Registration
Participating teams must register and pay the $40 non-refundable registration fee by September 17, 2023.
Please send questions to Trisha Hartman at trishah3@purdue.edu.
Welcome to the Data 4 Good Case Competition, jointly sponsored by the Mitch Daniels School of Business master’s programs — MSBAIM, MSGSCM and MSM — and the Krenicki Center, AgReliant Genetics, Microsoft, INFORMS, Prediction Guard, PrimeAI, Certiport, Cloud Ready Skills, DataCamp, Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School - MS BARM program, Butler University Lacy School of Business, TAPS and MORS.
At the crossroads of critical thinking, data analysis, artificial intelligence, and communication, this elite case competition is designed to challenge undergraduate and master's students across the country to compete for $40,000 in prize money.
Registered teams will receive free practice assessments and vouchers to complete the the AI-900: Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals - Certification, a $99 value/exam available at the $80/team case competition registration fee cost!
This holistic experience not only provides an opportunity to use data, technology, process and research-based methods to make good decisions for good problems, but also connects participants to leading data analytics organizations through credentialing and networking.
Registering and paying the $80/team registration fee guarantees the following:
Additionally, all participants will be allowed to create a DataCamp Classroom, gaining access to DataCamp courses while competing. Teams can collaborate on their final projects using DataLab, an interactive cloud-based notebook.
*Microsoft and INFORMS JTA training sessions are an exclusive opportunity available only to those who participate in the case competition. These sessions are not open to the public.
This event is open to students currently pursuing an undergraduate or master's degree in the United States. Teams must register as groups of 3-4 students — all undergraduate students or all master's students, as the evaluation varies based on education level. It is recommended to form a multi-disciplinary team that can work cross-functionally on the case.
Participating teams will first compete against other teams in their region. Regional winners will be invited to compete at the final competition in West Lafayette, Indiana, on Friday, November 22 and Saturday, November 23. Invited teams MUST participate in the final competition to be eligible to receive prize funds.
Region 1: CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, RI, VT, PA, DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV
Region 2: AL, IL, IN, KY, MI, MS, OH, TN, WI
Region 3: AR, IA, KS, LA, MN, MO, ND, NE, NM, OK, SD, TX
Region 4: AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY
The competition is divided into two phases:
Phase I: Participate in an optional training* from Microsoft expert trainers on AI-900: Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals, get a badge for completion, and receive free practice assessments and certification exam. Trainings will be hosted live and will be recorded and available for each registered participant to review for 30 days.
*Although the training and certification are optional, completing each component will result in earning points toward your total score.
As a team, apply the learnings using Microsoft and open-source tools to develop a solution to the provided case. Kaggle will be used to assess case problem predictions.
ONLY REGIONAL WINNERS WILL MOVE ON TO PHASE II BASED ON TOTAL POINTS
Phase II: The top four undergraduate and top four graduate student teams are invited to Purdue University-West Lafayette for the in-person presentations of your solution. If there is a tie, a team will be randomly selected.
If you qualify for Phase II, you will be required to travel to Purdue University’s West Lafayette campus by your own means.
All finalists stand a chance to win prize money! The judging and distribution of the prize money will be separate for undergraduate and graduate teams. Regional winners MUST attend the final competition to receive prize funds.
Region 1 Undergraduate Team Winner: $2,000 | Graduate Team Winner: $2,000
Region 2 Undergraduate Team Winner: $2,000 | Graduate Team Winner: $2,000
Region 3 Undergraduate Team Winner: $2,000 | Graduate Team Winner: $2,000
Region 4 Undergraduate Team Winner: $2,000 | Graduate Team Winner: $2,000
First Place Undergraduate Team Winner $5,000 | Graduate Team Winner $5,000*
Second Place Undergraduate Team Winner $4,000 | Graduate Team Winner $4,000
Third Place Undergraduate Team Winner $3,000 | Graduate Team Winner $3,000
National Champion prize winners and runners-up will receive one-year licenses for DataCamp to continue learning and access certifications.
*First-place winners will also receive free INFORMS student memberships for one year and Women in Analytics memberships for one year.
Friday, September 6, 3-5 p.m.
Competition Kickoff! Outline of competition. case released from TAPS. LLM training from Prediction Guard CEO Dr. Daniel Whitenack (part 1)
Friday, September 13, 3-5 p.m.
LLM/RAGS training from Prediction Guard CEO Dr. Daniel Whitenack (part 2)
Wednesday, September 25, 11:59 p.m.
Team registration deadline
Friday, September 27, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
AI-900: Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals
Friday, October 4, 3-5 p.m.
