Call for Applications
1st stage applications and pre-screening process for the UN Datathon starts. For more details on the application process, click here.
Winners of the UN Datathon 2023 have been announced!
Thanks to all the participants for a great Datathon!
Leverage technology and your expertise to develop innovative solutions for a more sustainable and equitable future
Join us on this journey of innovation, exploration, and problem-solving as we harness the power of data to create a more sustainable and resilient world.
Datathon participants will develop innovative data-driven applications, tools or statistical models combining geospatial data with other data sources to help advance the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
3-6 Nov 2023
70 hour Hybrid Datathon
Hosted in Montevideo by INE Uruguay
Organized by UN and partners in conjunction with the Festival de Datos
Participate remotely!
or on site at several locations around the world!
Main Venue: Montevideo, Uruguay
Official Satellite locations:
At UN Big Data Regional Hubs: Dubai (UAE), Hangzhou (China), Kigali (Rwanda,) Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); at participating universities: Brisbane (Australia), Geneva (Switzerland), and at the UN Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)
Can I join?
Teams of 3 - 5 researchers, students, professionals from academia, national statistical offices, other government agencies, private sector companies or enthusiasts with a background in data science, statistics, economics, and social sciences are all welcome to apply!
About
Following the success of the past three hackathons, the United Nations Committee of Experts on Big Data and Data Science for Official Statistics (UNCEBD), Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY), Uruguay's National Institute of Statistics, and the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data are hosting the "2023 UN Datathon". This is an exciting opportunity for students and data professionals to contribute solutions to the challenges of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Datathon is is organized from 3-6 November in conjunction with the Festival de Datos in Uruguay (7 to 9 November 2023). Participants may have the opportunity to have their work shown or presented at the Festival de Datos and winners' projects have a chance to be taken forward by the UN and its partners.
At a Glance
Winners list
Documentation wiki
Everything you need to know about UN Datathon 2023: links to datasets, documentation on resources and tools available to participants, the Datathon theme, rules and guidelines, trainings, webinar recordings, how to reach us, and much more!
UN Datathon Theme
Now available! Your project must be aligned with the theme for UN Datathon 2023.
Important dates
Webinars
- Trainings
- Introduction to the UN Datathon
- YOUth Engagement with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Datasets and Analytical tools
- Pre-Datathon
Office Hours
Contact
Join the mailing list and follow our socials below.
Previous Hackathon winners
2022 UN Big Data HackathonClosing ceremony with winners' presentations
2021 Youth HackathonWinning presentation: Sustainability
2020 AIS HackathonOpportunities
- Create innovative solutions
- Gain insights on SDGs
- Drive positive change
- Solve real-world problems
- Make a difference
- Learn and develop skills
- Collaborate and network
- Professional visibility
- Mentorship opportunities
- Recognition and Prizes *
* Teams will be recognized for such distinctions as best team, best team by region, best visualization, best presentation, best student teams, and others! Prizes may include the possibility of projects being incubated and/or travel to select international data conferences in 2024.
JOIN
the Mailing list
Not sure if you want to apply for the UN Datathon yet but want to stay informed?
UN Datathon Group
on the Global Network
Have a question? Join the UN Datathon Group for support before and after the UN Datathon. Click here for more details on joining the Global Network.
Marketing resources:
Video (short)
Video (long)
Posters
QR Code
Instagram
Timeline
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5 July
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17 Aug
Webinar 1: Introduction to the UN Datathon download presentation
Find out what the UN Datathon is all about and learn about advancements in Big Data analysis.
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7 Sep
Webinar 2: YOUth Engagement with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This webinar aims at offering youth perspective on the use of data and technologies to accelerate the progress towards solving the Sustainable Development Goals.
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26 Sep
Webinario Informativo en Español sobre el UN Datathon 2023 download presentation
El presente webinario del UN Datathon se presentó información importante sobre los objetivos y las modalidades del UN Datathon 2023.
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30 Sep
Deadline for applications
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4 Oct
Office Hours: Introduction to AWS and the UN Datathon download presentationDiscover the power of AWS Cloud, explore data analytics and AI/ML services, learn how to navigate the AWS Platform and different ways to access the AWS service, learn about SageMaker Studio Lab, and Amazon S3 storage.
