Wellcome 2021 Virtual Hackathon

SciDev.Net and Wellcome would like to invite data scientists/data journalists/medical statisticians and other professionals who work with data to apply to join a virtual hackathon, in order to undertake fast-paced, collaborative analysis of datasets published by Wellcome, GALLUP, and other sources.

One of the datasets the hackathon will focus on is the Wellcome Global Monitor – a comprehensive survey of 140,000+ individuals from 140 countries on their attitudes to science and health, as well as much more that we can’t disclose yet! We will send out full details on 29 November 2021 once all the data are published and publicly available.

The hosts would like to invite participants who have not previously engaged with the Wellcome Global Monitor to come together and produce new outputs and insights from the data. The hackathon will focus on combining available datasets, and importantly analysing data from a local or regional perspective in Africa. We will also ask participants to consider the policy and advocacy implications of their insights, as well as how these insights could lead to future research opportunities.

The hackathon, funded by Wellcome and hosted by SciDev.Net, will run from 1 December 2021 to 17 December 2021, with a formal launch event scheduled for 1 December 2021 (Time: 13:00 – 14:30 UK time) (16:00 – 17:30 Kenyan time). Participants will then work collaboratively in pre-assigned groups for just over two weeks. During this time, groups will receive support from a dedicated facilitator.

An honorarium is available for each participant for engaging with the event. A cash prize is also available to the group who produces the best hack. Certificates of participation will be provided at the end of the hackathon.

Groups will submit their hack outputs as a short presentation on 16 December 2021. The event will formally close on 17 December 2021, where there will be two sessions. Each group will present their work to all participants during session one (7:00 – 9:15 UK time) (10:00 – 12:15 Kenyan time). The winning hackathon group will be announced during session two (10:15 – 10:45 UK time) (13:15 – 13:45 Kenyan time). The hackathon will be conducted in English.

Requirements
Your application will only be considered if you are based in Africa.

To be able to fully engage with this event, we ask that each participant has access to a laptop or computer (a smartphone will not be sufficient) as well as an internet connection. Some experience in data analysis software (e.g., R, Python, STATA, Microsoft Excel) is highly encouraged as the hackathon will involve groups digging into various datasets. We will only provide very limited support on data analysis and software troubleshooting, and this will depend on the expertise of your facilitator.

Finally, as the hackathon will be a virtual event, it will be the group’s responsibility to work collaboratively to produce their results. We expect all participants to attend the launch and close events on 1 December 2021 and 17 December 2021, respectively. We also expect participants to contribute 10 hours independent work. Note that groups will be assigned nearer to the event.

How to apply?
To apply, please fill out this application form. If you wish to apply, please do so as soon as possible! We will be monitoring applications as they are received and space is limited.

Questions?
If you have any questions please feel free to email [email protected].

About SciDev.Net
SciDev.Net is unique within the global media landscape as the world’s only online news organisation dedicated to providing cutting-edge news and analysis on how science and technological innovation can improve the lives of the world’s poorest people. Readers include senior policymakers and development practitioners from around the world.

SciDev.Net is part of CABI, an international, inter-governmental, not-for-profit organization that improves people’s lives worldwide by providing information and applying scientific expertise to solve problems in agriculture and the environment. Our approach involves putting information, skills and tools into people’s hands.

About Wellcome
Wellcome is a politically and financially independent global charitable foundation, funded by a £29.1 billion investment portfolio. Our strategy includes grant funding, advocacy campaigns and partnerships to find solutions for today’s urgent health challenges.

Our founder, Sir Henry Wellcome, was a pharmaceutical entrepreneur. Our governance is based on an updated version of his will, in which he left us his wealth, his collection of historical medical items, and our mission to improve health through research.