TL;DR
Welcome back to Dev Opportunity Radar.
This is a weekly series where I share opportunities, resources, communities, and interesting finds that I come across, with the goal of helping people discover things they might otherwise miss.
This week's edition features HackerRank Orchestrate, the Claude Campus Ambassador Program, and the Bharat Builds Tour, along with the System Design Primer as a resource worth checking out.
If you're new to the series, you can also browse previous editions, search past opportunities, and explore Community Finds, Reader Updates, and Resources Worth Checking Out on the Dev Opportunity Radar website. I've also written a short post about why I built it. You'll find links to both at the end of this article.
This week's 🌟 Community Finds section features opportunities shared by L. Cordero (@earlgreyhot1701d) and Konark Sharma (@konark_13). Thank you both for sharing the NASA Space Apps Challenge and the Build with React Image Editor Challenge. I always enjoy seeing readers help others discover opportunities they might otherwise have missed, and I hope this section continues to grow.
If you've discovered something through the Radar, I'd love to hear about it. Whether you applied to an opportunity, attended an event, joined a community, completed a program, built something, or found a resource you hadn't seen before, I'd be happy to feature your experience in a future 💙 Reader Updates section (with your permission).
And if you've come across an opportunity, resource, community, program, event, or anything else you think deserves more attention, feel free to share it in the comments.
If I feature one of your 🌟 Community Finds in a future edition, I'll always make sure to credit you. If you discovered it, that recognition belongs to you.
Table of Contents
- ⚡ Quick Scan
- 🔄 Still Open From Previous Editions
- 📍 This Week's Opportunities
- 📚 Resources Worth Checking Out
- 🌟 Community Finds
- 💙 Reader Updates
- 👋 Until Next Friday
- 🌐 Dev Opportunity Radar Website
⚡ Quick Scan
Opportunities
| Opportunity | Organization | Type | Location / Format | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HackerRank Orchestrate | HackerRank | AI Hackathon | Online (Global) | September 12 |
| Claude Campus Ambassador Program | Anthropic | Campus Ambassador Program | Campus-based (Global) | September 12 |
| Bharat Builds Tour | WeMakeDevs × AWS Builder Center | Student Hackathon Series | Online (India) / In Person | September 17–20 |
Resource Highlight
| Resource | Why Check It Out |
|---|---|
| The System Design Primer | A free, open-source collection of system design topics, interview questions, real-world architectures, and resources for learning system design and preparing for system design interviews. |
Community Finds
| Shared By | Find | Type | Location / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| L. Cordero (@earlgreyhot1701d) | NASA Space Apps Challenge | Global Hackathon | Global / 450+ Local Events |
| Konark Sharma (@konark_13) | Build with React Image Editor Challenge | Hackathon | Online |
📝 A quick note: I spend a lot of time researching and verifying every opportunity before featuring it in Dev Opportunity Radar. However, deadlines, eligibility, program details, and application requirements can change after publication. Before applying, please take a few minutes to visit the official program page, review the latest information, and confirm that you're eligible.
🔄 Still Open From Previous Editions
Before we get into this week's opportunities, here are a few from the two most recent editions that are still accepting applications.
As the Radar has grown, there are now quite a few opportunities spread across the different editions. I used to keep all the still-open opportunities here, but I don't think repeating a long list every week makes the editions easier to read.
So I keep this section to the two most recent editions as a quick reminder of opportunities you may have missed. Older opportunities are still available on the Dev Opportunity Radar website, where you can browse the full collection and use the filters to find something specific.
I've already covered the opportunities below in detail, so I won't repeat everything here. If any of them catch your attention, you can go back to the original edition for the full overview, eligibility details, and application links.
| Opportunity | Organization | Type | Format | Deadline | Featured In |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| a16z Alpha Fellowship | a16z speedrun × EO Ventures | Fellowship | In Person | September 2026 | Edition #13 |
| RevenueCat Shipaton 2026 | RevenueCat | Hackathon | Online | October 1 | Edition #13 |
| Kaggriculture AI Agent Competition | Kaggle | AI Competition | Online | September 30 | Edition #13 |
| Razorpay AI Buildathon | Razorpay | Buildathon | In Person (Bangalore, India) | September 5 | Edition #14 |
| Agents for Humans Hackathon | AWS | Hackathon | Online (Mostly Global*) | September 15 | Edition #14 |
| MLH Global Hack Week: Data | Major League Hacking (MLH) | Hackathon | Online (Global) | September 17 | Edition #14 |
📍 This Week's Opportunities
Here are a few opportunities I came across this week that I thought were worth sharing.