INFORMS CAP JTA Training with Dr. Beverly Wright, CAP
Friday, October 11, 3-4 p.m.
AI Ethics Training with PrimeAI CEO, Aaron Burciaga, CAP
Friday, October 18
AI-900: Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals Practice assessment deadline
Sunday, October 27
AI-900: Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals Certification score submission deadline ( Those who do not take the exam will receive a score of 0 that is included in their team’s average score.)
Wednesday, November 6, 11:59 p.m.
Kaggle submissions end
Friday, November 8
Regional champs announced – top undergrad/grad team by region (4 regions)
Friday, November 22
Top undergrad/grad team by region (8 total teams) welcomed to Purdue University Daniels School of Business
Saturday, November 23
Final presentation to sponsors
All times EST unless noted.
Teams can earn points collectively and individually by participating in the available trainings, practice exams and certifications.
| Regional Championships | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Points (max) | Team Points (max)* | ||
| Attended Kickoff & Prediction Guard Training (or recording) | 150 | 450 | 5% |
| Attended Prediction Guard LLM/RAGS Training (or recording) | 150 | 450 | 5% |
| Attended AI-900: Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals Training (or recording) | 600 | 1800 | 18% |
| Attended INFORMS CAP JTA Training (or recording) | 150 | 450 | 5% |
| Attended AI Ethics Training (or recording) | 150 | 450 | 5% |
| Complete Practice Assessment for AI-900: Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals | 133 | 399 | 4% |
| AI-900: Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals Certification Score * | 1000 | 3000 | 30% |
| Kaggle Score (per team) [Standardized up to 3000] | 3000 | 30% | |
| Total Points | 2333 | 9999 | |
*Average scores used among team of 3-4 people per team
The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) is dedicated to providing comfort and support to families who have lost loved ones in military service. As part of its mission, TAPS has developed a "survivor journey map" to guide its staff in caring for bereaved families and to help survivors navigate their grief journey. However, the current process of creating and updating this map is labor-intensive and limits TAPS' ability to use the map to quickly connect survivors with the most relevant care.
In this case competition, you'll tackle two critical problems:
By participating in this challenge, you'll have the opportunity to:
Join us in this Data 4 Good initiative and help TAPS transform its ability to support and care for the families of America's fallen service members. Your innovative solutions could dramatically improve how TAPS allocates resources, personalizes support, and evolves its services to meet the changing needs of military survivors.
Phase 1: Kaggle shared task
Goal: Develop an AI-driven system to accurately classify survivor survey responses into appropriate stages of the TAPS survivor journey map. Use one or more open access LLMs as part of the shared task solution to augment or mitigate labeled data scarcity.
Format: Kaggle shared task
Key Activities:
Data:
Evaluation: Classification accuracy or f1 score
Phase 2: On-site presentation and judging
Goal: Create a methodology to analyze aggregated survey data and generate improved versions of the survivor journey map over time.
Format: In-depth project development and presentation
Key Activities:
Evaluation: Final presentations will be evaluated based on a forthcoming rubric
We are pleased to have the following sponsors for the School of Business Case Competition Data 4 Good!
Purdue University Daniels School of Business Graduate Programs - MS in Business Analytics & Information Management, MS in Global Supply Chain Management, and MS in Marketing
Purdue University’s Daniels School of Business is the aspiring business leader’s most vibrant ecosystem for mastering the analytical problem-solving and tech-commercialization skills that move industry forward and change the world. Focused on offering students business experiences that go beyond the classroom, the school is uniquely positioned inside a globally renowned STEM institution, with a dynamic corporate-partnership R&D community.
Purdue Krenicki Center for Business Analytics & Machine Learning
Collaborating with faculty, students and corporate partners, the Krenicki Center for Business Analytics & Machine Learning enhances research and dissemination of state-of-the-art information technologies and analytical techniques to use the vast amounts of data available today to deliver actionable insights for business decision making.
AgReliant Genetics is a leading corn seed genetics company based in Wesfield, IN. AgReliant Genetics is committed to providing trusted seed solutions that help farmers grow. We do this by focusing solely on seed and delivering one-of-a-kind, high performing hybrids. Founded in 2000 by global seed companies KWS and Limagrain, AgReliant Genetics benefits from direct access to a global corn germplasm pool. Through our seed brands – AgriGold and LG Seeds in the U.S. and PRIDE Seeds in Canada, we proudly offer the latest innovation to our farmer customers.
Microsoft enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Microsoft operates in 190 countries and is made up of more than 220,000 passionate employees worldwide.
With more than 12,500 members around the globe, INFORMS is the leading international association for professionals in operations research, analytics, management science, economics, behavioral science, statistics, artificial intelligence, data science, applied mathematics and other relevant fields.
