National Security Hackathon

Sat, 25 Apr, 2026 at 11:00 am to Sun, 26 Apr, 2026 at 06:00 pm UTC-04:00

|

The Special Competitive Studies Project
Publisher/HostThe Special Competitive Studies Project
National Security Hackathon
Advertisement
Code What Counts! Build solutions for America’s hardest problems and present to national security technology leaders.
About this Event

National Security Hackathon $70,000 total prizes


Sign Up Here:

Website:

The hackathon is a multi-phase competition designed to solve high-impact problems across both defense and non-defense tracks, including autonomous laboratories, electric grid optimization, and generative AI for military applications.

Phase 1 (The First Round): Saturday, April 25 – Sunday, April 26, 2026.

  • Format: 10:00 AM Saturday to 6:00 PM Sunday.
  • Location: San Francisco, DC, Boston


Phase 2 (The Finals): May 9, 2026.

  • Location: The AI + Expo at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in DC.
  • Opportunity: Finalist teams will demo their projects on stage to over 20,000 attendees and a high-profile panel of judges.

Prizes Structure:
The top three winning teams in each track across SF, DC, and Boston (12 teams in total) will be given the opportunity to present their demo at the AI+Expo in Washington DC on May 9th.

The participants that qualify to present at AI+Expo will share a pot of $70,000+ in cash prizes based on the following structure:

  • The winning team of each track will receive $10,000
  • The 2nd place team of each track will receive $5,000
  • The 3rd place team of each track will receive $2,500

Hackathon Tracks
Non-defense:

  • Cloud laboratories: Transform scientific discovery by building AI agents that autonomously execute hypotheses, interpret lab data, and iterate experimental protocols
  • Electric Grid Optimization: Design "Grid-Aware" AI agents that dynamically balance high-capacity data center workloads with real-time renewable energy availability and grid stability.
    Defense:
  • Wargaming: Shatter analog constraints with a modular platform that uses AI to provide rapid adjudication, autonomous scenario architecture, and adaptive "Red Cell" adversaries.
  • GenAI.mil: Weaponize AI against the "administrative trenches" by creating software that automates military paperwork, logistics, and tactical knowledge retrieval for the rank-and-file.

Sign Up Here: https://web.cvent.com/event/ef909179-ed6a-47fe-92e0-21154343c371/register?rp=c1eb09a4-150c-474b-9c21-d11756654061


Day 1 - Apr 25

πŸ•‘: 10:00 AM
Check-in Starts

Info: One member per team must check in before tracks are announced at 11am.


πŸ•‘: 11:00 AM
Tracks Announced / Hacking Begins
πŸ•‘: 05:00 PM
In person hacking spaces closes
Day 2 - Apr 26

πŸ•‘: 10:00 AM
In person Hacking Space Opens
πŸ•‘: 05:00 PM - 06:00 PM
Judging
Advertisement

Event Venue

Tickets

USD 0.00

Icon
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

Ask AI if this event suits you: