Research is only reproducible if it is available to and accessible by all.
All interactions relating to the OSR should be conducted in accordance with the Code of Conduct. We are additionally taking a number of steps in the OSR to increase representation of marginalised folks and improve the experience of individuals with specific access needs.
Everyone is invited to join us in the OSR, and we would like everyone to feel able to contribute.
Virtual attendance
The 2021 OSR will be open for virtual attendance only. This presents an opportunity to engage with groups that are often underrepresented or excluded, such as researchers from low and middle income countries, those with caretaker responsibilities, early career researchers, scientists with disabilities, and those with limited or no institutional and/or financial support.
Sensory needs
We have communicated best practices in designing accessible presentations with all our speakers. This includes dyslexia-friendly fonts, colours and formatting. We have also asked our speakers to make efforts to describe all slide content, so their talks can be followed in an audio only format.
For individuals requiring hearing support or who speak English as a second language, we are working hard to provide captions for our live and prerecorded material. This may unfortunately not be possible in all cases.
Open broadcast for zero-cost registrants
The OSR can be accessed for zero-cost at the point of registration. Zero-cost registrants can watch scheduled sessions, take part in live text-based Q&A, host and participate in emergent sessions, and join our scheduled social events! Broadcast will take place via Crowdcast and DouYu. Both these services allow participants to direct questions to speakers. You will be sent details on how to connect to these services after registration and before the start of the meeting on Tuesday 23rd June. We also encourage our zero-cost registrants to use Mattermost to chat together, with our speakers and with our volunteer team. If you are not familiar with Mattermost, you can check out the user-guide and this short video describing how it works.
Participant mini-grants
We are pleased to provide a limited number (N = 20) of participant mini-grants of up to 100 USD. We will consider mini-grant applications from both OHBM registrants and zero-cost registrants. These mini-grants are intended to support engagement and participation in the OSR. These are ideal to assist with buying essential online communication equipment, data packages, or related expenses.
Applicants can also suggest a different use of the mini-grant based on their specific needs, however mini-grants will only be considered for the purposes of covering costs directly incurred through participating in this event.
If you would like to apply for a mini-grant, please indicate it when filling the Abstract submission form. When completing the form you will be asked to state explicitly what you intend to do with the grant money and what benefit you will gain from receiving it. Applications will be reviewed after the meeting, and you will be notified of success and processes of award as soon as possible after. We will prioritise applicants from underrepresented groups and those with specific financial need.