Vivli AMR Data Challenge 2026

The 2026 round of the Vivli AMR Surveillance Data Challenge is closed: expressions of interest were due by 11:59 PM ET on 4 June 2026 (about 9:29 AM IST on 5 June), and the official page does not announce a next round. Vivli runs the challenge to get more researchers using its AMR Register and to advance work against antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Cash prizes go up to US$10,000 (about ₹9.5 lakh), with conference travel grants on top. Researchers in India can take part, it is not India-only, and the work is online with a live Zoom pitch for finalists, so use this guide to prepare for a future round.

What the program offers

The page lists six awards:

• AMR Global Leadership Award and AMR Visionary Award (non-student): US$10,000 each, plus a US$5,000 travel grant to an infectious disease conference.
• Impact Award (non-student): US$5,000 plus a US$2,000 travel grant.
• Student Innovation Award and Student Impact Award: US$5,000 travel grants, no cash.
• Global AMR R&D Hub Cross-Domain Award: a US$5,000 travel grant for teams (students or not) that use the Hub's dataset together with a Register dataset; it can be combined with other awards.

Travel grants depend on an accepted conference abstract. The page names ESCMID Global, ASM Microbe 2027, IMARI 2027 and ID Week as eligible; other conferences need Vivli's approval first. Finalists are also invited to submit a manuscript to a peer-reviewed Wellcome Open Research collection.

Who can apply

The challenge is open to researchers from all fields, including AMR specialists, data scientists and AI/ML researchers, in high- and low-resource settings. Teams must have two to five members. The entry must use at least one dataset from the AMR Register and pose a scientific question about AMR. Student prize teams can include only one non-student, who cannot be the lead applicant. It is a good fit for an Indian university group, a health-data startup or a research lab with analysis skills; it is not for solo entrants. Teams can use their own open data too. The Register's data covers over one million isolates from 89 countries over 20 years, from contributors including GSK, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Shionogi and Venus Remedies.

How to apply

1. Sign up to the AMR Register.
2. Form a team of two to five. The challenge Slack channel has a section for people looking for a team.
3. Review the datasets on the Register.
4. Submit a 300-word expression of interest, then the team form (student teams say so on the form).
5. Analyse the data over an eight-week period and upload your written submission within that window.
6. Finalists are notified and give a live Zoom pitch.

A practical tip: choose a sharp question before you write the 300 words, since the first screen checks that you use a Register dataset and pose a real AMR question.

How applications are judged and what happens next

Vivli first screens each expression of interest. An independent panel then scores written submissions on methodology and design, innovation and impact; student entries are judged separately. Finalists present live on Zoom with questions and may include a demonstration, and judges' decisions are final in case of a tie. The page does not give the start of the eight weeks, finalist notification dates or pitch dates.

About Vivli

The AMR Register launched in June 2022 and holds surveillance data shared by pharmaceutical companies. Wellcome funded its launch and the 2023 challenge. The 2026 challenge was funded by the Global AMR R&D Hub, Pfizer, Paratek, Johnson & Johnson, an NIH award and Vivli.

Things to check before you apply

• Teams keep the intellectual property in their solutions but are expected to make outputs openly available, for example on OSF or GitHub. Delays are possible in limited cases to protect IP.
• Outputs may be posted on the AMR website and shared by Vivli.
• All Register datasets are available except Merck's, which has to be requested separately.
• The page does not describe how prizes are paid or taxed. Ask Vivli, and Indian winners should check tax treatment with an adviser.