Prediction Guard helps companies that want to adopt the latest wave of Generative AI models but feel blocked due to privacy, security or reliability concerns. They provide companies with an easy-to-use platform and related services that make safe and trustworthy Large Language Model (LLM) applications a reality.
Certiport is the leader in industry-recognized performance-based certifications. Certiport was established in 1997 and acquired by Pearson VUE in 2012, and is headquartered in Lehi, Utah. Globally recognized as the leading provider of certification exam development, delivery, and program management services, Certiport delivers exams through an expansive network of nearly 16,000 Certiport Authorized Testing Centers (CATCs) worldwide through which Certiport delivers more than 3,000,000 exams annually. The markets that Certiport serves include secondary, post-secondary, workforce development and corporate technology markets. Certiport is active in 148 countries through a combination of employees and strategic partnership, and Certiport provides certification exams in 27 languages.
PrimeAI is dedicated to empowering companies of all sizes to thrive in the intelligence age with cutting-edge AI technology. Founded on the belief that world-class AI should be accessible to all, PrimeAI revolutionizes the way businesses operate by making it faster and easier to achieve transformational improvements. Our advanced AI Engines supercharge existing data and systems, accelerating insights and results across key business functions such as Sales, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, and Operations. Built for modern business needs, PrimeAI’s architecture allows companies to start fast, launching in just weeks, and maximize impact with proven industry solutions. Our extensible solutions offer the ultimate flexibility, enabling businesses to scale with ease and meet their unique challenges head-on. Led by a team of experienced and recognized leaders, PrimeAI is committed to helping companies succeed and excel in the rapidly evolving intelligence age.
Cloud Ready Skills enables large-scale skilling and professional certifications. Collaborating with Microsoft and educational institutions globally, our learning platform reduces the administrative burden for professors and simplifies the learning and certification journey for learners.
At Women in Analytics (WIA), our mission is to spotlight the incredible women making a significant impact in the analytics field. We provide a platform where women lead conversations on the latest advancements in analytical research, development and applications. WIA is committed to inclusivity, welcoming all individuals who share a passion for analytics to join our community and contribute to the conversation.
DataCamp is the leading online learning platform for Data and AI education. Through their social responsibility program, DataCamp Classrooms, they provide free premium licenses to teachers and students worldwide.
Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School - MS BARM Business Analytics & Risk Management
Johns Hopkins Carey Business School offers a STEM-designated Master’s degree in Business Analytics and Artificial Intelligence, based in Washington, D.C. The program is available in both full-time and part-time formats, providing flexibility for diverse student needs. With strong industry connections, it offers unique opportunities such as the Community Consulting Lab, robust career development support, aCAP certification, and participation in the INFORMS Business Analytics Conference.
Butler University Lacy School of Business
Located in the heart of Indianapolis, Indiana, the Butler University Lacy School of Business is known for its strong focus on experiential learning and close-knit community. The school emphasizes real-world application of business concepts through internships, projects, and collaborations with local businesses and organizations. It offers an associate degree in Business Data Analytics through the University’s visionary Founders college, an undergraduate program in Business Technology and Analytics, Master’s in Business Administration, and Master’s in Data Analytics. Complementing its analytics programs, the Lacy School also offers an undergraduate program in Entrepreneurship and Innovation and a Master’s in Business Administration with a concentration in Entrepreneurship. These programs go beyond traditional business education by integrating real-world experiences, encouraging students to think with an entrepreneurial mindset, and equipping them to make a positive impact through ventures that are not only profitable but also socially responsible.
TAPS is a national nonprofit organization providing compassionate care and comprehensive resources to all those grieving a death in the military or veteran community. Since 1994, TAPS has welcomed military and veteran survivors 24/7 for grief and trauma support across all generations, all relationships to the deceased, and all manners of death. TAPS programs and services are available to everyone regardless of the circumstances of the loss or the length of time since the loss. TAPS honors our military and veteran service members by ensuring everyone they loved and left behind receives unlimited access to a national network of peer support and customized programs to help them process and grow with grief and trauma.
The Military Operations Research Society (MORS) is a professional society dedicated to advancing the analytical and operational research capabilities of military, defense and homeland security sectors. With a mission to enhance decision-making and strategic planning through rigorous analysis, MORS brings together professionals from government, academia and industry. The organization fosters collaboration and innovation in solving complex national security challenges. It hosts workshops, symposia and educational programs to promote cutting-edge research and practical applications in military operations. MORS is proud to support initiatives that drive excellence in operational problem-solving and strategy development.
