Civic Tech Jam connects Nashville researchers and city leaders to tackle real-world challenges

The room buzzed with energy at Operation Stand Down Tennessee as city leaders and university researchers gathered just a few blocks from Vanderbilt's campus to tackle some of Nashville's most pressing civic challenges.

It was the first annual Civic Tech Jam, hosted by the Nashville Innovation Alliance on Oct. 22-a pitch event that brought together faculty from across Middle Tennessee universities, including many from Vanderbilt, and Metro Department leaders to explore technology-driven approaches to civic challenges.

Departments pitch, faculty respond

Representatives from eight Metro Departments each had three minutes to outline a local problem and pose a related research question to see how they could better leverage technology to resolve their specific issue. Topics ranged from automating key government processes to improving accessibility of public-facing technologies and enhancing mobility across the city.

See the whole list of Metro leaders' pitches.>>

After the program, networking time allowed representatives from Vanderbilt, Austin Peay, Belmont, Fisk, Lipscomb, Middle Tennessee State and Tennessee State to connect with relevant Metro departments and discuss how their research could inform practical solutions to these challenges.

Next steps for pilot projects

Over the coming months, the innovation alliance will facilitate more conversations between participating faculty and Metro departments to refine project concepts and prepare proposals. Teams can apply for seed funding of up to $40,000 per project through the alliance's Nashville Tech Studio initiative, and up to two projects will be awarded in spring 2026.

Middle Tennessee faculty and researchers interested in exploring collaborative projects can find details and answers to frequently asked questions on the Civic Tech Jam FAQ page.

Building pathways for collaboration

Established in 2024 by Vanderbilt and Mayor Freddie O'Connell, the Nashville Innovation Alliance aims to connect public, private, civic and education institutions to enhance the region's innovation ecosystem. As part of this work through its Nashville Tech Studio, the alliance supports the development and testing of technology-based solutions to address civic issues like emergency response, transportation and sustainability.

The Civic Tech Jam embodied the spirit of the Nashville Innovation Alliance-creating pathways to help solve some of Nashville's biggest challenges by fostering more collaboration among researchers and city leaders to put innovation to work.