📌 HackerRank Orchestrate
Who it's for: Developers, students, and builders who want to try building an AI agent in a short, focused challenge. It's open to anyone, and the challenge is solo.
What stands out: HackerRank Orchestrate is a 24-hour hackathon where you'll receive a real-world problem and build an agent-based solution for it. The challenge starts on September 12 at 6:00 PM IST, and you'll have 24 hours to build and submit your solution.
I wanted to include this one because it's a little different from the usual hackathons where you know the problem before you start. Here, the challenge is sent to you when the hackathon begins, so you'll need to figure out the architecture, retrieval strategy, model choice, prompts, and the rest of the approach yourself.
You can also use the tools you already work with, including Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, or Copilot. The submission includes your code, the agent's output, and your AI chat transcript, so they're looking at more than just the final result.
There's also an interesting part after submission: a 30-minute voice interview with an AI judge, where you'll walk through your architecture, decisions, tradeoffs, safety choices, and code. So if you're curious about what it feels like to have your AI project evaluated beyond a demo, this could be an interesting challenge to try.
There are cash prizes too, with $1,200 for first place and $300 for places 2–5, along with other rewards. The top three winners who build with Codex can also receive additional Codex credits.
One thing worth knowing before signing up is that this is a 24-hour challenge, and the problem itself isn't revealed until the start. So it may be more suited to people who enjoy working under a tight deadline rather than those looking for a longer, more relaxed hackathon.
Prize: $1,200 for 1st place | $300 for 2nd–5th place
Format: Online | Duration: 24 hours | Team: Solo
Challenge Starts: September 12, 2026 at 6:00 PM IST
What you need to build: An AI agent that solves a real-world problem provided when the challenge begins.
Evaluation: Code, agent output, AI chat transcript, and a 30-minute AI judge interview.
Eligibility: Anyone can participate | No prior AI experience required
📌 Claude Campus Ambassador Program
Who it's for: Students who want to help other students learn about and use AI on their campus. There are separate tracks for undergraduates, master's students, and PhD students/postdocs, with different responsibilities for each.
What stands out: The Claude Campus Ambassador program from Anthropic is back for the 2026–27 school year, and applications are currently open.
I wanted to include this because it's a little different from the usual student programs I come across. Instead of being focused mainly on learning or completing a project, you're helping build an AI community on your campus and organizing activities for other students.
For undergraduate students, the program involves leading a Claude Builder Club, organizing technical and non-technical workshops, running hackathons or demo nights, and sharing resources with members. Selected ambassadors receive a $3,600 cash stipend.
For master's students, there's a Claude Campus Conversations track focused more on discussions around AI and its impact on education and society. You'd organize discussion groups and events, while also helping students share and discuss the AI projects they're building.
For PhD students and postdocs, the Claude Science track is focused on researchers using AI in their work. This includes leading workshops for other researchers, organizing Claude for Science sessions, and engaging with Anthropic's science teams.
All three tracks also give ambassadors opportunities to participate in workshops led by Anthropic, connect with other ambassadors, and share feedback with Anthropic's teams.
A few things are worth knowing before applying. The program runs for the full school year, from September 2026 through June 2027, so this is more of an ongoing commitment than a short-term program. You also need to be 18 or older and have work authorization in your country of study.
The program is open to students anywhere in the world, although the initial pilot for the graduate and PhD tracks may select from a smaller group of schools. You don't need to be an AI expert, but Anthropic does expect some level of AI fluency and familiarity with Claude.
Stipend: $3,600
Format: Campus-based | Program Duration: September 2026 – June 2027
Tracks: Claude Builder Club (Undergraduate), Claude Campus Conversations (Master's), and Claude Science (PhD/Postdocs)
Eligibility: Students worldwide | Age: 18+
Application Deadline: September 12, 2026
Cost: Free to apply and participate
📌 Bharat Builds Tour
Who it's for: University students in India who want to build projects through a series of online and in-person hackathons. You must be 18 or older to register on your own.
What stands out: The Bharat Builds Tour, organized by WeMakeDevs in collaboration with AWS Builder Center, is a six-stop hackathon series where students can participate online from anywhere in India. Each stop has its own hackathon, and you can take part in as many of the six as you'd like.
I wanted to include this one even though it's geographically limited because there is a hiring component that I don't come across very often in student hackathons.
For students graduating in 2027 or 2028, some of the top projects can be eligible for a fast-track interview opportunity with Amazon's University Talent Acquisition Team for available internship and full-time roles. The fast-track means the usual screening round is skipped and the project is used in its place.
