SignificanceAs scientific disciplines grapple with more datasets of rapidly increasing complexity and size, new approaches are urgently required to introduce new statistical and computational tools into research communities and improve the cross-disciplinary exchange of ideas. In this paper, we introduce a type of scientific workshop, called a hack week, which allows for fast dissemination of new methodologies into scientific communities and fosters exchange and collaboration within and between disciplines. We present implementations of this concept in astronomy, neuroscience, and geoscience and show that hack weeks produce positive learning outcomes, foster lasting collaborations, yield scientific results, and promote positive attitudes toward open science.