Cornell Institute For Digital Agriculture Hackathon

Revolutionizing Agriculture for a Sustainable Future
Cornell Institute for Digital Agriculture (CIDA) invites innovators to tackle global food system challenges at the intersection of biology, ecology, technology, and business.

Join graduate and undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds in a 36-hour hackathon to pioneer solutions for the future of agriculture.

Hackathon Overview

• Who Can Join: Open to all graduate and undergraduate students, regardless of major or year.

• What to Expect: Workshops, mentorship, networking, $8,000 in prizes, and a chance to build impactful projects.

• How It Works: Form teams, ideate, and create solutions in one of five focus areas. Present your projects to expert judges for feedback and awards.

  
  

Focus Areas

1. Data-Driven Agriculture:
   Explore precision management, production data analysis, and resource-efficient data-driven methods.

2. Controlled Environmental Agriculture (CEA):
   Enhance nutrient-dense food production and optimize growing conditions through technology.

3. Climate-Smart Agriculture:
   Innovate to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, manage water use, and protect ecosystems.

4. Circular Agrifood Systems:
   Address global food waste, promote recycling, and enhance supply chain efficiency.

5. One Health Solutions:
   Develop integrated approaches addressing the interconnected health of humans, animals, and the environment.

   
   

Schedule

Day 1: February 15 (Thursday)

• 6:00–7:30 PM: Team Formation Session. Pitch ideas, join teams, or network via the participant Google sheet.

  
  

Day 2: February 16 (Friday)

• 9:00 AM–5:00 PM: Virtual Reality Demo by Boehringer Ingelheim & USDA-ARS. Explore biosecurity through interactive VR experiences.

• 5:00 PM: Welcome and Kickoff.

• 7:15 PM: Fast Start Workshop. Sprint exercises to prepare for the hackathon.

Day 3: February 17 (Saturday)

9:00 AM: Hacking Begins. Team registration deadline.

• 10:30 AM–4:30 PM: Team updates and mentoring sessions.

• 6:15 PM: Pitch Workshop. Learn to create compelling demos and presentations.

Day 4: February 18 (Sunday)

• 8:45 AM: Submission Deadline.

• 9:30 AM–11:30 AM: Team demos.

• 12:00 PM–2:00 PM: Finalist presentations.

• 2:30 PM: Winners announced.

  
  

Judging Criteria

Projects will be evaluated based on:

• Originality and creativity

• Practicality and real-world impact

• User interface and experience (UI/UX)

• Functionality and technical skills

• Presentation quality

  
  

Why Join?

• Access mentorship from 50+ industry and academic experts.

• Network with 150+ peers passionate about digital agriculture.

• Compete for a share of $8,000 in prizes.

  
  

Embrace this opportunity to shape the future of agriculture through innovation and collaboration!