MIT Prize for Open Data
To highlight the value of open data at MIT, and to encourage the next generation of researchers, the MIT School of Science and the MIT Libraries present the MIT Prize for Open Data.
The Prize
Each winner will receive $2,500 and be invited to give a short talk about their project at the “Open Data at MIT” event on October 20 during Open Access Week.
Categories
Projects will be considered in four areas, those that:
- created new open data,
- creatively used existing open data,
- built technologies that advance use or dissemination of open data, and/or
- contained novel theorizing about open data, e.g. with respect to social and ethical responsibility.
By open data, we mean data and/or meta-data that are accessible to and reusable by other researchers, institutions and/or communities, e.g., through data repositories or public websites.
Eligibility
Nominees must be conducting research at MIT, with preference for trainees (research technicians, undergraduate or graduate students, post-doctoral researchers). Self-nominations are encouraged. Individuals are eligible to win for multiple projects, but each research project should only be nominated once, and will only be eligible for one prize.
Projects should be nominated at a stage when the product is already openly accessible and, where possible, can demonstrate evidence of impact. For example, for projects creating data or infrastructure, please include links to these products. For projects creating technologies, advancing dissemination, or developing theories, please provide descriptions of applications to research, policy, or practice. Note this prize is not a grant for future research, but a recognition of existing accomplishment. On the other hand, we welcome nominations of ‘small data’ projects, recognizing the value of individual’s investment in open data, especially in disciplines where these practices are new or not yet established.
Nominations
To nominate a project, please complete the form (coming soon) by September 14 at 5pm. As part of the nomination process, you will be asked to upload a 1-2 paragraph (up to 600 words) description of the project. This should include:
- A description of the context and impact of the project and the relevance of open data, in language broadly accessible to people from other disciplines. Links or figures can be included.
- The role that the nominee(s) played in the project.
Questions? Email open-data-prize@mit.edu
2026 Committee
Committee Co-Chairs
- Chris Bourg, Director, MIT Libraries
- Rebecca Saxe, Associate Dean of Science, School of Science
Committee Members
- Paul Berube, Research Scientist, Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Timur Cinay, PhD candidate, Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences.
- Steve Flavell, Associate Professor, Picower Institute for Learning & Memory and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences
- Satrajit Ghosh, Director of the Open Data in Neuroscience Initiative, McGovern Institute, and Director of Data Models and Integration, ReproNim
- Rafael Jaramillo, Thomas Lord Career Development Professor, Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
- Stuart Levine, BioMicro Center Director
- Peace Ossom, Director of Research Data Services, MIT Libraries
- Tom Pollard, research scientist, Laboratory for Computational Physiology
- Justin Reich, Associate Professor, Comparative Media Studies/Writing, and Director, Teaching Systems Lab
- Sadie Roosa, Collections Strategist for Repository Services, MIT Libraries
- Virginia Spanoudaki, Scientific Director, Preclinical Imaging and Testing, Koch Institute
- Nada Tarkhan, research collaborator, Sustainable Design Lab
Co-sponsored by the MIT School of Science and MIT Libraries
