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Name of organization: LabHack and SANBio (https://www.nepadsanbio.org/)
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Email address (or preferred and reliable way of official contact):
Louise Bezuidenhout (LabHack) louise.bezuidenhout@dans.knaw.nl and Ereck Chakauya (SANBio) EChakauya@csir.co.za -
Tell us about your organization:
LabHack started in 2019 as a collaboration between Louise Bezuidenhout, Helena Webb (both then at the University of Oxford) and Robert Shoniwa (Harare Institute for Technology in Zimbabwe). LabHack was designed to address the shortage of laboratory equipment for practical training in undergraduate STEM laboratories in Zimbabwe. In particular, it aimed to promote Open Hardware as a means of creating new practical learning opportunities for students experiencing these resource shortages.
LabHack events involve multidisciplinary teams competing around design challenges to build low cost and reproducible programmable laboratory equipment. At LabHack events undergraduate student teams design low-cost versions of common laboratory equipment (centrifuge, PCR machines, magnetic stirrers) using locally-available hardware. They also participate in workshops on Open Science and Open Hardware and engage with local makers and relevant commercial companies.
LabHack events are driven by a commitment to inclusion and open learning. While resource limitations are challenging to STEM students in Africa, they can also present opportunities to foster creative problem solving. As is evidenced by the growing Open Hardware/Software and Citizen Science movements, much laboratory equipment can be fabricated by enthusiasts at a fraction of the cost. LabHack is inspired by the opportunities afforded by the Open Hardware/Software movement, and by turning resource limitations into learning opportunities.
Based on the success of the 2019 event, LabHack formed a collaboration with the Southern African Network for the Biosciences (SANBio) which is based at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in South Africa. SANBio is a shared bioscience research, development and innovation platform that works to improve collaboration and research within African biosciences. They run a range of programmes designed to support African researchers, including specific programmes targeting female researchers and entrepreneurs, innovation and start-up support and continental collaborations. The collaboration enabled the LabHack organizers to gain additional support and scope for future events. Through this collaboration LabHack hosted a regional LabHack challenge in 2020 with participants from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Malawi.
Unfortunately plans to continue hosting these events were curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and this funding application is submitted to continue this successful collaboration.
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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?
The commitment to inclusion and diversity are core to the design of LabHack events. These commitments are also reflected through the activities of SANBio, which runs flagship STEM projects in female empowerment, grassroots innovation and capacity building in STEM inclusion for previously marginalized communities.
LabHack events are open to any undergraduate team from within the catchment countries. There are requirements placed on team membership that directly address issues of inclusion. These include requiring representation from at least three academic disciplines, and at least one female team member. While issues such as sexual orientation are not an explicit requirement for team composition, the use of the GOSH guidelines for participation outline the expectations for inclusive and supportive collaboration and participation. LabHack also actively seeks the support of mentors and presenters that represent diversity of backgrounds.
Funds are provided to the teams to cover fabrication costs to ensure that the economic background of team members is no barrier to participation. -
What is the event about, and what do you want to achieve with it?
LabHack events have three main objectives: -
To raise awareness of the potential for Open Hardware and Open Science for learning and research
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To use team collaboration around Open Hardware challenges as a means of fostering creative problem solving
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To encourage students enrolled in low-resourced learning institutions to engage in resources that can enrich their STEM educational experience and to create peer networks to support this learning
Funds are being requested to host a LabHack event in collaboration with NEPAD-SANBio. Due to COVID-19 travel challenges, this event will be hosted in South Africa and focus on South African undergraduate teams. Applications will be open to teams from neighbouring countries, but travel will be at the teams’ discretion.
The LabHack event will be a two-day event hosted in Pretoria, South Africa. Teams will use the event to showcase their designs (built prior to the event) and to participate in Open Science, Open Hardware, and Innovation workshops as well as receiving feedback from the expert panel of judges. The afternoon of the second day of the event will open to learners from local high schools to further increase the impact of the event and to raise awareness of Open Hardware and Open Science.
Draft programme:
Day 1 morning: set up of prototypes, team introductions, welcome and outline of event
Day 1 afternoon: workshop on Open Hardware, discussions with judging panels, selection of workshops (ie. Using Arduinos, 3-D printing)
Day 1 evening: social mixer
Day 2 morning: workshop on Open Science, group discussions on prototypes, workshop and “hot seat” on documentation
Day 2 afternoon: workshop on innovation and STEM careers, judging and prize giving -
Which of the three levels of funding would you like to apply for? (in round 1 only USD $9910 is avaiable for applications, in further rounds $3000, $6000, or USD $9910 will be available)
$9910 -
What is the funding for? Describe your budget. List what you are going to spend it on and how.
• Venue = $1000
• Refreshments and evening social = $2000
• Prizes = $500
• Student support (10 teams) – Arduino kits, seed fund for building materials = $2000
• Student accommodation and subsistence (50 students @R200 per student per night) = $1000
• Organiser, speakers and judges travel = $1500
• Gifts for exhibiting businesses = $500
• Materials for event = $500
• Audio-visual support = $910 -
How will you share the outcomes of this event. What documentation will result that will this project benefit the community as a whole? (videos? photos? a how-to? innovative hardware designs?)
The event will be documented and promoted via LabHack social media accounts and on an webpage hosted by NEPAD-SANBio. An event video will also be produced and promoted. These event videos have proven very successful for previous LabHack events. In addition, news articles will be written to promote the event to a wider audience.
During the LabHack event all teams will attend a workshop on documentation. This will be followed by one-on-one “hot seat” consultations between teams and experts. This will enable teams to prepare documentation on their prototypes for submission to an open repository such as Zenodo. In line with a successful initiative launched at the Zimbabwe LabHack, teams will also have the opportunity to be profiled on the event webpage together with their prototoype and documentation.
While the LabHack event has previously been described in academic and non-academic publications, a more user-friendly “how to” guide will be prepared to enable interested communities to replicate LabHack events around the world. -
How would your event address GOSH’s values of diversity and inclusion?
LabHack events directly address GOSH’s values of diversity and inclusion. They engage with groups of undergraduate students who may not have the opportunity to participate in Open Hardware events due to the paucity of similar events at their institutions or in their cities. The team demographic requirements also ensure that students from a range of disciplines and genders are included in the event. By explicitly using the GOSH participation guidelines to outline expected behaviour at the events, LabHack events also ensure that the issues of diversity, respect, inclusion and tolerance are foregrounded in all social interactions. -
Are there any conflicts of interest that you wish to declare?
None