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Competition Setting
Climate change is causing unprecedented challenges for our society. One of the most pressing challenges for coastal communities is Sea Level Rise (SLR). Two primary global warming factors can cause SLR: water added to seas from melting ice sheets and glaciers and the expansion of seawater as it warms and associated changes in ocean circulation.
According to the 6th IPCC assessment report, the global mean sea level rise is accelerating at a rate of 3.7 mm per year. This rate is much higher in the Gulf of Mexico (10 mm/year) than in other parts of the world ocean and the global mean (Dangendorf et al., 2023). In addition to direct flooding, SLR can multiply the impact of floods from other phenomena like storm surges and heavy precipitation. The flood risk for the global coastline is expected to increase from $19.6 billion per year to $84 billion per year by 2050 while accounting for SLR from climate change and other processes (Tiggeloven et al, 2020).
By the end of the century, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) experts anticipate the sea level to rise an additional 12 inches (0.3 meters) or more above sea level. According to the US Census Bureau’s Coastline America infographic, 29.1 percent (94.7 million people) of the US population lives within a coastal region. The Gulf of Mexico is experiencing one of the sharpest rates of SLR in the world, with the fastest-growing population in the US.
There are numerous tools to visualize the potentially damaging impacts of SLR. NOAA’s Sea Level Rise Viewer website visualizes the potential impact of coastal flooding based on different climate change scenarios. Texas A&M University and Texas Sea Grant partnered with the Nature Conservancy and other organizations to create the Coastal Reliance guide for the Gulf of Mexico. Climate Central, a non-profit climate science news organization, created the Coastal Risk Screening Tool. These tools help visualize the complex global climate models (GCM), a mathematical representation of the interaction between significant climate system components like changes in the atmosphere, land surface erosion, rising ocean temperatures, sea ice melting, and human activities.
Competition Challenge
Data-driven climate change research involves using data and statistical analysis to create models that help researchers, policymakers, government agencies, and industries understand the costs and impact of global climate change. Analyzing the complex interactions of society, global climate systems, and other natural phenomena is essential to making informed decisions. This analysis can include historical data on SLR and human impact on climate systems to identify patterns and trends, using GCM to map impacted communities, and monitoring changes in environments in real time. The goal of data-driven climate change research is to improve our ability to predict and manage the impact of climate change on human communities and natural resources.
What you need to do: With this competition, we are looking for innovative and narrative-driven analyses that can help better understand and manage SLR and ultimately mitigate its effects on people and the environment. Particularly, the contestants are expected to locate and analyze an impacted community, service, infrastructure, or facility and provide actionable advice to decision-makers based on their analysis. There are two main components to this challenge:
- Predicting SRL Impact: SLR is influenced by a complex interplay of factors, and its impact can vary from location to location. This variation makes it challenging to develop regional models and forecasting tools.
- Communication with End-users: Climate change research and SLR are contentious and often polarizing topics. Researchers need to effectively communicate their findings to end-users such as facility managers, policymakers, and the public in a convincing and trustworthy manner.
Data & Resources
Data resources will be shared and posted here at the competition opening on February 28, 2023.
Join our Discord Server for the latests announcements and find other students to team up with!
Competition Organization & Schedule
Registration Details
Registration Deadline: Monday, February 26th, 2024, 11:59 pm
Competitors register using a [REGISTRATION CLOSED] Qualtrics Registration Form (TAMU UIN required for all team members) and acknowledge their understanding and intent to follow the rules of the competition. All registrations will be acknowledged. Registrants should list their teammates’ names, emails, UINs, student status, departments, and majors. Registrations can be updated to include further teammates. All team members must register by 11:59 pm February 26, 2023; otherwise, they will not be included in the competition.
Eligibility: The competition is open to graduate and undergraduate students from all majors at Texas A&M University, including the Galveston and Qatar campuses. Competitors must be enrolled as a student at Texas A&M University during the Spring 2024 semester.
Teams, Divisions & Mentors
Students will work in teams of up to five (5) members. The competition is split into two divisions: undergraduate and graduate. A team with at least one graduate student will be assigned to the graduate division. You must provide each team member’s name, email, UIN, student status, department, and major. Have this information ready before you begin filling out the registration form. Teams have the option of having a faculty mentor to provide guidance. Competitors must obtain the agreement of the mentor to serve in this role before listing them in the registration. Competition judges and organizers cannot serve as team mentors.
