in the title):

    • Beginner

    • Intermediate

    • Advanced

    • Field Track (Community Science Kits)

    • App Improvement Track

  • Use NASA-supported GLOBE Observer data, either directly or in combination with other datasets

Each submission must include:

  • A project title and short description

  • A clear explanation of what was built

  • A description of the data used

  • At least one uploaded visual or media asset (map, dashboard, screenshot, infographic, photo, or slide)

  • A brief explanation of why the project matters for communities, public health, or environmental understanding

For the App Improvement Track, teams must submit an App Improvement Brief outlining the problem, proposed solution, and design or technical considerations. Working code is not required.

Projects must be created during the hackathon timeframe. Pre-existing work may be used only if clearly disclosed and substantially expanded during the event.