2026 Pharmaverse Hackathons
The pharmaverse council is running its first official hackathon series in 2026, explicitly designed to welcome first-time contributors. Resources are provided regardless of experience level — no prior open-source contribution experience is assumed.
Details on this page are drawn from the pharmaverse OSS Pillar blog post: pharmaverse.github.io/blog
How Each Hackathon Works
Each event follows a structured three-week format:
This format is well-suited for a first contribution: scoped, supported, and explicitly welcoming of newcomers.
2026 Hackathon Calendar
| Package | Target Date | Timezone | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
{teal} @ R/Medicine |
April 23 | PST | Past |
{xportr} |
May 21 | EDT | Past |
{aNCA} |
July 16 | CET | NCA-focused; PK background helpful |
{autoslider} @ R/Pharma |
Week of Sept 28 | CST | Reporting automation |
{gtsummary} & {cards/x} @ R/Pharma |
Week of Sept 28 | PST | Recommended Good entry point for SAS programmers |
{logrx} |
Early November | EST | Logging and compliance focus |
Recommended Target: {gtsummary} & {cards/x}
For SAS programmers new to R, the {gtsummary} and {cards/x} hackathon (late September, R/Pharma conference week) is the strongest entry point. Here’s why:
- Approachable package:
{gtsummary}produces summary tables — directly analogous toPROC TABULATE/PROC REPORToutput work you already do - Great documentation: Among the best-documented packages in the ecosystem; getting started is genuinely easy
- Enough runway: Late September gives several months to build R comfort before the event
- Supported entry: The R/Pharma conference context means extra visibility, community energy, and mentoring support
Consider the {aNCA} hackathon in July (CET timezone). It focuses on non-compartmental analysis — a domain where clinical SAS programmers with PK backgrounds can contribute meaningfully from the start.
Preparing for Your First Hackathon
You don’t need to be a proficient R programmer to contribute. Here’s what actually helps:
Before the kick-off (Week 1):
- Have a working R environment and GitHub account (Steps 1–2)
- Have browsed the package documentation site at least once
- Have read a few open issues on the package GitHub repo
At the kick-off:
- Show up with questions, not answers — the kick-off is designed to orient you
- The package team will present curated issues rated by difficulty
- Choose an issue that matches your comfort level; “Good First Issue” labels are your friend
During the hackathon (Week 2):
- Mentors are present throughout — don’t hesitate to ask for help
- A submitted pull request with honest effort is a success, regardless of whether it merges
- Your SAS background gives you clinical context that pure R programmers may not have — that’s valuable
The pharmaverse blog has a dedicated post with tips for first-time contributors:
Tips for First-Time Contributors →
Once you’ve got a merged (or even just submitted) hackathon PR behind you, consider R Consortium Pilot 6 as a next step — real ADaM and TLF submission work in R, at your own pace. It’s a bigger commitment than a hackathon (it uses DVC alongside Git, for one), so it’s worth reading Beyond the Hackathons before diving in.