Eligibility
The Dayton Data Challenge is open to all undergraduate students at the University of Dayton.
Students from any major and any experience level are encouraged to participate.
No prior experience in data analytics, statistics, programming, or competitions is required.
Team Format
- Teams of 2-4 students
- Students may form their own teams
- Individual sign-ups are welcome; we will help match students with teams
How It Works
Unlike many competitions, participants are not asked to solve a predefined problem.
Instead, teams develop their own questions, explore the dataset from their own perspective, and communicate their findings through a written summary and presentation.
- Form a team or sign up individually.
- Attend the kickoff and dataset introduction.
- Choose a research question that interests your team.
- Analyze the data using tools of your choice.
- Attend office hours for feedback and support.
- Submit a short write-up.
- Present your findings to judges.
Deliverables
Write-Up
Due Friday at 11 PM. Maximum 2 pages. Summarize your research question, method, and findings.
Presentation
Saturday. Approximately 5 minutes plus Q&A. Focus on clear communication and meaningful insights.
Judging Focus
Projects will be evaluated based on:
- Insight and relevance
- Creativity and innovation
- Communication
- Technical soundness
- Teamwork
See the Judging & Awards page for additional details.
Tools and Resources
Students may use any tools appropriate for their analysis, including:
- R
- Python
- Excel
- Tableau
- Power BI
- AI-assisted tools
Participants are responsible for understanding and explaining their work, regardless of the tools used.