The first Geo-Institute DIGGS Student Hackathon will take place as a 9-week virtual challenge from January 5 to March 9, 2026, with winners announced at the 2026 Geo-Congress in Salt Lake City.

This event is open to all students—whether you're studying civil engineering, geotechnical engineering, geology, software engineering, or computer engineering. Teams of any size are welcome (including solo participants)!

What is the Challenge?

Build innovative solutions using the DIGGS (Data Interchange for Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists) standard. Choose from four challenge themes:

• Data In/Data Out: Create converters, validators, or integration tools
• Visualization: Design interactive boring or in-situ test logs, 3D subsurface models, BIM or digital twin, or innovative displays
• Direct Design/Interpretation: Develop engineering analysis, data reduction, and design tools
• Cross-Discipline Integration: Bridge geotechnical data with other engineering disciplines

Support Provided

Weekly DIGGS Team Office Hours throughout the challenge period to help you succeed.

Get Started

Visit our GitHub repository for complete details, resources, sample data, and submission guidelines: https://github.com/DIGGSml/2026-DIGGS-Student-Hackathon
 

Registration

Teams should register using this Google form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeITiAO227eQMIfVcVyok6AzkfcBbUBhKPjUGsNpS34GVFqxQ/viewform

Pre-registration is required.

Contact

Questions can be directed to Ross Cutts (rcutts@schnabel-eng.com)