D3P Information Operations Technical and Policy Hackathon

The Defending Digital Democracy Project (D3P) at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs wants your help in solving one of the biggest problems facing democracy and our society—information operations intended to influence domestic opinion, inflame divisions, or undermine trust in institutions. There has been a lot of discussion in the media, academia, and policy circles about the dangers of information operations—like spreading information through fake social media personas to further social divisions and influence public behavior. But we need more than talk to stop this—we need action. That is what this contest is all about.

Stopping information operations requires a multifaceted response. That’s why we are looking for both technical and policy solutions. Finalists will have the opportunity to engage directly with leaders in tech, finance, and public policy. Oh, and did we mention prize money of up to $10,000?

The Hackathon is open to any graduate or undergraduate student or team of students looking to be part of the solution. Participants must be at least 18 years old and enrolled in a university in the United States, whether participating individually or as part of a team. There is no fee to enter a submission, although there is a limit of one submission per person.

There are three categories to enter:

Submission Details

• Friday, March 16th, 2018: All participants must submit a 2-page document (PDF or Word format) outlining their proposal through the following survey: submit here.
• The finalists from each category will be invited to attend the D3P Information Operations Technical and Policy Hackathon on Thursday, March 29th 2018, at the Charles Hotel in Cambridge, MA. Finalist notifications will be sent out on Monday, March 19th, 2018.
• Finalists are expected to attend the full-day conference on Thursday, March 29th 2018.

Additional information and updates will be posted on our website. Please contact Mari Dugas with any questions.

The Fine Print

How to enter: Fill out the following survey and upload your submission by 11:59 PM EST March 16th 2018

Judges: Will be announced in coming weeks and posted on the website. They will be leaders in tech, finance, policy and academia working to tackle these challenging issues.

Information about the sponsor/host: Directed by Eric Rosenbach and co-led by the former campaign managers for Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney along with experts from the national security and technology communities, including Facebook and Google, the Defending Digital Democracy Project (D3P) at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs aims to identify and recommend strategies, tools, and technology to protect democratic processes and systems from cyber and information attacks. By creating a unique and bipartisan team comprised of top-notch political operatives and leaders in the cyber and national security world, D3P intends to offer realistic solutions to address an urgent problem.

Evaluation criteria: Applicants will be evaluated on the creativity of their proposals, effectiveness of solutions, as well as the applicability of the proposals to government or technology companies. Eric Rosenbach along with the D3P Senior Advisory Group will oversee the review of applications.

Eligibility: The contest is open to current undergraduate or graduate students of an accredited university in the United States who are 18 or older. All team members must be current students. For technical applications, teams may consist of up to 5 students. For policy applications, teams may be up to 2 students. Anyone affiliated with the Defending Digital Democracy Project cannot apply. This Hackathon is void where prohibited by law.

Originality of work: All work submitted must be your original work. For the technical solutions, code created prior to the competition is eligible, but solutions entered for another competition are not eligible.

Description of prize(s): The following prizes are on offer:

• Technical Proof of Concept/Minimum Viable Product Solution Hackathon | Prizes: Up to $10,000 for 1st Place; $2,000 for 2nd Place; $1,000 for 3rd Place
• Technical Method Project Design or Concept Hackathon | Prizes: Up to $5,000 for 1st Place; $2,000 for 2nd Place; $1,000 for 3rd Place
• Information Operations Policy Hackathon | Prizes: Up to $5,000 for 1st Place; $2,000 for 2nd Place; $1,000 for 3rd Place

Will D3P pay for my travel? If you are selected to attend on March 29th and are not from Massachusetts, funds may be available to subsidize your travel in cases of demonstrated hardship.

What will be provided for me on March 29th? You are expected to bring your own hardware and materials for the conference. D3P will have projectors and Audio/Visual setups on site. D3P will provide breakfast, lunch, and snacks throughout the day on March 29th.

Date winner(s) will be announced: Finalists will be announced on Monday March 19th before 11:59 PM. Winners will be announced at the conference on March 29th.

Implications of Award

Must prize money be shared equally? Yes, if you have team members. All team members will receive an individual check of the split amount.

Are there tax implications winners should know about? Yes, the prize money may be taxable, depending on the tax situation of the individual receiving the award.

Publicity: By entering the competition, you agree that Harvard may use your name, likeness, and biographical information in publicity materials relating to the Hackathon.

Rights: All eligible participants retain all intellectual property rights in their submissions, including copyright and patent rights; provided, however, that by entering into the Hackathon, such participants give Harvard a non-exclusive, irrevocable, and royalty-free license to publicly display and otherwise disseminate and make available all or part of the submissions or demonstrations.

Acceptance: Participation constitutes the participant’s full agreement to and acceptance of the rules described here. By participating in the Hackathon, the participant acknowledges that he/she has read these rules and agrees to be bound by them.