TAG Data Science and AI Society
Gather your teams and get your analytics and data science tools, skills, and mindsets ready! TAG Data Challenge 2026 starts November 17, 2025, and runs through March 30, 2026.
Georgia Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (GCDHH) is a non-profit organization focused on centralizing and meeting the needs of the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind community through services, advocacy, resources, educational programs and camps, and assistive equipment programs.
Join us in supporting GCDHH’s mission using data, analytics, data science, and AI.
Across Georgia, individuals with hearing loss continue to face barriers which can limit full participation in education, employment, healthcare, transportation, and civic engagement.
While numerous programs and advocacy efforts exist to address these challenges, their accessibility and effectiveness vary and there is a need for data driven measurement and analytics to determine which efforts have delivered the strongest, most measurable improvements in quality of life, independence, and inclusion.
This year’s TAG Data Challenge invites participants to identify, collect, and analyze publicly available data to evaluate the reach and impact of disability-related training, programs, and advocacy initiatives. Competitor teams will focus on the deaf and hard of hearing communities while comparing outcomes across multiple disability groups, including those with physical, cognitive, or communication differences, and others. Through creative data exploration, modeling, and innovation, teams will aim to answer key questions:
The Georgia Center of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (GCDHH) will use these findings to brief its Board of Directors with potential to strengthen community partnerships and ultimately support state and local legislators. Results may include both insightful data analyses or the design and development of technology tools to monitor program quality, efficacy, quantity, reach, and other key performance indicators over time.
By leveraging open data, analytics, and technology innovation, participants will help demonstrate how inclusive, data-informed programs not only empower individuals with disabilities but also build stronger, more self-sustaining communities across Georgia.
Teams:
Teams may include individuals from academia, corporate, consulting, or other practitioners, and combinations by group are also permitted.
Phase 1: Design your Proposed Approach.
Phase 2: Develop your analysis.
Thanks to a generous sponsorship from Akhil Mahajan – data science & AI leader, community supporter, and advocate for others – we are able to offer the winning teams Fame and Fortune:
Prize Money:
Speaking Spot
Social Media
Required data to leverage for the finalist round of the competition will originate from the following sources:
Additional details will be provided via email to finalist teams.
Teams participating in the TAG Data Challenge 2026 will undergo rigorous evaluation across both Round 1 (Proposed Approach) and Round 2 (Analysis) by a distinguished panel of judges. This panel is composed of experts bringing diverse and critical perspectives, including deep knowledge in analytics, data science, data management, and, crucially, the subject matter—specifically, human services and support for people with DisAbilities. This multi-faceted expertise ensures a holistic and relevant assessment of each team’s submission.
The assessment rubric measures the comprehensive quality and impact of the solutions presented. Key dimensions for evaluation include the following criteria:
Competitors are required to adhere to the Code of Ethics as outlined by INFORMS Certified Analytics Professional designation:
https://www.certifiedanalytics.org/code-of-ethics
Also, teams are expected to follow the INFORMS Certified Analytics Professional framework / domains toward solving the community / business problem:
https://certifiedanalytics.org/cap-expert
While application of the model in a practical environment is not possible during this competition, teams should discuss how this would work and methods for operationalizing their model to help the organization and support decision-making.
Team size must be between 2 and 4 members, and all members must work from the USA and leverage domestic resources open to their use. Competitors can come from academia, practitioners, consultants, or others. (No more than one PhD student per team, please.) All competitor teams must remain the same from Phase 1 to Phase 2.
If you need help finding team members, you may send an email message to jamarius@tagonline.org with the subject line: “NEED TEAM – TAG Data Challenge 2026” by January 9 at 12 PM. Your email will then be shared with others looking for team members and you can choose teams based on schedules, personal objectives, and skills.
The official communication channel throughout the competition will include email addresses provided during the submission process for teams and individuals, and the following TAG Data Science & Analytics Society page for other announcements, details, and general communication.
Register for the competition by sending one email per team, with all team members included, to the following address:
jamarius@tagonline.org
