INTER-UNIVERSITY
HEALTH DATA & AI INQUIRY PROGRAM

The NATIONAL INTER-UNIVERSITY HEALTH DATA & AI INQUIRY PROGRAM is an inquiry-based experiential learning program that invites graduate and undergraduate students from across the country to:

  • Build their research portfolios
  • Strengthen their Open Science approach, pioneering thinking, and a solution-focused mindset to drive innovative ideas in the field of public health and wellbeing
  • And gain familiarity with the Open data analytics and AI inquiry methods. 

How do competitions work?

Each year a new, pressing health-related theme presented, inviting students to form teams of up to five members to explore related research topics of their choice. Program participants are offered workshops, sample datasets, learning resources, and data analysis tools. Guided by peer and expert mentors, these teams are free to choose Open data, AI and analytics tools to find solutions addressing public health issues. At the program’s conclusion, teams submit their research findings as scientific manuscripts, which are presented at culminating conferences. The abstracts of their research are published as conference proceedings.

Why should you participate?

Develop new skills and build research portfolio: 

  • Accomplish and publish your original research
  • Computational Thinking – The ability to translate aggregates of data into abstract concepts and conduct AI and data-based reasoning for public health challenges.
  • Design Mindset – The ability to create solutions in contexts where only part of the requirements is known.
  • Interdisciplinary Mindset – Engage in an interdisciplinary, problem space led by student-driven inquiry.

Schoalrly Communication Opportunities: 
Conference proceedings will be published by the open-access, peer-reviewed STEM Fellowship Journal with Canadian Science Publishing.
Research manuscripts and presentations will be published by Underline.io
Network with academics, industry professionals, and other forward-thinking students throughout the culminating conference events.

For more information, please reach out to [email protected]

Inter-University Health Data & AI Inquiry

FAQ

You do not need previous experience with programming, although it is recommended. We welcome all students who are eager to put effort into learning and expanding their skillsets, as well as those who show any level of interest in data science or the challenge topic. Additionally, we will provide you with access to resources and webinars to learn everything you need to succeed!

We encourage participants to start forming teams before the event. You may also register and participate on your own or request to be placed into a team after registration. It is also recommended to make interdisciplinary teams given the nature of some of our data challenge topics.

Think about what interests you the most in the field of the provided topic. Reflect on your day-to-day; talk to your friends and professional network from academia and industry; explore emerging technologies and platforms; read the internet and research articles. In hackathons like these, many teams come up with their topics in the first few days of the challenge, rather than beforehand.

No, students from any country can sign up. The IUBDC is not limited to Canadians.

Please refer to the links of past years’ challenges to see their topics.

Undergraduate and graduate students can register for the Big Data Challenge.

Yes, students do not necessarily have to represent the university at which they are studying.

The IUBDC usually takes place during the months of May-July.

The 2018 STEM Fellowship Big Data Challenge was an incredible experience. The Challenge helped me develop skills in the field of analytics, and taught me the importance of big data in the modern world; the mentorships, online training, and connections I received were invaluable. If you are a high school student, I would highly recommend participating in this incredible program – you won’t regret it! I am endlessly grateful to have had the chance to participate.

Katherine Gotovsky, High School Big Data Challenge

Support the

Health Data & AI Inquiry

As a federal charity, we rely on the generous support of our sponsors to sustain the work we do for Canadian youth. Funds that are donated to STEM Fellowship are appreciated and will be used to support STEM programs, which provide students across the country with unique, inquiry-based, experiential learning opportunities.