The 2026 Hacktive Matter Hackathon focuses on empowering researchers to harness data science approaches and high-throughput (HTP) analysis as core experimental tools—equal in importance to the biological and physical materials they study. Having established BARCODE as a powerful software package for HTP analysis of active materials, this year’s event shifts focus toward collaborative training, community co-design, and data-driven predictions. We are bringing together an expanded group of researchers to master HTP workflows, bridge the gap between experimental observations and computational data science, and co-develop the next generation of BARCODE capabilities. Join us for an immersive, flat-hierarchy experience where we turn big data into deep insights and actionable predictions for engineering living materials.

TRAINING

Mastering the BARCODE Ecosystem: Provide comprehensive, hands-on training for new and existing groups to integrate BARCODE into their specific research pipelines.

Building Computational Literacy: Equip materials scientists with the Python-based foundations and big data techniques needed to identify "hidden" signatures in active matter systems.

Standardizing Active Matter Metrics: Foster a shared language and set of benchmarks for the soft matter community to improve reproducibility and cross-group collaboration.

BUILDING

Advancing HTP Capabilities: Extend the core BARCODE framework to support increasingly complex, high-throughput data streams, including high-dimensionality, and simulated data.

Community Co-Development: Facilitate collaborative builds of new modules for BARCODE, ensuring the tool evolves to meet diverse community needs.

Using Data Science to drive Discovery: Empower researchers to move beyond post-hoc analysis toward a unified approach where predictions from data science and HTP analysis inform experimental design.

ENGAGING

Democratizing Discovery: Provide participants from diverse institutional backgrounds with the tools and expertise to implement sophisticated data-driven discovery.

When:

July 19, 2026 (2pm) - July 21, 2026 (9pm)

plan to arrive on July 18 and depart July 22

Where:

Elings Hall

University of California, Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA 93106

Lodging:

The Club & Guest House at UC Santa Barbara

Shared rooms for July 18 - July 22 are included for all participants. We will try to honor all roommate requests.

Meals:

All meals are included and will be held in Elings Hall or neighboring spaces. Please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions that you did not inform us of in the intake survey.

April 30 - Applications Due

May 28 - application notifications sent out

June 5 - submit enrollment form that includes confirmation of attendance, and flight/travel information

July 14 - complete pre-hack homework (to be sent out July 6)

July 16 - notification of team assignments and attendee lists shared

July 18 - arrive at UC Santa Barbara

July 19-21 - Hacktive Matter (full participation in the entire hackathon is required)

July 22 - depart UC Santa Barbara

1. laptop and power supply

2. data that you want to analyze, preferably in tiff format (downloaded onto your computer or a thumbdrive)

3. installed software packages (more info to follow)

4. comfortable clothes and layers - temperatures can fluctuate by >20 degrees in a day

5. an analysis hurdle that has been slowing down your research.

6. collaborative mindset

1. Review all of the information on this webpage

2. Complete the enrollment form (emailed May 30) and book your travel

3. Download and install all software packages described here

4. Curate the data you want to bring to analyze

5. Complete the pre-hack homework (coming soon)

6. Add your introduction slides to the Spark talk slide deck

Rae Robertson-Anderson | University of San Diego

Megan Valentine | UC Santa Barbara