DataFest

 

REGISTRATION 
IS NOW CLOSED

 

It's time for DataFest 2013! DataFest is a data analysis competition where teams of up to five undergraduates have a weekend to attack a large and complex dataset. Your job is to represent your school by finding and communicating insights into these data. The teams that impress the judges will win prizes as well as glory for their school. Everyone else will have a great experience, lots of food, and fun!

 

This is the second DataFest at Duke, and this year the event will be even bigger than last year, with participants from Duke, UNC, and NCSU. We'll start the event on neutral grounds at SAMSI (transportation will be provided, see the schedule for more details), and return at the end of the competition for presentations and judging. This is a great opportunity to meet students from neighboring campuses with similar academic and intellectual interests, and get experience working with real world data.

 

This year DataFest celebrates the International Year of Statistics. Click here for a full list of Statistics2013 activities.

  

Who can compete?
Any undergraduate at Duke, UNC, or NCSU. All members of the team must be undergraduates. Teams can have no more than 5 people.

 

How do I register?
Registration is now closed.

Each member of the team must register separately. Ideally, you will have already chosen a team name, but this can be changed later. If you'd like to compete but don't have a team, send us an email and we'll link you up with other students who are looking for teammates.

 
Seats are limited, so register early! The deadline for registration is Friday, March 8, at 5pm. 

 

There is a nominal registration fee of $20, but you can apply for a registration grant. To do so, simply check the appropriate box on the registration form. These will be approved on a rolling basis, and you will find out within a few days of applying.

 

Do we have to stay the entire time?
No. You may come and go as you please. However, you are not allowed to work on the project except while you are on DataFest grounds, and at least 3 members of your team must attend the introduction.

 

What was DataFest 2012 like?
It was great! You can read about it here.

 

What can I win?
Cash prizes, fame, glory, or some combination thereof... And you get a t-shirt!

 

Anything else I should know about DataFest?
While DataFest is a competition, the main goal of the event is to promote collaboration. Here is a testimonial from a DataFest 2012 participant:

"DataFest 2012 was an awesome experience. To me, the best part was working in a team of friends that I usually hung out with, but had not had a chance to work together intensively on a project. We enjoyed analyzing the situations and solving problems together for our client. At the end of the day, we just got to know each other better. It was also fun to interact with other teams to explore other approaches while keeping in mind that we were in competition. The fact that we were given a huge amount of data really challenges us to come up with creative and practical approaches. Another important part was the presentation. Every team had to explain well to the judges their objectives and solutions. Our team won the Best Visualization award which is really awesome. Lastly, the food was fantastic."

DataFest is also a great opportunity to gain experience that employers are looking for. Having worked on a data analysis problem at this scale will certainly help make you a good candidate for any position that involves analysis and critical thinking, and it will provide a concrete example to demonstrate your experience during interviews.

 
What do I need to compete?
All you need is a laptop with tools for data analysis (there is no limitation on which software you use) and enthusiasm for data.

 

What are the rules of the competition?

The rules are very simple:

  • No more than five undergraduate members per team.
  • Team members can come and go as they please but all work has to be done on-site. A steady supply of food, beverage, and candy make it more inviting to stay. Last year while most students went home by 1am on Friday night, by the same time on Saturday night, teams were still going full-steam.
  • It's a competition, but a friendly one, so collaboration between teams is not only allowed but highly encouraged. Official DataFest consultants (grad students, faculty, etc.) will also be around throughout the weekend to help with any questions you might have. However you can't have outside help.

 

Event Details:
DataFest 2013 starts on Friday, March 22, 2013 at 6pm at SAMSI (transportation will be provided, check schedule page for details), and will end by 5pm on Sunday, March 24, 2013.
 
On Friday we will start with a reception where your surprise client will give a brief introduction to the data you will be working with over the weekend and tell you a bit about what they would like to get out of it. While the dataset and the client are a surprise, there is a clue hidden in the poster. The data will likely be much more complex than what you are used to seeing in your classes, and you will be given free reign to analyze it however you like. In other words, you will come up with a research question that is of interest to you, and conduct the appropriate analysis to answer your question. But you are welcomed, and encouraged, to take cues from the client's introduction when shaping your research question(s).
 
Presentations and judging will begin at 3pm on Sunday, March 24, 2013 at SAMSI. Each team will give a brief (5 minute) presentation of their findings to a panel of judges comprised of faculty and professionals from a variety of fields. There will be prizes in many categories, such as best visualization, best use of external data, and best findings. A finalized list of categories will be announced at the beginning of the competition.
 
Any questions?

Please don't hesitate to contact your local organizer with any questions:

 

Other DataFests around the country:
This year Duke, UNC, NCSU, and UCLA are holding parallel competitions, and our goal is to make it an annual event that includes as many schools as possible. If you are interested in holding DataFest at your institution, send an email to Mine Çetinkaya-Rundel to get more information on the event.