Obf-Event-Fellowship

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. As a recipient of a travel grant from the Open Bioinformatics Foundation, I participated in the extraordinary SMBE23 conference, which broadened my horizons and inspired me to pursue even greater heights in my postgraduate research.

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. I am very grateful to have received the OBF Event Fellowship 2022.

The Open Bioinformatics Foundation (OBF) Event Fellowship program supports and encourages diverse participation at events focusing on open source bioinformatics software development and open science practices in the biological research community. Sona Charles, a Scientist (Bioinformatics) at ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research, India, was supported to participate in the Great Lakes Bioinformatics (GLBIO) 2021 Conference by this award granted to her in the application round-1 of 2021. Find more information here.

In this pandemic stricken world when all conferences are taking place virtually and don’t require traveling, it has become more accessible for international participants like me. However, the cost for registration, video-conferencing accessories and childcare remain the same. Luckily, I came across the Open Bioinformatics Foundation Event Fellowship, when I was hoping to attend the Great Lakes Bioinformatics (GLBIO) 2021 Conference. I had already submitted a poster entitled “ Sequence-Based Prediction of Phytophthora- Host Interaction Using Machine Learning Methods” to the conference, which was accepted. I went ahead and applied for the event fellowship at Open Bioinformatics Foundation for its first round of 2021. Two weeks later (after the application review phase), I was informed by the Chair of OBF Event Fellowship that I was awarded the fellowship.