Hackathon

STEM graduate students, undergraduates, postdocs, and entrepreneurs: Now seeking entrants for the 2nd global Breakthrough Ideas in Organ Banking Hackathon, 

Organ Banking Summit 2017

Breakthrough Ideas in Organ Banking:

Young Investigators’ Hackathon

Competition Guidelines and Rules

Section 1. Mission

The organ shortage affects millions of people around the globe each year. The ability to preserve viable organs long-term will greatly enhance the availability and efficacy of tissues and organs for transplantation. 

Teams will propose an idea for a research project, technology, or application that could lead to a breakthrough that will enable cryopreservation of large tissues and organs.

Section 2. Prize Purse

1.     $10,000 will be awarded to the winning team members. 

2.     When appropriate, the team members will have the opportunity to pursue funding for their proposal with OPA matchmaking and/or grant writing support.

Section 3. Eligibility

1.     All undergraduate students, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and entrepreneurs in science and engineering who are registered and attending the Organ Banking Summit 2017 are eligible to register for the Hackathon (provide link).

2.     The Breakthrough Idea proposed must be novel. Ideas discussed previously in a public forum (e.g. scientific literature, presentations at scientific conferences) should not be proposed, and teams proposing them will be disqualified.

3.     If the proposed Breakthrough Idea, or any component of it, a) was generated in an entrant’s lab, b) reflects proprietary knowledge from an entrant’s lab, or c) is closely related to the work that may be pursued by an entrant’s lab in the near future, then the entrant must obtain permission from lab’s PI before proposing the Breakthrough Idea or discussing it with other entrants.

4.     Registrants may enter as:

a.     A pre-formed team of 3-4 members OR

b.     An individual

5.     When registering as a team, please provide a Team Name so you may be properly matched.

6.     Individuals will be combined to form teams.

7.     Entry to the Hackathon is free with summit registration

8.     All Hackathon participants MUST be fully registered for the Organ Banking Summit

9.     Spaces are limited, and registrants will be accepted on a first-come basis.

Section 4. Pre-summit

1.     Teams will be notified shortly after the registration deadline (July 19th) prior to the summit regarding their inclusion into the Hackathon.

2.     Teams will have the opportunity to attend a virtual Orientation session with organizers in mid-July, during which background information will be shared and questions regarding the Hackathon will be answered.

3.     Teams should begin preparations for their proposals prior to the Summit.  No time will be set aside for preparation during the summit.

4.     Prior to the Summit, Teams will be afforded the opportunity (based on availability) to schedule one or two 30-minute virtual sessions with pre-selected “Mentors” to obtain feedback regarding their Breakthrough proposal.

Section 4. At the Summit

1.     Teams will attend the opening reception at the Hyatt Regency Boston (evening Aug 3), where they will introduce themselves and briefly discuss (1-2 sentences) their breakthrough idea.

2.     Teams will present a printed poster on their breakthrough idea at the Summit Poster Session (Aug 4)

a.     Teams may modify their presentation during the judging rounds (see below) based on feedback on the poster. Only the presentations will be used as a basis for scoring.

3.     Teams are expected to participate in the regular program of events throughout the Organ Banking Summit.

4.     Presentation to judges will take place during the Organ Banking Summit (Aug 5,Preliminary Rounds during Breaks/Lunch, Finals during an afternoon session, see schedule).

Section 5. Competition Scoring:

1.     Proposals will be presented to and evaluated by a judging panel composed of leading experts in the field attending the Summit.  Presentations are limited to 10 minutes, with 5 minutes for questions.   Slides may be used. A/V equipment will be available at the venue, and Teams will provide their own laptop, etc.

2.     Teams will be scored on a 10-point scale in three (3) separate categories: Feasibility, Innovation, and Impact.  Scores from each of the categories will be totaled to give a final score.

3.     Preliminary Round, “Tournament-style”: Teams will be assigned into one of two Groups and evaluated by a set of 3 judges (senior investigators or biotech executives involved in organ banking research) who are assigned to one Group.   Judges will select one (1) Team from their Group to advance to the Final Round. There will be two Finalist teams. Judges may use, but are not required to use, a scoring rubric for evaluating the presentations.

a.     All judges will be identified to the competitors before the Summit begins, but judges for a given team’s preliminary round will not be revealed until the time of the team’s presentation.

b.     An investigator who served as a team’s mentor will not serve as a judge for that team’s preliminary round, nor will an investigator with a significant conflict of interest.

