Frontier Hackathons (virtual)
Contact: Suzanne Parete-Koon ([email protected]).
Overview
The OLCF will be working with HPE and AMD to hold (virtual) Frontier Hackathons in 2024. Application/software teams with existing Frontier allocations are invited to submit applications to participate in the hackathons. Once the application deadline for a specific event is reached, we will review all all applications and select 10 teams to attend. During the events, the teams will work toward their development goals (porting, debugging, optimization, etc.) with the help of OLCF, HPE, and AMD staff. Please see the sections below for more information on who should apply, what to expect during the hackathons, and a table of hackathon dates.
Who Should Apply?
This hackathon is open to teams (of 3 or more active members) with existing allocations on Frontier. If your team does not have an existing Frontier allocation and you would like to participate in an upcoming hackathon, you can request a Director’s Discretionary (DD) allocation using this form. For more information on OLCF project allocations, please visit https://docs.olcf.ornl.gov/accounts/accounts_and_projects.html.
Please note that while successful DD requests can be obtained relatively quickly (~3 weeks), each individual member of the project must also obtain an OLCF user account – which can take multiple weeks as well. So teams who intend to submit a DD proposal for Frontier access should target a hackathon date after their team members have already obtained access to Frontier.
What to Expect During the Hackathons
The hackathons will be hosted virtually using Zoom as the main web-conferencing tool as well as a Slack workspace. A week before the hackathon, we will have a Zoom-based preparation session that tells teams what to expect and tips for preparing for the event. In some Hackathons, each team will give a 5-minute introduction presentation describing their application and their goals for the hackathon during the preparation session. For other hackathons, these initial presentations will occur on Day 1.
During each day of the hackathon, all teams will start in a main Zoom session and then move into their team’s Zoom breakout room to begin hacking. On Day 4, teams will move directly into their breakout rooms for a final hacking session before moving out into the main Zoom session to give a 7-minute presentation on their accomplishments from the hackathon as well their future goals.
The Slack workspace will be used as the main global chat tool during the hackathon. This is where teams can ask questions, request staff to join their breakout rooms for help sessions, and generally chat with other participants of the event. While the Zoom chat will disappear at the end of each day, chat within the Slack workspace will remain for the duration of the event.
| Day | Session | Time (EDT) |
| Day 0 | Preparation Session | Week before Hackathon |
| Day 1 | Team Introduction Presentations (5 minutes each) or a networking session | 11:00 AM – 12:45 PM |
| Team Hacking (in breakout rooms) | 12:45 PM – 5:00 PM | |
| Day 2 | Team Hacking (in breakout rooms) | 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Day 3 | Team Hacking (in breakout rooms) | 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Day 4 | Team Hacking (in breakout rooms) | 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM |
| Team Final Presentations (7 minutes each) | 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM |
NOTE: Teams are encouraged to schedule their own lunch breaks based on their time zones.
Hackathon Dates
If you would like to submit an application to participate in a Frontier Hackathon, please select a date from the table below and follow the link to the specific page for that hackathon.
| Hackathon | Hackathon Date | Proposal Deadline |
| Frontier Hackathon – Week of March 4,2024 | March 4th, 2024 | Closed |
