Heat Map Hackathon

The Heat Map Hackathon brings together data, innovation, and compassion to address a critical national challenge: ensuring equitable access to life-saving burn care. Hosted by the American Burn Association and BData, Inc., in partnership with HealthcareMN and the University of Minnesota, this Spring 2026 hackathon invites participants to work with real-world data to improve referral decision-making, virtual care delivery, and access to burn care across the U.S. and beyond.

Participants—including data scientists, clinicians, students, and innovators—will use BData’s National Injury Resource Database (NIRD) alongside public datasets to identify gaps in care, model more equitable burn center configurations, and turn data into action.

Event Timeline

Key dates and milestones for the hackathon

• January 13, 2026 – Registration Opens
  The participant portal opens. Create an account and complete the registration form to be placed on a team.

• February 13, 2026 – Registration Closes
  Final day to register for the hackathon.

• February 18, 2026 – Teams Announced
  Team assignments are shared via email and participant dashboards.

• February 24, 2026 – Hackathon Kickoff
  Virtual kickoff meeting with orientation and team introductions.

• March 8, 2026 – Project Submission Deadline
  All solutions must be submitted by midnight. Late submissions will not be accepted.

• March 24, 2026 – Presentations & Awards Ceremony
  Top teams present their solutions, followed by awards and closing remarks.

What to Expect

• Access to a novel dataset and real-world clinical challenges
• A month-long competition culminating in an in-person reception and networking event
• Collaboration with startups, clinicians, and academic partners
• Opportunities for top teams to present their work to leaders in burn care

Partners

• BData, Inc.
• American Burn Association
• BACH (Business Advancement Center for Healthcare)
• UMN Data Science & AI Hub
• School of Statistics, University of Minnesota