News & Events

The application process is supported by Qualtrics through Queen’s University. The applications closed at 11:59pm on January 23, 2022.

All of the questions found in the application form are outlined here, including options, answer types, and limits where applicable. Question numbers are included, and “skipped” question numbers are descriptions included elsewhere on this page. You can leave the application at any time and resume where you left off as long as you return to the application on the same browser and device.

All specific personally identifying information (name and email) is anonymous during the evaluation period to remove as much unconscious bias as possible from the evaluations. All optional self identification information is kept anonymous and aggregate, such that it is separate from the applications themselves and only used for statistical purposes. Self identification information is required for Experience Ventures events. If you require an alternate format for the application, please contact us at unhackathon@mcdonaldinstitute.ca and we will work with you to ensure you are able to apply.

Required Information

Optional Information

There are three problems identified for the (Un)Hachathon event occuring February 22 – March 3, 2022. Each problem set will have at least 3 thesis streams that will be revealed within the first day of the event. Each team will choose a thesis stream within a problem set to focus on. Below is some context for each problem set.

Megaconstellations of Satellites (SATCON)
Increased satellite traffic and mega-constellations over the next two decades, regardless of purpose or intent. Planned satellite launches will add tens of thousands more satellites and space junk to orbit, in addition to the associated launches for these satellites.

The archiving, preservation, and creation of datasets for audio/visual media
Management and accessibility of digital-born and analog audio/visual media from marginalized populations is a priority of the Vulnerable Media Lab at Queen’s University. Accessibility here is two-fold: accessible to the general public, approved research groups, and/or approved community groups through a convenient means, as well as accessible to everyone of varying ability.

PPE and clean room requirements for physics experiments at SNOLAB
SNOLAB hosts several research experiments that require low background and very clean environments. Maintaining a class-2000 clean room environment requires specialized equipment including personal protective equipment (PPE) and cleaning protocols for ​personnel as well as equipment.

The McDonald Institute is pleased to partner with Experience Ventures for unique virtual student placements that focus on building innovation networks, future preparedness, and making an impact.  The event will occur completely online starting on February 22, 2022 and ending March 3, 2022. This is a paid opportunity for up to 35 full- or part-time undergraduate students enrolled from 2nd year and above in any discipline at Queen’s University. This placement will enable students the opportunity to:

• Apply in-class learning to the challenges and opportunities facing ventures.
• Explore Canada’s evolving innovation economy.
• Network and meet industry leaders and employers.
• Discover the latest technologies being incubated in Canada.
• Enhance your resume with a unique experience.
• Develop your work-ready skills.
• Receive compensation for your placement.

What’s an (Un)hackathon experience event?
The (Un)hacking Downstream Consequences event positions diverse student groups to tackle real world challenges for innovative outcomes. Traditional hackathon features – like long-hours, pre-selected teams, gender imbalance, narrowly applied skillsets, or minimum viable product (MVP) completion, as examples – will not be part of this experience. Instead, students from all disciplines are encouraged to apply, and will be placed in small cross-disciplinary groups to brainstorm unique solutions to problem sets held by Institute-identified problem holders. Students will be able to participate while attending full-time or part-time studies and other positions – the program is designed with flexibility in mind to incorporate a wide-diversity of student experiences.  The event will be hosted completely virtually. Students who identify as visible minorities, gender minorities, Indigenous, persons with disabilities, new Canadians, or coming from rural and remote communities are strongly encouraged to apply.

Solution outcomes will vary by each group’s collaborative skills, problem orientation, and priorities for future innovations.  In particular, no coding experience is required and solutions need not feature any coding whatsoever. Each team will have synchronous and asynchronous access to mentors, problem holders, keynote speakers, and Institute staff. Student teams will choose one problem-set and define a solution as a team over 16 hours spread across 10 days.

The goal of the experience is to develop and apply entrepreneurial thinking and skillsets for: resiliency, opportunity recognition, action orientation, risk management, systems thinking, and trans-disciplinary thinking. This is a non-competitive event, and is focused on championing collaboration and good-will amongst participants. Student teams will present their final work to a panel of cross-disciplinary judges and teams whose solutions have next step applications will be encouraged to pursue their ideas with support from the McDonald Institute and its partners.

Agenda

We will be scheduling synchronous events based on applicants’ and speakers’ indicated availability during February 22 through March 3, 2022, and will post a formal schedule in late January 2022.

The event will include an opening and closing ceremony, 3 workshops, 1 keynote speaker event, meetings with problem holders and mentors, as well as synchronous and asynchronous time to work on solutions. Approximately 10 hours out of the total 16 hours will be dedicated time for teams to work on their solutions, with the largest time commitment per day being 3 hours and most days being 1 hour.

If you are interested in the (Un)Hacking Downstream Consequences event but are not an undergraduate student, we encourage you to consider applying as a mentor.

We are providing teams with access to mentors during the event so that they can ask questions, receive feedback, and to assist in judging at the end of the event. Mentors will be assigned to each problem set, essentially filling the role of “TA” but have the flexibility to assist with any student team regardless of problem set. The time commitment for mentors would be between 16 and 18 hours in total; 2 hours of training 1-2 weeks before the event and up to 16 hours during the event to attend workshops, meet with the teams, and participate in judging the solutions. You will be paid for your time preparing and participating in the event as a mentor through an honorarium of $325, and you will receive a certificate of leadership that you may add to your professional development portfolio.

Mentors will need to be available remotely for all 10 days of the event between February 22, 2022 to March 3, 2022. You do not need to be available during all hours of these days, but you should be able to respond to requests within a 6 hour window at most.

To apply to be a mentor, please write a 300 word maximum personal statement explaining why you are interested in being a mentor, highlighting any skills or relevant previous experience in similar mentoring scenarios. Send your statement to unhackathon@mcdonaldinstitute.ca with the subject line “(Un)Hackathon Mentor Application” by 11:59 pm EST on January 21, 2022 to be considered.

Students will be paid $325 CAN each upon the completion of the experience. Any student from any discipline or faculty registered at Queen’s University is eligible to apply if they are:

• A Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person on whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.*
• Legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial or territorial legislation and regulations.
• Enrolled in any full- or part-time program of post-secondary study at Queen’s University.
• Enrolled in their 2nd year of study or above.**

*International students are welcome to apply. The funding for international students will not come from Experience Ventures, but from the McDonald Institute directly.
**For the McDonald Institute’s Experience Ventures: (Un)hacking Downstream Consequences, only 2nd year full- or part-time students and above will be considered for teams.

The McDonald Institute is the Canadian centre for astroparticle physics research; uniting researchers, theorists, and technical experts within one organization. Located at and led by Queen’s University, the McDonald Institute is proud to have 13 partner universities and research institutes across the country, all of which are key players in Canada’s past and future innovation in astroparticle physics. Recently in the innovation space, the Institute responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by collaborating with the Mechanical Ventilator Milano (MVM) Consortium to deliver a ventilator on mass scale. Canada’s particle physics community and their collaborators in medicine, engineering, computer sciences, manufacturing and fund-raising have demonstrated their flexibility and adaptability by pivoting from their search for Dark Matter to committing their knowledge and skills toward solving a most pressing global problem.

Experience Ventures creates paid entrepreneurial thinking placements for college and university students with innovative companies in Canada. Our goal is to inspire your creativity, resiliency and future vision – so you can seize your future with the right skill set. Experience Ventures was created at the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking at the University of Calgary. This group is proud to work with schools to onboard students and companies, and support evaluation of this innovative new program. The goal is to scale Experience Ventures after this pilot period ending in March 2022.

See the one-pager on Experience Ventures here.