NeurAlbertaTech (NAT) is thrilled to present natHACKS, Canada's biggest neurotechnology hackathon! natHACKS will inspire beginners to develop practical neurotech skills and challenge experienced hackers to apply themselves in this growing and exciting field.

Spanning three weeks and culminating in a 64-hour hackathon weekend, natHACKS provides beginner-friendly workshops, the chance to tackle real-world neurotech problems, and the opportunity to work with industry leaders during and after the event. Open to innovators across med, science, business, engg, etc.

To learn more about natHACKS, feel free to visit our event webpage as well!

To participate in natHACKS:

After signing up on Devpost, register for the event as an individual with the official natHACKS registration form. Submit by October 10th at 23:59 MT if you're interested in receiving hardware (neurotech and/or peripheral) and placement in the Problem Provider Division. The final registration deadline is October 31st at 23:59 MT (hardware access is typically limited by this point, so apply earlier if possible).
Join a team in one of two Divisions:
1. Problem Provider Division
  
  natHACKS Administrators will match individual hackers to teams guided by Problem Providers (subject matter experts with a real-world neurotech challenge for hackers to tackle). Teams in this division will work with their Problem Providers to complete weekly development for the three weeks prior to the Hackathon Weekend.
  
  Attend the virtual Pitch Night to learn about Problems on October 14th at 17:00 MT, or watch their pitch videos asynchronously.
  
  Request placement in the Problem Provider Division and/or specific Problem(s) using the Problem Interest Form (via natPortal), available from October 14th at 19:00 MT to October 20th at 23:59 MT. Please note, placement is not guaranteed, in lieu of placement you are bumped to the Standard Division.
2. Standard Division
  
  Participants are free to form their own teams to tackle problems of their choice. Using the Standard Team Creation Form (via natPortal), available from October 28th - November 16th at 23:59 MT.
  
  You can meet potential teammates on Devpost, Discord, or through official pre-natHACKS networking sessions. We strongly recommend including individuals from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds on your team.
  Team Rules (all divisons):
3. Each team must consist of at least 50% Alberta residents to be eligible for prizes
4. Teams must include between 5 and 6 individuals

Start hacking on November 16th at 19:00 MT!
Submit your project on Devpost by November 19th at 10:00 MT.

Please see the Rules page for information on participant eligibility.

Deadlines

All listed times are in Mountain Daylight Time (UTC - 6).

Individual Registration

October 10th (23:59 MT) - Early Bird

October 31st (23:59) - Final

In addition to signing up on Devpost, all hackers must register for the event using NAT's internal sign-up form.
Participants who register by October 10th are eligible to receive a Hacker Survival Kit, request hardware, and apply for placement in the Problem Provider Division!
See the natHACKS rules for details on eligibility.

Problem Interest Form

October 14th (19:00 MT)

October 20 (23:59)

For Hackers interested in the Problem Provider Division - being matched with subject matter experts to tackle a real-world Problem.
Teams in this division will work with their Problem Providers to complete three (3) Weekly Development Reports prior to the Hackathon Weekend.
Teams are announced on October 23rd. Please note, placement is not guaranteed, in lieu of placement you are bumped to the Standard Division.

Standard Team Creation Form

October 28th

November 16th (23:59)

For Hackers interested in the Standard Division - searching for and forming their own team.
You have until the end of the first day of hacking to submit.

Event Schedule

All listed times are in Mountain Daylight Time (UTC - 6). For a full schedule of events, see the event page on the NAT website.

Pre-Event Networking	Ongoing	Participants can meet fellow neurotech enthusiasts on Discord and Devpost
Info Nights	Various	An event to give newcomers a complete introduction to natHACKS, including a full synopsis of the entire multi-day event, the project criteria, and where prospective attendees can get started. Don’t miss your chance to have all of your natHACKS questions answered! The Info Night will also feature hacker-to-hacker networking for those looking for additional team members! Info Nights will be hosted in late September & early October in Edmonton, Calgary, and Lethbridge.
Pitch Night	October 14th	Meet our amazing Problem Providers (clinicians, academics, and industry professionals bringing real-world neurotech problems) and join a team focused on solving their problem. The Pitch Night will also feature hacker-to-hacker networking for those looking for additional team members!
Educational Sprint	October 30 - November 15th	NAT will provide 25+ hours of in-depth workshop content for free leading up to the event, ensuring all participants are up to speed on working with BCIs. Workshops will cover the basics of Python programming, analyzing signals from commercial EEG headsets, putting together a business pitch for your projects, and more!
Opening Day	November 16th	Opening Ceremony (17:00 - 18:00): remind yourself about how natHACKS works, listen to an exclusive keynote talk, and get excited for some hacking! [RSVP Required for both in-person and virtual]
Hackathon	November 16th - November 19th	64 hours of hacking, beginning on November 16 at 18:00 and ending on November 19 at 10:00. Need a break? NAT is excited to provide trivia, movie nights, and more fun events throughout the hackathon! If in Edmonton attend the Sponsor Booth Event on November 17th
Closing Day	November 19th	Project Evaluation (10:00 - 16:00): our judges will narrow down the top prizes Closing Ceremony (16:00 - 17:00): learn who came out on top and hear from another excellent keynote speaker to close out the event! [RSVP Required for both in-person and virtual]

Requirements

All competitive submissions must include:

A project code repository with code solely developed during the 64 hour natHACKS Hackathon Weekend.
A video presentation explaining the project, which should not exceed 2 minutes.
A brief written project summary, which should not exceed 250 words.
A live presentation to Judges (in-person at the UofA, virtual for all other participants)

More details on submissions, and detailed project rubrics, will be provided to participants closer to the event.

Note that prizes can only be offered to teams consisting of at least 50% Alberta residents.

Prizes

$CAD27,000 in prizes

1st Place - Standard Division (3)

1st place winners from the BCI Recreation, Rehabilitation, and Research Tracks in the Standard Division will be eligible for $2000 CAD in seed funding, going towards the future development of their hackathon projects. An additional $2000 CAD of in-kind services are available (legal services, cloud compute resources, business mentorship) as needed.

2nd Place - Standard Division (3)

2nd place winners from the BCI Recreation, Rehabilitation, and Research Tracks in the Standard Division will be eligible for $1000 CAD in seed funding, going towards the future development of their hackathon projects. An additional $1000 CAD of in-kind services are available (legal services, cloud compute resources, business mentorship) as needed.

1st Place - Problem Provider Division, General

1st place winners from the Problem Provider Division will be eligible for $2000 CAD in seed funding, going towards the future development of their hackathon projects. An additional $2000 CAD of in-kind services are available (legal services, cloud compute resources, business mentorship) as needed.

2nd Place - Problem Provider Division, General

2nd place winners from the Problem Provider Division, General will be eligible for $1000 CAD in seed funding, going towards the future development of their hackathon projects. An additional $1000 CAD of in-kind services are available (legal services, cloud compute resources, business mentorship) as needed.

3rd Place - Problem Provider Division, General

2nd place winners from the Problem Provider Division, General will be eligible for $500 CAD in seed funding, going towards the future development of their hackathon projects. An additional $500 CAD of in-kind services are available (legal services, cloud compute resources, business mentorship) as needed.

1st Place - Standard Division, Junior

1st place winners from the Standard Division, Junior will be eligible for $1000 CAD in seed funding, going towards the future development of their hackathon projects. An additional $1000 CAD of in-kind services are available (legal services, cloud compute resources, business mentorship) as needed.

Devpost Achievements

Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:

Judges

Eden Redman
Executive Director

University of Alberta - SUB	Public
$CAD27,000 in prizes	174 participants

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