Find teammates through the 2024 Data Challenge Discord Server
Competition Overview
Data release and competition submission will be conducted through the competition’s Canvas community. The organizers will enroll registrants and configure teams using the details provided in the registration form. All team members’ names, emails, and UINs must be provided by 11:59 pm February 26, 2023; otherwise, they will not be included in the competition.
| Tuesday, February 26 | Competitor and Team Registration Deadline |
| Thursday, February 29 6:00pm–9:00pm ISLB Auditorium | Technical Orientation Session (Hybrid): Competition Opens–Data Release |
| Thursday, March 7 6:00pm–7:00pm | Workshop and Q&A (Online) |
| Thursday, March 21 6:30pm–7:30pm | Midpoint Event (Online): Best Progress Graphic Prizes |
| Thursday, April 4 | Report Submission Deadline |
| Thursday, April 11 | Finalists Announced |
| Thursday, April 18 6:00pm–9:00pm SLB Auditorium | Final Event (Hybrid): Presentations and Prize Awards |
Questions or Concerns? Email Drew Casey.
Technical Orientation Session (Hybrid) | February 29, 6–9 pm
The competition’s opening Technical Orientation Session will be held on Feb 29th, 2024, 6–9 pm, in person in the Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Building (ILSB) with remote participation via Zoom (available through the Canvas page). The session will present information on conference organization, the competition datasets, the competition context of bibliometrics analysis, and some orientation around approaches to statistical analysis, visualization, and data science project management.
- Data Release: datasets will be released through Canvas and registered teams may commence their analyses.
Office Hours (Online) | March and Early April
Members of the organizing committee will be on hand to advise competitors on access and use of the competition data resources, and technical issues concerning analysis.
- Dates and times for office hours will be announce later.
- Zoom link: Pending
Workshop and Q&A (Online) | March 7, 6–7 pm
The organizers will host an online workshop and Q&A session on March 7, 2024, 6:00pm–7:00pm. The workshop will cover useful skills and techniques for the competition. Additionally, participants will receive additional guidance during an open Q&A session. Zoom details are available on the competition’s Canvas page.
Midpoint Event (Online) | March 23, 6:30–7:30 pm
The organizers will announce the Best Progress Graphic Prize. Teams may optionally submit a one-page summary graphic of their initial work via Canvas by Tuesday, March 19, 2023, 11:59 pm. The graphic must include the team name. The submissions will be displayed, and prizes of $250 will be awarded to each of the top three team entries at the online midpoint event on Thursday, March 21, 2024, 6:30pm–7:30pm. Zoom details are available on the competition’s Canvas page.
Report Submission Deadline (Canvas) | April 4, 11:59 pm
Teams must submit their report through Canvas. Reports must follow these guidelines:
- File Type — PDF
- Page Limit — 10
- Page Margins — One-inch all around
- Font — 10 pt Arial
Teams may submit supplementary materials such as (but not limited to): a code or data repository, a Jupyter notebook, a dashboard, or an app. A rubric will be supplied to registered competitors through Canvas. Reports must be submitted through Canvas by the deadline of April 4, 2024, at 11:59 pm.
Finalists Announced | April 11, 5 pm
After the close of the submission period, judges will review all entries and select participants to advance to the final round of the competition. Finalist teams will be notified through email by April 11, 2023. Finalist teams will prepare a 10-minute presentation for in-person delivery of their findings and solutions at the finalist event on Thursday, April 18, 2024, 6:00pm–9:00pm.
Final Event (Hybrid) | April 18, 6–9 pm
Finalist teams will deliver to the judging panel at the final event on April 18, 2023, 6–9 pm, held in-person in the ILSB with remote participation via Zoom for non-finalists. Judges will review and select the winning teams based on their written reports and presentation. The competition winners will be announced at the final event, along with special team prizes—a detailed program and Zoom link to be announced.
Prizes
Graduate Division
- First Placed Team: $2,000
- Second Place Team: $1,000
- Third Place Team: $500
Undergraduate Division
- First Placed Team: $2,000
- Second Place Team: $1,000
- Third Place Team: $500
Special Team Prizes
- Best presentation design: $500
- Best use of additional data: $500
- Best supplementary materials: $500
Thank you to our sponsors for supporting this Data Challenge and Texas A&M’s Data Science community.
Sponsors
Contact Information
Drew Casey, Assistant Director of Program Engagement, Drew.Casey@tamu.edu