dkNET_DC2025: 2025 dkNET D-Challenge |
| Website | https://thesugarscience.org/dchallenge2025/ |
| Submission link | https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=dknet-dc2025 |
| Abstract registration deadline | November 14, 2025 |
| Submission deadline | November 14, 2025 |
D-Challenge is a community research challenge designed to increase awareness and use of the rich ecosystem of on-line tools and data findable through dkNET to develop a compelling hypothesis about the biology, treatment, or sequelae of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). It is open to participants of all skill levels, from students to skilled bioinformaticians and data scientists who have registered by September 12, 2025.
The goal in this challenge is to bring investigators across disciplines to apply their skills and passion to the problem of T1D: its biology, treatment and sequelae, through the use of a rich interconnected ecosystem of data tools and resources. The extensive resources and tools hosted through dkNET provide the opportunity to catalyze searches for novel pathways implicated in disease pathophysiology and / or identify new therapeutic targets. As a partner in the D-Challenge, dkNET provides access to these resources and tools in an easily available setting, fostering discovery by the broad community of investigators focused on T1D.
Entries will be judged on the creative use of public tools, data, and knowledge resources to develop a compelling hypothesis regarding the biology, treatment, or sequelae of T1D. Participants are expected to use multiple on-line tools and platforms and to develop a plan as to how the hypothesis could be tested. The challenge focuses on in-silico development and testing and will not involve a wet lab component.
Submission Guidelines
D-Challenge Proposal Submission Portal will accept the submissions starting from October 31, 2025. Proposals are accepted until Friday, November 14, 2022, 5 pm Pacific Time.
EasyChair Submission Instructions (November 14, 2025, 5 pm Pacific Time):
- Title: Please enter your short team name. DO NOT include any information about your hypotheses in your title.
- Abstract: Brief description of your hypothesis that will assist in the selection of reviewers.
- Keywords: just enter "T1D", "Data Science”, and "D Challenge.”
- Upload: Submission package (see below).
Submission Package Instructions (November 14, 2025, 5 pm Pacific Time):
- FORMAT: Font: Ariel 11, with half inch margins and single spaced.
- The final proposal should be one (1) PDF document with the sections in the following order:
1. Cover Page: Title of your hypothesis submission, name of D-Challenge team, contact person
2. Section A: Model/Hypothesis Proposal
i. Summary- 30 lines Open science is encouraged but you have the option to protect IP in generalist language
ii. Brief statement of your work that can be shared publicly by the D-Challenge - 3-4 lines in length.
iii. Model/Hypothesis - Please describe your model/hypothesis (up to 3 pages) and provide a link to your model on GitHub (can be private).
iv. Potential study design -up to 1 page
v. Author list, affiliations, funding acknowledgements - up to 1 page
3. Section B: Protocol - provide description of methods that you use to develop your model/hypothesis.
4. Section C: Table of resources used, how and when in the process, RRIDs (PDF) [should include: Resource Name, URL/Website, RRID, Use in challenge]. RRIDs can be found for resources at: https://dknet.org/data/source/nlx_144509-1/search
5. Section D: References
6. Section E: Conflict of Interest - i.e. relationship with any of the tools or data used in the Challenge
Organizers
Contact
All questions about submissions should be communicated via D-Challenge Slack Platform or D-Challenge@dknet.org.