That doesn't mean winning a hackathon automatically gets you an Amazon interview, though. The rules say that being shortlisted for a prize and being put forward for an interview are separate decisions, and the interview opportunity is also subject to Amazon's eligibility requirements, available roles, and business needs. So I'd definitely read the terms before counting on the hiring part.
The tour itself includes six hackathons, with the first one, First Commit, taking place September 17–20. Every stop has an online option for students across India, while the city hosting that particular stop also has limited in-person seats.
You can participate solo or in teams of up to four, and you don't need previous cloud experience. Each project does need to use AWS, and submissions include a public repository, a short demo video, and a write-up explaining the project and where AWS is used.
There are also prizes across the tour, with a total prize value of ₹1 crore in gadgets and cloud credits. Participants can also get access to AWS learning resources, credits, a certification voucher, mentors, and a WeMakeDevs certificate.
One thing worth knowing is that one registration covers all six stops, but you still need to check in to each hackathon as it opens. You'll also need an AWS Builder Center profile and verified student status before your entry can be scored.
Prize Pool: Prizes worth ₹1 crore across six hackathons
Format: Online across India + limited in-person seats
First Hackathon: September 17–20, 2026
Team Size: Solo or up to 4 people
Eligibility: University students in India, 18+
Hiring: Top projects from eligible 2027 and 2028 students may receive a fast-track interview opportunity with Amazon
Cost: Free
📚 Resources Worth Checking Out
Not every useful find comes with an application deadline.
Here's one resource worth checking out this week.
The System Design Primer
If system design is something you're trying to learn, this is one resource I came across that is worth keeping around.
The System Design Primer is a free, open-source GitHub repository with a collection of system design topics, interview questions, real-world architectures, and other resources. It also has a study guide that gives you an idea of what to focus on depending on how much time you have.
It covers things like scalability, latency, availability, consistency, DNS, CDNs, load balancers, databases, caching, microservices, and distributed systems.
What I liked here is that it also has actual system design questions to work through, such as Pastebin, Twitter, a web crawler, a social network, and scaling a system to millions of users on AWS.
There is also a section on how to approach a system design interview, starting with requirements and constraints, then moving into the high-level design, core components, scaling, and trade-offs.
So if you're just getting started with system design, or preparing for interviews and don't know what topics to go through first, this could be a good place to start.
Format: Free, open-source GitHub repository
Covers: System design, scalability, databases, caching, distributed systems, networking, microservices, and more.
Also includes: System design interview questions, real-world architectures, and Anki flashcards.
🔗 Explore the System Design Primer
🌟 Community Finds
One of my favorite things about this series has been seeing people share opportunities, communities, and resources that others might not have discovered otherwise.
The NASA Space Apps Challenge
Shared by L. Cordero (@earlgreyhot1701d).
L. Cordero shared the NASA Space Apps Challenge, a global hackathon happening on November 14–15, 2026, with 450+ local events to choose from when you register.
The challenge brings people together to work on real-world problems using NASA data and Space Agency Partner data. The challenges can cover things like software development, storytelling, astrophysics, space exploration, agriculture, and more.
I wanted to include this because I like the community side of this one. You can choose a local event and meet other people interested in technology, science, and space, and it is open to people from different backgrounds and skill levels.
Another thing L. Cordero pointed out is that this is far enough out to plan around. There is still some time to find teammates, look at the local events, and think about what you might want to build.
L. Cordero also mentioned the idea of putting together a DEV team for this. I won't be able to join this one myself with everything going on right now, but maybe some of you would be interested in putting a team together.
Format: Global hackathon with local events
Dates: November 14–15, 2026
Local Events: 450+
Who can participate: All ages, skill levels, and professional backgrounds
🔗 Find a Local Event & Learn More
💡 Community Note: If you're interested in joining a DEV team for this, feel free to leave a comment below and connect with others who are interested. Maybe we can get a few people together for this one!
The Build with React Image Editor Challenge
Shared by Konark Sharma (@konark_13).
Konark shared the Build with React Image Editor Challenge from Unlayer, where you build a GTA VI-inspired experience using React Image Editor.
The idea is to build something where users can edit or customize at least one visual, use React Image Editor as a core part of the project, and then publish the source code in a public GitHub repository and deploy the project.
I wanted to include this because it's a little different from the usual hackathons I come across. The GTA VI theme gives you a starting point, but there is still quite a bit of room for what you can actually build around it.
