About the challenge

Join us from January 23rd to January 25th, 2026, at Rice University for the eighth annual Rice Datathon! This multi-day event invites data enthusiasts to tackle engaging 36-hour challenges, network with companies and peers, and explore the exciting world of data science. With prizes for top teams, great networking opportunities, and delicious food, it’s an event you don’t want to miss. 

Requirements

  • Project Video (Maximum 3 Minutes): Create a concise video showcasing your project, highlighting your methods, findings, and overall approach.
  • GitHub Repository: Share a link to your public GitHub repository containing all project code, files, and documentation. Ensure the repository is public and includes a README file with clear instructions on how to access and run your project.
  • Challenge-Specific Materials: Provide any additional materials required by the specific challenge guidelines.

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

14 non-cash prizes
Best Overall
3 winners

1st Place: $150 per team member
2nd Place: $125 per team member
3rd Place: $100 per team member

Neurotech Track
2 winners

1st Place: $100 per team member
2nd Place: $25 per team member

BroadVail Capital Track
2 winners

1st Place: $100 per team member
2nd Place: $25 per team member

Beginner Track
2 winners

1st Place: $50 per team member
2nd Place: $25 per team member

OpenStax Track
2 winners

1st Place: $100 per team member
2nd Place: $25 per team member

Best Underclassmen Team
1 winner

$50 per team member

Best Social Impact
1 winner

$25 per team member

Best Visualizations
1 winner

$25 per team member

Best Visiting Team
1 winner

$25 per team member

Best Use of Gemini API
1 winner

Google Swag Kits
It’s time to push the boundaries of what's possible with AI using Google Gemini. Check out the Gemini API to build AI-powered apps that make your friends say WHOA. So, what can Gemini do for your hackathon project? Think of the possibilities… what will you build with the Google Gemini API this weekend?

Best Use of Solana
1 winner

Ledger Nano S Plus
The world of development is evolving fast and Solana is leading the charge with a network built to handle all of your infrastructure needs. Forget high fees and slow confirmations, it’s time to build applications that are fast, efficient, and scalable. Harness Solana's core advantages like blazing fast execution and near-zero transaction costs to make your hackathon ideas become real world projects. With Solana, the possibilities are endless.

Best Use of Vultr
1 winner

Portable Screens
Vultr empowers hackers to bring their high-performance projects to life instantly; providing everything from the speed of one-click deployment and scalable cloud compute, to specialized Vultr Cloud GPUs that can power AI-driven applications. We want you to push the limits of what can be built when infrastructure is no longer the bottleneck! Sign up for a Vultr account today and claim your free cloud credits! Take your next hack to the cloud with Vultr for a chance to win some awesome portable screens for you and your team!

Best Use of ElevenLabs
1 winner

Wireless Earbuds
Deploy natural, human-sounding audio with ElevenLabs. Create realistic, dynamic, and emotionally expressive voices for any project, from interactive AI companions to narrated stories and voice-enabled apps. ElevenLabs will empower you to build rich, immersive experiences without the need for actors or complex audio production, using simply the power of AI. Integrate fully autonomous audio experiences into your hack with ElevenLabs and give your project a voice, along with giving your team the chance to win some wireless earbuds!

Best Use of MongoDB Atlas
1 winner

M5GO IoT Starter Kit
MongoDB Atlas takes the leading modern database and makes it accessible in the cloud! Get started with a $50 credit for students or sign up for the Atlas free forever tier (no credit card required). Along with a suite of services and functionalities, you'll have everything you need to manage all of your data, and you can get a headstart with free resources from MongoDB University! Build a hack using MongoDB Atlas for a chance to win a M5GO IoT Starter Kit for you and each member of your team

Devpost Achievements

Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:

Judges

Bayzhan Mukatay
Fleetline AI

Kashish Mittal
Uber

Milind Jagre

Milind Jagre
Apple

Kishor Kommanaboina
Snapchat

Xiaofan Zhang
Rivian

Sevinthi Kali Sankar Nagarajan
HCL Tech

Sri Hari Sivashanmugam

Sri Hari Sivashanmugam
Chicago Department of Public Health

Rishab Mandyam
Neurotech@Rice

Dr. Luis Fernando Guzman Nateras

Dr. Luis Fernando Guzman Nateras
Rice University

Louis Yu

Louis Yu
BroadVail Capital

Dr. Lorenzo Luzi

Dr. Lorenzo Luzi
Rice University

Parminder Singh

Parminder Singh
Amazon

Victoria Liu
Neurotech@Rice

Judging Criteria

  • Data Wrangling
    How do you clean, manipulate, and process the data to make sure the final data used in the model is clean? (1-5)
  • Visualizations
    How do you use visualizations for exploratory data analysis and to communicate your findings? (1-5)
  • Findings and Analysis
    How do you interpret the findings of your project? What analysis do you perform on your results? (1-5)
  • Technical Skill
    Does your work use innovative and appropriate models, methodologies, or approaches? (1-5)
  • Social Impact
    Does your work effectively connect findings with larger global issues and demonstrate the potential to generate social good? (1-5) [Only counted for those who opt-in to social impact prize]

Questions? Email the hackathon manager

Tell your friends

Hackathon sponsors

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.