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NASA Data Hackathon Inspires Community Action - NASA Science
science.nasa.gov
On January 31, 2026, a diverse assembly of students, library staff, researchers, and community members convened at the University of Florida's Marston Science Library. Their objective was to participate in the Environmental Monitoring through Education, Research, and Geospatial Engagement (EMERGE) NASA Data Hackathon. This initiative is structured to empower libraries, educators, and the general public to engage with public health and environmental science. It accomplishes this by facilitating access to real-world data tools and promoting the practice of citizen science. A central component of the EMERGE program is NASA's Global Learning & Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Observer smartphone application. This app enables any individual with a smartphone to collect and submit data on various environmental factors, including mosquito habitats, land cover classifications, and cloud observations.
From introductory morning workshops to a final project sprint, participants dedicated the day to transforming authentic environmental datasets into practical resources. These resources included detailed maps, interactive dashboards, informative infographics, and other analytical insights designed to support public health initiatives and environmental decision-making processes. The event was organized through a collaboration between the Geospatial Digital Informatics Lab (GeoDI Lab) within UF's Geography Department, SciStarter—the world's most extensive citizen science database—and Florida Community Innovation, a nonprofit focused on civic technology. The hackathon received additional support from NASA and the University of Florida Libraries.
This hackathon provided a unique opportunity for participants to work directly with datasets compiled by volunteer citizen scientists. It illustrated the significant connection between localized observations and broader, global scientific research. Participants were granted access to a specialized digital textbook created by the GeoDI Lab. This textbook offers step-by-step instructions on how to download, process, visualize, and conduct analysis on data collected via the GLOBE Observer app. During the event, thirteen distinct teams formed to develop projects. These projects either analyzed existing GLOBE data or proposed innovative redesigns for the app's data collection methodologies. A complete gallery of these team projects is available for public review online.
The hackathon recognized outstanding projects across multiple categories and skill levels.
APP IMPROVEMENT TRACK