AI for Health Equity Design Sprint
Can Artificial Intelligence tools be leveraged to increase health access and equity?
This design sprint brings together students, clinicians, technologists, and community organizations to design human-centered solutions that prioritize the needs of patients, clinicians, and advocates. Participants will work with synthetic datasets modeled on real challenges submitted by partner organizations, culminating in a project showcase and awards across technical innovation, ethical rigor, and community engagement.
This event is part of the Frontiers in Data Science and AI initiative at the Data Science Institute, Columbia University— Reprogramming Governance: Ethical AI in Science and Health Series
Design Sprint Details
Friday, November 6, 2026 (11:00 AM - 4:30 PM)
Columbia Engineering Innovation Hub, Tang Family Hall (Manhattanville Campus)
Address: 2276 12th Ave, New York, NY 10027 - Google Maps
A project final showcase will be held on Friday, November 13 (2:00 PM - 5:30 PM) for design sprint participants and invited guests. If you do not plan to participate in a project but would like to attend the design sprint or project showcase, please submit a registration request. Guests will be accommodated as capacity allows!
Design Sprint Application Details
Priority Deadline: Friday, October 16, 2026 (5:00 PM ET)
We encourage potential design sprint participants to apply by Friday, October 16. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis after the priority deadline, and participants will be admitted as applications are reviewed. Applications will remain open until the program reaches capacity, after which additional applicants will be placed on a waitlist.
Admitted applicants will receive a welcome letter and calendar invitation confirming their participation in the design sprint.
Eligibility: The design sprint is open to Columbia University affiliates (students and researchers) from a wide range of disciplines, including: medicine and healthcare, computer and data science, engineering, ethics, policy, and others interested in advancing health equity.
The application is designed to help us understand your academic background, interests, and the skills you could bring to a project team. Applicants will be asked to provide:
- University affiliation and current degree program
- Current level of study
- Field of study for your current program and most recent degree
- A short biography
- Areas of health equity that you are most interested in exploring
- Relevant skills, experience, or expertise you could contribute to a project
- Optional links to a portfolio, website, GitHub, or other examples of your work
You do not need to arrive with a project idea or an established team. This information will help organizers understand the backgrounds and interests represented across the applicant pool.
Community, civil society, and nonprofit partners will bring real-world healthcare access and equity challenges for participants to address. Partners will help shape and present the challenges, advise teams, and evaluate final projects. Participating organizations and challenge areas will be announced soon!
Design sprint teams will present their final projects during a public showcase on Friday, November 13 (2:00 PM - 5:30 PM). Each team will have the opportunity to share its approach, key findings, and proposed solution with fellow participants, community partners, and invited guests.
Following the showcase, community partners will recognize standout work from their respective project teams. Each community partner will select one project to receive an award based on the strength of the team’s approach and final solution.
Agenda: Design Sprint Kickoff Event
Friday, November 6
11:00 AM: Doors Open & Registration
11:10 AM: Event Introductions
- Chris Wiggins, Professor of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia Engineering
11:15 AM: Opening Keynote (45 min)
- Jim Fruchterman, Social entrepreneur, tech-for-good field leader, author, public speaker
12:00 PM: Working Lunch (15 min)
12:15 PM: Partner Challenge Overview & Discussion (60 min)
- Community partners will introduce their challenge areas and the real-world problems they hope participants will address, followed by an open discussion and participant Q&A.
- Moderator: Sandra Soo-Jin Lee, Chief of the Division of Ethics and Professor of Medical Humanities and Ethics, Columbia University
1:15 PM: Break (15 min)
1:30 PM: Dataset & Challenge Overview (10 min)
- Participants will receive an overview of the datasets and challenge tracks they will work with during the design sprint.
1:40 PM: Technical Tutorial (40 min)
2:20 PM: Break (10 min)
2:30 PM: Guided Team Formation (45 min)
- Participants will connect around community partner challenge areas, meet potential teammates, and begin forming interdisciplinary project teams.
3:15 PM: Mingling & Community Partner Mentorship (45 min)
- Teams will refine their project ideas, discuss scope and next steps, and receive feedback from community partners and technical mentors.
4:00 PM: Closing Stand-Up
- Community partners will share observations on the projects taking shape, what they heard from teams, and themes emerging from the day.
4:30 PM: Event Ends:Teams will independently work on their projects for one week until the final showcase on Friday, November 13.