100 researchers and students from MIT and six other universities gathered on campus this April for the first weekend-long MIT Policy Hackathon. This interdisciplinary event teamed data science, engineering, and policy students to explore solutions to real societal challenges submitted by sponsor organizations.
The hackathon, subtitled “Data to Decisions,” was organized and run by students from MIT’s Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS). Participants used datasets provided by nonprofit, education, and government institutions to pitch solutions to complex challenges in cybersecurity, health, energy and climate, transportation, and the future of work. A panel of judges evaluated the pitches and read final policy proposals.
“It’s a different type of hackathon in that it is focused on public policy outcomes,” says Amy Umaretiya, a student organizer with IDSS’s Master’s program in Technology and Policy (TPP). “We have these concrete challenges put forth by...
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