ABACBS 2023 Stereo-seq Spatial Data Challenge

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The challenge is open to all registered delegates of the ABACBS 2023 conference. If you haven’t registered yet you may register for the conference at the ABACBS website here.

No, the challenge is designed to accommodate participants with varying levels of experience, from beginners to experts. The provided Jupyter notebook offers step-by-step guidance to assist you. Subject to your level of experience and familiarity with Conda, you may need to spend 3 to 6 hours in total to complete all the tasks.

Subject to your level of experience and familiarity with Conda and Jupyter, you may need to spend 3 to 6 hours in total to complete all the tasks.

To ensure a smooth experience, participants should have a Windows or Linux (preferred) operating system, an Intel i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 processor with at least four cores, a minimum of 16GB of RAM, at least 15GB of storage space, and administrative rights to install Conda and related packages in their development environment.

Participant rankings will be based on the number of successfully completed tasks. In the event that multiple participants complete the same number of tasks, submission time will be used as a tiebreaker. 

We have a dedicated Slack support group where you can seek assistance, interact with fellow participants, and get your questions answered. Sign up now and we’ll send you the details. 

You can register for the challenge through the Sign-up Form here. Once you're registered, you'll receive instructions on how to participate in the challenge. 

We're offering a range of exciting prizes, including STOmics Cloud subscriptions, Fitbit Smartwatches, ergonomic wireless keyboard and mouse sets, Rubik's cubes, and more. Visit the challenge landing page for detailed information on prizes.

The challenge opens from 12 pm (noon) AEDT, 9th November and closes at 7 pm AEST, 5th December, 2023. Be sure to submit your work before the closing date.

We'll send email reminders during the challenge period. You can also follow our Slack channel https://join.slack.com/t/stomicsabacbs2023/shared_invite/zt-26hcbp1qo-knvuk7ssmRvkaEJeSTUhTw, where we'll be posting important updates and reminders.

Once the challenge begins, a OneDrive folder will be provided to all participants. It will contain the data set, instructions, reference documentation, and the submission link for your work. 

Yes, for each individual task, you have the flexibility to pause your progress in the middle of the task and return to it at your convenience. You can put the task window aside, but it needs to remain open until you complete that specific task. Once a task is finished and your Jupyter Notebook is saved successfully onto your local drive, you are free to close the task window.

Certainly! You have the flexibility to stop or take breaks between tasks. The tasks are not interrelated, so you can choose to proceed to the next one at your own pace, allowing for a comfortable and adaptable experience during the challenge. Your progress between tasks can be managed according to your preference. However, remember that submission times are tiebreakers if you and other participants submit the work with the same level of completion.

To submit your work, please follow these guidelines:

· Place all your output files into a folder and name it in the format "FirstName_LastName_Institute."

· Zip the entire folder and use the same name for the zip file as the output folder.

· Upload the zip folder to our OneDrive Submission Link.

· Once you have uploaded your submission, a timestamp will be generated to confirm the submission time. Please ensure that your submission adheres to these requirements for a successful entry into the challenge.

After you've uploaded your files to our OneDrive Submission Link, a successful notification will be sent to your provided email address, confirming that your submission has been received and recorded. This confirmation ensures that your entry is in good standing for the challenge. Because the organising team will need to manually check the files submitted on a daily basis, please expect a turnaround time of up to 24 hours for confirmation of receipt.

Yes, you can still join the challenge even after it has started. The challenge is open for participation from the 9th to the 30th of November. So, there's plenty of time to explore, learn, and submit your work. Don't worry about joining late; it's about the experience and the opportunity to delve into the world of spatial data analysis. Your participation is valuable! 

The cut-off time for submissions is 7 pm on 5th December Tuesday, 2023, when the submission link will be deactivated. Please ensure that you submit your work before this deadline to be eligible for consideration in the challenge.

The results of the Challenge will be announced at the STOmics Morning Workshop during the ABACBS 2023 conference. You will also receive an email notification with the results and further instructions closer to the ABACBS conference.

There are terms and conditions that participants should be aware of when claiming their prizes:

· All prizes will be given out to the winners at the Winner Announcement during the STOmics Morning Workshop during the ABACBS 2023 conference (9-10am 7th Dec 2023 in UQ St. Lucia). Attendees can join the event physically or online. Please click the option of attendance when you sign up. Failure to attend may result in forfeiture of the prizes.

· Redemption Period: The first tier of prizes i.e. the STOmics Cloud subscriptions must be claimed within one year from the date they are awarded. After this period, unclaimed subscriptions will expire, and no compensation will be available.

· Non-transferable: The STOmics Cloud subscriptions are intended for the personal use of the winners and are not to be used for any commercial purposes. They are not to be sold, assigned, or otherwise transferred to another party. They are intended for the personal use of the winners.

· Compliance: The STOmics subscription winners are expected to comply with the terms and conditions of the STOmics Cloud service provider, including any usage policies and restrictions.

· Modification: The terms and conditions of the STOmics Cloud subscriptions are subject to change by the service provider, and winners are expected to adhere to any such changes.

· Cancellation: The service provider reserves the right to cancel or suspend subscriptions in cases of misuse, abuse, or violation of their policies.