4.     Final Round: Finalist teams will be evaluated by an expanded judging panel.  The judges will select one (1) winner for the Hackathon.  Judges may use, but are not required to use, a scoring rubric for evaluating the presentations.

Section 6. Disclosure of ideas

1.     The Breakthrough Ideas in Organ Banking hackathon is an exercise in thinking and brainstorming. It is unique in the extent to which it rewards generation of ideas in science and engineering (e.g. $10,000 prize, feedback on entrants’ ideas from experts, network-building, notoriety in the field). But note ideas themselves are not intellectual property, and entrants should be aware that no intellectual property protections apply to ideas discussed with other hackathon participants.

2.     The open discussion of ideas is not only good for the whole; for individual advancement, the openness of the hackathon is a natural extension of the “right balance” discovered over by many biotech companies and labs – especially in Silicon Valley, the birthplace of the Organ Preservation Alliance and the Breakthrough Ideas in Organ Banking hackathons. 

a.     This is because even a brilliant idea is just a starting place. Most must be refined many times over, and many other key ingredients must be added before an idea starts to create value.

b.     For more on this topic, see this post on “the value of mere ideas,” the go-to explanation of this concept used by the preeminent start accelerator Y Combinator: http://paulgraham.com/start.html

3.     Nevertheless, priority to pursue ideas, as well as proprietary knowledge, must be respected to the extend expected in an academic or industry context.

a.     Thus, the clause above warrants reiterating here: If the proposed Breakthrough Idea, or any component of it, a) was generated in an entrant’s lab, b) reflects proprietary knowledge from an entrant’s lab, or c) is closely related to the work that may be pursued by an entrant’s lab in the near future, then the entrant must obtain permission from lab’s PI before proposing the Breakthrough Idea or discussing it with other entrants.

HACKATHON

STEM graduate students, undergraduates, postdocs, and entrepreneurs: Now seeking entrants for the 2nd global Breakthrough Ideas in Organ Banking Hackathon, 

Organ Banking Summit 2017

Breakthrough Ideas in Organ Banking:

Young Investigators’ Hackathon

Competition Guidelines and Rules

Section 1. Mission
The organ shortage affects millions of people around the globe each year. The ability to preserve viable organs long-term will greatly enhance the availability and efficacy of tissues and organs for transplantation. 

Teams will propose an idea for a research project, technology, or application that could lead to a breakthrough that will enable cryopreservation of large tissues and organs.

Section 2. Prize Purse

1.     $10,000 will be awarded to the winning team members. 

2.     When appropriate, the team members will have the opportunity to pursue funding for their proposal with OPA matchmaking and/or grant writing support.

Section 3. Eligibility

1.     All undergraduate students, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and entrepreneurs in science and engineering who are registered and attending the Organ Banking Summit 2017 are eligible to register for the Hackathon (provide link).

2.     The Breakthrough Idea proposed must be novel. Ideas discussed previously in a public forum (e.g. scientific literature, presentations at scientific conferences) should not be proposed, and teams proposing them will be disqualified.

3.     If the proposed Breakthrough Idea, or any component of it, a) was generated in an entrant’s lab, b) reflects proprietary knowledge from an entrant’s lab, or c) is closely related to the work that may be pursued by an entrant’s lab in the near future, then the entrant must obtain permission from lab’s PI before proposing the Breakthrough Idea or discussing it with other entrants.

4.     Registrants may enter as:

a.     A pre-formed team of 3-4 members OR

b.     An individual

5.     When registering as a team, please provide a Team Name so you may be properly matched.

6.     Individuals will be combined to form teams.

7.     Entry to the Hackathon is free with summit registration

8.     All Hackathon participants MUST be fully registered for the Organ Banking Summit

9.     Spaces are limited, and registrants will be accepted on a first-come basis.

Section 4. Pre-summit

1.     Teams will be notified shortly after the registration deadline (July 19th) prior to the summit regarding their inclusion into the Hackathon.

2.     Teams will have the opportunity to attend a virtual Orientation session with organizers in mid-July, during which background information will be shared and questions regarding the Hackathon will be answered.

3.     Teams should begin preparations for their proposals prior to the Summit.  No time will be set aside for preparation during the summit.

4.     Prior to the Summit, Teams will be afforded the opportunity (based on availability) to schedule one or two 30-minute virtual sessions with pre-selected “Mentors” to obtain feedback regarding their Breakthrough proposal.

Section 4. At the Summit

1.     Teams will attend the opening reception at the Hyatt Regency Boston (evening Aug 3), where they will introduce themselves and briefly discuss (1-2 sentences) their breakthrough idea. 

2.     Teams will present a printed poster on their breakthrough idea at the Summit Poster Session (Aug 4)

a.     Teams may modify their presentation during the judging rounds (see below) based on feedback on the poster. Only the presentations will be used as a basis for scoring.

3.     Teams are expected to participate in the regular program of events throughout the Organ Banking Summit. 

4.     Presentation to judges will take place during the Organ Banking Summit (Aug 5,Preliminary Rounds during Breaks/Lunch, Finals during an afternoon session, see schedule).

Section 5. Competition Scoring:

1.     Proposals will be presented to and evaluated by a judging panel composed of leading experts in the field attending the Summit.  Presentations are limited to 10 minutes, with 5 minutes for questions.   Slides may be used. A/V equipment will be available at the venue, and Teams will provide their own laptop, etc.

2.     Teams will be scored on a 10-point scale in three (3) separate categories: Feasibility, Innovation, and Impact.  Scores from each of the categories will be totaled to give a final score.

3.     Preliminary Round, “Tournament-style”: Teams will be assigned into one of two Groups and evaluated by a set of 3 judges (senior investigators or biotech executives involved in organ banking research) who are assigned to one Group.   Judges will select one (1) Team from their Group to advance to the Final Round. There will be two Finalist teams. Judges may use, but are not required to use, a scoring rubric for evaluating the presentations.

a.     All judges will be identified to the competitors before the Summit begins, but judges for a given team’s preliminary round will not be revealed until the time of the team’s presentation.

b.     An investigator who served as a team’s mentor will not serve as a judge for that team’s preliminary round, nor will an investigator with a significant conflict of interest.

4.     Final Round: Finalist teams will be evaluated by an expanded judging panel.  The judges will select one (1) winner for the Hackathon.  Judges may use, but are not required to use, a scoring rubric for evaluating the presentations.

Section 6. Disclosure of ideas

1.     The Breakthrough Ideas in Organ Banking hackathon is an exercise in thinking and brainstorming. It is unique in the extent to which it rewards generation of ideas in science and engineering (e.g. $10,000 prize, feedback on entrants’ ideas from experts, network-building, notoriety in the field). But note ideas themselves are not intellectual property, and entrants should be aware that no intellectual property protections apply to ideas discussed with other hackathon participants.

2.     The open discussion of ideas is not only good for the whole; for individual advancement, the openness of the hackathon is a natural extension of the “right balance” discovered over by many biotech companies and labs – especially in Silicon Valley, the birthplace of the Organ Preservation Alliance and the Breakthrough Ideas in Organ Banking hackathons. 

a.     This is because even a brilliant idea is just a starting place. Most must be refined many times over, and many other key ingredients must be added before an idea starts to create value.

b.     For more on this topic, see this post on “the value of mere ideas,” the go-to explanation of this concept used by the preeminent start accelerator Y Combinator: http://paulgraham.com/start.html

3.     Nevertheless, priority to pursue ideas, as well as proprietary knowledge, must be respected to the extend expected in an academic or industry context.

a.     Thus, the clause above warrants reiterating here: If the proposed Breakthrough Idea, or any component of it, a) was generated in an entrant’s lab, b) reflects proprietary knowledge from an entrant’s lab, or c) is closely related to the work that may be pursued by an entrant’s lab in the near future, then the entrant must obtain permission from lab’s PI before proposing the Breakthrough Idea or discussing it with other entrants.

Background Material