IBM Call for Code Research Challenge
Join the IBM Call for Code Research Challenge to build solutions that fight back against the most pressing issue of our time: Climate Change.
The Call for Code Research Challenge – created by David Clark Cause and supported by Founding Partner IBM and Charitable Partner United Nations Human Rights – invites student developers and problem solvers around the world to build solutions that fight back against the most pressing issues of our time.
Participants will be given the platform to use data and technology to attack the challenge theme: Climate Change
Join the coding community, compete for cash, interview opportunities and IBM mentorship!
Did you know that by 2050, the global population will reach 9.8 billion people, exerting further pressure on the earth’s resources? And, by the year 2100, global temperatures could increase 3–5 degrees Celsius. Problems like these are why IBM became a Founding Partner of Call for Code, a multiyear challenge to developers around the world to use their skills toward solving global issues.
Our planet is wrestling with the rapid and dramatic effects of our changing climate crisis, which is intensifying over time. Climate change has the potential to impact every human, every industry, and every living organism on the planet. It sounds extreme because it is. Global discussions surrounding climate change have focused on both prevention and immediate and necessary adaptation. Exhaustive research has confirmed changing weather patterns, rapidly rising sea levels, and extreme weather events proliferating worldwide.
Now in the fourth year of Call for Code, we’ve found that if you want to create something great, you’ve got to get everyone involved. That’s why we are turning to you. Students and researchers have created some of the most impactful and unique solutions we’ve seen. We’re coming together with ETH Zurich, EPFL, MIT, Stanford and the University of Tokyo to launch the Call for Code Research Challenge from 13 to 27 September 2021.
We will be asking you to form teams of 1–5 members. You can create a team among yourselves or join a multi-university team. More details will be available as we get closer to the kickoff. Each team will then be asked to build a solution using at least one IBM service, technology or API, along with any other open source technology, to address the problem of climate change.
We look forward to seeing how you change the world!
Target students
Doctoral, Master's and high-level Bachelor's students
Participant background
Students in a science, technical or climate change/sustainability programme
Focus areas
Climate change is without a doubt one of the most pressing issues of our time. Leverage data from the external page Mayflower Autonomous Ship, external page IBM Weather Operations Center Geospatial Analytics engine (PAIRS) or bring your own data to tackle the impacts of climate change on our planet and communities. Build a solution or prototypes that help address climate change via:
- sustainable water use
- resilient agriculture
- responsible production
- climate risk and impact – quantifying the risk to socioeconomic and natural systems of current and future climate change
Innovate
Leverage the latest in data science, machine learning, and AI tools to develop an innovative solution that can help deal with the problems presented by climate change on our planet and communities.
Submission
Submissions must include at least one IBM technology, data set or API, along with any other open source technology, to address the problem of climate change. Submissions may require additional research, but must have a clear use case.
Example technologies:
- IBM Watson Assistant
- IBM Watson Machine Learning
- IBM Weather Operations Center Geospatial Analytics engine
At the end of the challenge, we will expect from each team a brief 3 minute video detailing what you’ve created, a description for how you put it all together and who your project is intended to help, and a roadmap to show the judges where your project is going.
Judging
The solutions should be such that they can be extended and expanded upon. You will be judged based on:
- Completeness and transferability
- Effectiveness and efficiency – positive impact to science or scientific research
- Design and usability
- Creativity and innovation
Building for users
Make sure you have a clear user in mind! Your solution should provide users with information, recommendations and insights that are relevant to them and how climate change is impacting their community.
Examples include:
- Agricultural workers
- Fishing industry
- Low-income communities (lack of local resources, greater economic instability)
- General civilian population
Prizes
- Team cash prizes: US$5k first place; US$3k second place; US$1k third place
- Top teams will get the chance to interview with IBM, access to high impact internships and jobs
- Mentorship opportunities with IBM researchers
Schedule
Challenge dates: 13–27 September 2021
Registration deadline: 8 September 2021. Students are encouraged to register early in order to find a team before deadline. (Teaming session on 8 September 2021)
Judging: 27–29 September 2021
Closing ceremony: 4 October 2021
Challenge time commitment: Approximately 7 hrs/week. Participants may choose to spend more or less time since they determine their actual time available, and time needed to compete the necessary work for submission.
Live sessions during the morning (US Eastern Standard Time) / late afternoon Central European Time
For more information including how to register, please click on the link: external page https://ibm.biz/cfcresearchchallenge