For more information: click here.
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4 Oct
Training Webinar: Integration of Geospatial Information and Statistics for the SDGs in the context of Big Data
Unlock the power of geospatial and statistical integration with insights on its importance, inspiring data visualization, and a geospatial approach to analyze and visualize big data for the SDGs. -
10 Oct
All teams are notified about participation
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11 Oct
Training Webinar: A Guide to AIS Data Utilization download presentation
Discover AIS data fundamentals: structure, access via the UN Global Platform, and UN Datathon resources. Gain knowledge about AIS data while developing skills to interpret variables and conceptualize use cases. -
11 Oct
Office Hours: A deep dive into Amazon Sagemaker download presentationWith Amazon SageMaker, you can build, train, and deploy machine learning (ML) models for any use case with fully managed infrastructure, tools, and workflows.
For more information: click here.
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18 Oct
Office Hours: Amazon EMR download presentationFor more information: click here.
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19 Oct
Webinar 3: Datasets and Analytical Tools
Gain insights into the datasets specifically available for the UN Datathon and into other open datasets which might be useful for this competition. In addition, you will learn about some of the specific analytical tools that will be available for the Datathon. This webinar will help you better understand the resources at your disposal and will teach you how to use and get access to the these crucial analytical tools.
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23 Oct
5 NovOblivious.ai is offering an extensive series of interactive Office Hours leading up to UN Datathon exclusively for participants. These sessions will help you learn about and master Privacy Enhancing Tools (PETs). Even if you don't plan to participate in the PET Challenge track, these sessions will be an invaluable resource to learn about PETs.
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24 Oct
Training Webinar: Unlocking food and agriculture microdata through the FAM Catalogue
Join experts from UN FAO as they unveil the power of the Food and Agriculture Microdata (FAM) Catalogue. Discover how to access vital food and agriculture-related data, explore the Catalogue's features, and browse datasets.
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24 Oct
Office Hours: Introduction to Esri tools for the UN DatathonGet an introduction to the tools Esri will make available to all participants during the UN Datathon: ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World, and ArcGIS Notebooks. Learn how to create a map, perform analysis, create an interactive web app, and create a StoryMap to submit your project.
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25 Oct
Office Hours: Overview on AWS Glue, Amazon Athena, and Amazon QuickSightFor more information: click here.
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26 Oct
Webinar 4: Pre-Datathon Webinar download presentation
Our pre-Datathon webinar is a crucial event where we will reveal this year's Datathon theme that your project should focus on. It is hence important that you attend this webinar. We will also share the details of Datathon's arrangement, guidelines, and logistic information. If you have chosen to participate in-person at one of our eight venues, you will also receive some important last-minute information for in-person participation.
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3 Nov
6 Nov
UN Datathon
Over 1600 participants in more than 400 teams from around the world will develop innovative data-driven applications, tools or statistical models to help advance the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals over the course of the three day UN Datathon.
Opening Ceremony
Workshops
- AIS Workshop - 4 - 5 November 2023, Montevideo, Uruguay
- ARIES Workshop - 5 November 2023, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) Workshop - 4 November 2023, Montevideo, Uruguay
Closing Ceremony
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7 Nov
9 Nov
Festival de Datos
Punta del Este, Uruguay
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18 Jan
20242023 UN Datathon Award Ceremony
Webinar where the top 3 winners will present their solutions and receive awards.
Frequently Asked Questions
In-person attendance is not a requirement because the Datathon can be done virtually. However, the in-person teams will benefit from networking and additional in-person events such as training workshops and the Festival de Datos in Punta del Este, Uruguay. The detailed programme in each location will be announced in due time.
The funding is limited and mostly intended for data scientists working in national statistical offices.
Yes, we have a dedicated UN Datathon group on the Global Network of Data Officers and Statisticians at https://yammer.com/unstats/ for support and questions ahead of the Datathon and we will offer a Slack channel for timely support during the Datathon. Inquires can also be sent to un-big-data-hackathon@unmgcy.org