There is $1,000 in prizes, with $500 for first place, $300 for second, and $200 for third. Projects are judged on creativity, visual execution, use of React Image Editor, and the overall experience.
Format: Online
Deadline: September 24, 2026 at 11:59 PM UTC
Prize Pool: $1,000
What you need to build: A GTA VI-inspired experience using React Image Editor, with at least one visual that users can edit or customize.
Submission: Public GitHub repository + deployed project
Thank you to L. Cordero (@earlgreyhot1701d) and Konark Sharma (@konark_13) for thinking of the Radar and sharing these with the community. It really means a lot 💙
I'd love for this section to keep growing.
If you've come across an opportunity, fellowship, grant, hackathon, conference, community, resource, or anything else you think more people should know about, feel free to share it in the comments.
If I feature it in a future edition, I'll always make sure to credit you. If you discovered it, that recognition belongs to you.
One small request: If you're sharing an opportunity, please avoid posting raw URLs directly in the comments. DEV sometimes filters them before I get a chance to see them.
A short description alongside the link makes it much easier for me to review and potentially feature it in a future edition.
💙 Reader Updates
I'm looking forward to this section gradually growing over time, and I'd still love to hear from you.
One of my favorite parts of writing Dev Opportunity Radar has been hearing from people who discovered something they otherwise might have missed.
If you discovered an opportunity through the radar, applied to something, joined a community, attended an event, or simply found a resource you hadn't seen before, I'd genuinely love to hear about it.
You don't need to have been accepted or have a big success story to share. Sometimes simply discovering the right opportunity at the right time is already a win.
If you'd like to share an update, feel free to leave a comment on this edition. With your permission, I may feature it in a future 💙 Reader Updates section and tag you so other readers can celebrate your journey too.
I hope this section gradually becomes a place where we can celebrate those stories together, one update at a time.
👋 Until Next Friday
Before I go, I just want to say thank you.
Every week, I spend time searching for opportunities, resources, and communities that I think deserve a little more attention. But one of my favorite parts of this series isn't the research. It's seeing what happens after an edition is published.
Seeing someone discover an opportunity, apply to a program, share a resource, suggest a Community Find, or come back to tell us what they learned reminds me why I started Dev Opportunity Radar in the first place.
The goal has always been simple:
Help people discover opportunities they otherwise might have missed.
Thanks to all of you, it feels like we're doing exactly that.
Whether you've been reading since the very first edition or this is your first time here, thank you for being part of the journey. Every comment, suggestion, and shared opportunity helps make this series better than I could build on my own.
If you ever come across an opportunity, resource, event, community, or anything else you think deserves more attention, I'd love for you to share it in the comments. And if Dev Opportunity Radar helped you discover something exciting, I'd love to hear that too.
Thank you for reading, for sharing, and for helping make this our radar, not just mine.
I'll be back next Friday with more opportunities, resources, and Community Finds.
Until then, take care, and I hope you discover something amazing this week 💙
🌐 Dev Opportunity Radar Website
If this is your first time discovering the series, you can explore every edition, browse opportunities by category, discover Community Finds, and catch up on Reader Updates on the Dev Opportunity Radar website.
👉 Website
I also wrote a short post about why I built the website and the journey behind it.
Top comments (2)
What opportunities, communities, grants, fellowships, hackathons, conferences, or resources have you come across recently that deserve more attention?
I am always looking for things to include in future editions, so feel free to share anything interesting you've found. If I feature one of your finds in a future edition, I'll always make sure to credit you.
If you discovered an opportunity through the radar, applied to something, joined a community, attended an event, or simply found something you hadn't seen before, I'd genuinely love to hear about that too. With your permission, I'd be happy to feature your update in a future 💙 Reader Updates section.
Small request: If you are sharing a link, please avoid posting raw URLs directly. DEV sometimes filters them before I get a chance to see the comment.
💡 If you're interested in putting together a DEV team for the NASA Space Apps Challenge, feel free to use this thread to connect with others.
No pressure at all; I just thought it might be easier to have people interested in forming a team in one place rather than having the conversation spread across different comments.
You can mention if you're looking for teammates, what kind of skills or role you're interested in, or simply reply to someone who is also looking for a team. Feel free to connect in whatever way works for you.
I'm not participating in this one myself, but since L. Cordero brought up the idea, I thought I'd leave a small space here for anyone who wants to try it.
And thank you, L. Cordero (@earlgreyhot1701d), for the idea! I thought it was a really nice one, and hopefully this makes it a little easier for anyone interested to find each other 💙