Embracing Science and Culture: My Memorable Conference Experience at SMBE23 in Ferrara, Italy

The Open Bioinformatics Foundation (OBF) Event Fellowship program aims to promote diverse participation at events promoting open-source bioinformatics software development and open science practices in the biological research community. Nehemiah Ongeso, an MSc graduate at the University of Nairobi, was awarded an OBF Event Fellowship to attend the SMBE23 conference. Attending a prestigious conference can be a turning point in any scientist’s career; for me, it was no exception. The Society of Molecular Biology and Evolution (SMBE) conference, hosted in Ferrara, Italy, was an unparalleled experience that combined cutting-edge scientific research with a unique cultural immersion. [Read More]

Daniela Senra: My Experience at the Human Cell Atlas General Meeting 2023

The Open Bioinformatics Foundation (OBF) Event Fellowship program aims to promote diverse participation at events promoting open-source bioinformatics software development and open science practices in the biological research community. Daniela Senra, a PhD researcher at Centro Regional de Estudios Genómicos, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, was awarded an OBF Event Fellowship to attend the Human Cell Atlas General Meeting 2023. In July, I had the incredible opportunity to attend and present a lightning talk at the Human Cell Atlas General Meeting 2023, that took place in the city of Toronto, Canada, from July 10th to July 12th, 2023. [Read More]

<strong>Spotlight on diversity: Jenea Adams</strong>

Diversity, inclusion and accessibility (also known as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, DEI) are a major part of BOSC’s mission and core values, and we pursue these goals in multiple ways. BOSC 2022, for example, included a panel on Building and Sustaining Inclusive Open Science Communities, with panelists who not only were experts on the topic but also themselves belong to various groups that are typically underrepresented in our community. And with generous support from our sponsors, each year we provide free registration to 10-20 BOSC participants as part of the OBF Event Fellowship program), which aims to increase diverse participation at events related to open source bioinformatics and open science. [Read More]

Call for the second round of OBF Event Fellowship 2023 and the first 2023 round overview.

The call for applications for the OBF Event Fellowship 2023, round 2, is now open. The deadline for this round is 1 August 2023. Applications should be submitted via this Google Form. We have provided a Word template to help you draft the application locally before filling out the form – make a copy of this template. The OBF Event Fellowship program aims to increase diverse participation at events that promote open-source bioinformatics and/or open science. [Read More]

<strong>Winfred Gatua: Hybrid Carpentries workshop supported by OBF Event Fellowship</strong>

The Open Bioinformatics Foundation (OBF) Event Fellowship program aims to promote diverse participation at events promoting open-source bioinformatics software development and open science practices in the biological research community. Winfred Gatua, Doctor of Philosophy, Bristol Medical School , was awarded an OBF Event Fellowship to organize a Hybrid Carpentries workshop at Laikipia University, Kenya. Hosting and facilitating a hybrid carpentries workshop in my home country is an excellent highlight for me. [Read More]

Ruth Nanjala: My experience attending and participating at the ICHG 2023 conference hosted in the Mother City

The Open Bioinformatics Foundation (OBF) Event Fellowship program aims to promote diverse participation at events promoting open-source bioinformatics software development and open science practices in the biological research community. Ruth Nanjala, a DPhil student in Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Oxford, was awarded an OBF Event Fellowship to attend the International Congress of Human Genetics (ICHG) 2023 conference. Earlier in 2022, I received the Open Bioinformatics Foundation (OBF) Event Fellowship for participating and promoting open science at the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) 2022 conference in Los Angeles. [Read More]

Call for applications for the first round of OBF Event Fellowship 2023 &amp; overview of the second 2022 round

The call for applications for the OBF Event Fellowship 2023, round 1, is now open. The deadline for this round is 1 April 2023. Applications should be submitted via this Google Form. We have provided a Word template to help you draft the application locally before filling the form – make a copy of this template.The OBF Event Fellowship program aims to increase diverse participation at events that promote open source bioinformatics and/or open science. [Read More]

<strong>Microbiome (k)nights</strong>

The Open Bioinformatics Foundation (OBF) Event Fellowship program aims to promote diverse participation at events promoting open source bioinformatics software development and open science practices in the biological research community. Luise Rauer, a PhD student at the Technical University of Munich, was awarded an OBF Event Fellowship to participate virtually in the 9th International Human Microbiome Consortium (IHMC) conference in November 2022. What do a total lunar eclipse and the 9th International Human Microbiome Consortium (IHMC) conference have in common? [Read More]

OBF Community Support Sponsorship scheme funds first pilot project

The OBF Community Support Sponsorship scheme aims to sponsor small open-source-focused events like a scientific meeting, small conference, training workshop, hackathon, or time-limited series like monthly seminars. See details in this post. One application was funded under this program to prototype the workflow, with OBF offering financial support for a seminar series hosted by the Bioinformatics Hub Kenya. Congratulations to Michael Kofia Landi for leading this application and working collaboratively with the BHKi team – Pauline Karega, David Kiragu, Margaret Wanjiku and Festus Nyasimi – and OBF Board including Treasurer Heather Wiencko, to help establish a process for this new type of OBF funding. [Read More]

Crowdsourced highlights from BOSC 2022

Going home after attending BOSC was a little bittersweet. It’s my favorite conference because it brings together such a welcoming group of people, and the lineup of talks typically offers a great balance of technical learning and community-building insights. So on my flight home, I was coasting on dopamine from the good times, but also getting a little sad that it was over for this year. With the help of a few fellow BOSC enthusiasts (special shout-out to Nomi Harris for the event summary notes, photos and help recruiting contributors), I put together this little recap of the conference, with highlights and personal accounts contributed by a number of other participants. [Read More]