- Name of your organization
iGEM Community - Open Science and Accessibility Steering Group
- Reliable email address (or another reliable way of official contact)
sofia_sanchez@igem.org - Estefany Sofia Sánchez Martínez (iGEM Community Coordinator)
deborah.schafhauser@gmail.com - Deborah da Cruz Schafhauser (iGEM Community OScA SG Head)
openscience@igem.org - iGEM Community OScA mail
- Tell us about your organization
The Open Science and Accessibility Steering Group, founded in 2021, was an integrating part of the former “After iGEM” organization, now the iGEM Community. The main goal for its creation was to address the barriers people from the world find when creating Synthetic Biology. Throughout 2021, the group developed projects on translation initiatives, education, mentoring, and discussion, for instance, the Open Talks event. Hence, we approach the SynBio Community using accessibility tools to create open resources.
- Does your organization have representation for a marginalized demographic due to factors such as, but not limited to, race, ability, place of birth, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class situation, or other identification? If so, how?
This year, the OScA Steering Group embraces nine different time zones, representing people from America, Asia, and Europe, with different backgrounds but related to synbio. With the cultural diversity, we are including multicultural perspectives about science, synthetic biology, geopolitics, ways of life, to be, and to demonstrate affection.
- How would your event address GOSH’s values of diversity and inclusion?
We are an Open Science and Accessibility group, and we are planning an event that translates the uniqueness of local culture into technological science. We are also concerned with woman’s representation, minority voices, and community respect.
To assure a diverse presence, we are willing to dedicate a part of the funding to cover expenses from a diversity of Latin Peers to review projects, share knowledge, and willingness to contribute. In addition, the event can participate remotely, allowing participants with no financial or physical possibility to travel.
- What is the event about, and what do you want to achieve with it?
Our proposed event is a Hackathon under a hybrid presence system. iGEM Community has members spread through the globe, and we will use those contacts to access different realities and ways to see science. The plan is to develop in 2 days a regional hackathon in Latin America, with talks and mentoring related to Open Science and, especially, open hardware:
Previous to the event:
-
Promote the event = beginning of June
-
Registration form = 50 vacancies, open until June 24
-
Teams or individuals can register
-
Main event prior to the Jamboree: September 17-18th.
Day 1.
-
2 speakers and 2 workshops - 1:30 to 2:00 h long
-
Mini-courses on hardware, software, and licenses.
-
Options for each topic (software, hardware), for licenses, for open innovation companies.
-
Straight up activity - Multicultural perspectives in building with SynBio
-
Feedback Sessions
-
Transmission to iGEM TV
-
Networking session (optional)
- Focus on Latin American speakers in person (+ some global ones )
Day 2.
-
2 speakers - 1:30 to 2:00 h long
-
Straight up activity - Arts and Open Science approach
-
Final networking session
With this in mind, we stimulate teams to make complicated concepts down to earth with cultural art. We aim the discussion to create science without the stone borders from a technical perspective. And to humanize the connection between innovation and open resources.
- How will your event contribute to advancing OPEN SCIENCE HARDWARE?
We are concerned about hardware and software for SynBio parts/biotechnologies. And we understood that not only does biology comprise a level of complexity to forecast, but also a few questions are frequent during the process, such as documentation, publication license, and turning ideas into products.
We aim to reduce the bridge between creators and hardware brainstorming, in order to develop the SOPs required for Open Science good practices development. And with this, encourage former and future teams to sustain the SynBio ecosystem generating open resources.
This event will approximate biotechnologists to open science and enrich the exchange of ideas, culture, and projects on the subject.
- How does your event address each item in the review criteria table above?
iGEM is a Foundation based in France, and the event’s scope is under GOSH ethos. We are planning an event with local language discussion in a hybrid system, empowering the community by art. This objective will certainly impact the participants and synbio scientists who see iGEM and GOSH as guidance.
There was already a plan to create an event on open bioscience in Latin America, in the end, the idea found a barrier on the biological theme, and that is the reason why we intend to pursue this integration.
Additionally, our organization is composed of members of different academic backgrounds and expertise, also with great commitment and experience in event management.
- Which of the three levels of funding would you like to apply for? (USD $3000, $6000, or $9910)
We are applying for $9,910 USD funding.
- What is the funding for? Describe your budget. List what you are going to spend it on and how.
| Open Science Hackathon for Accessibility | |
|---|---|
| Projected Number of Attendees: | 75 - 100 vacancies (on-site) |
| Dates: Sep, 3rd - 4th | Location: LATAM (to be decided) |
| Event Budget | 9,910 USD |
| Category | Projected Cost (USD) |
| Venue | 2,000 |
| -Rental Cost | 1,000 (2 days rental) |
| -Security | 500 |
| -AV equipment | 500 |
| Food & Beverage | 2,900 |
| -Food/Beverage | 1,400 (700 per day) |
| -Catering | 600 (300 per day) |
| -Bar | 200 (100 per day) |
| -Coffee | 250 (125 per day) |
| Event Programming | 4500 |
| -Traveling expenses | 4,000 (Speakers & Organizers) |
| -Printed Materials | 300 (outcomes) |
| -Advertisement | 200 |
| Event Decor | 510 (if required) |
| -Linens | 210 |
| -Lighting | 100 |
| -Additional Decorative Items | 100 |
| Total Project cost | 9,910 USD |
- How will you share the outcomes of this event? What documentation or other outputs will benefit the open science hardware community as a whole? (videos? photos? how-to or other education materials? innovative hardware designs?)
Documentation is not a problem for us!
First of all, a how-to handbook as an educational tool containing the shared experience of the hackathon participants, along with all the reports, photos, and feedback.
In addition, an Open Science Teachers’ manual with the hackathon processes that involve designing open hardware. The resource is intended to help teachers introduce electronic and scientific concepts to kids and teenagers of neglected communities/ low-income countries.
All Videos will be available at iGEM Universe and iGEM TV transmission.
The resulting outcome will impact SynBio and the public involved. As part of an ongoing event, the iGEM Community participation will contribute to the Open Science resources development (hardware and software). In addition, the feedback and Peers networking will contribute to spreading multicultural, open resources.
- Can you confirm that at least the primary output from your event will be published under an appropriate open source license as described above in this announcement?
Yes, as we described above.
- Are there any conflicts of interest that you wish to declare?
No, that we are aware of.