OpenFest 2025
OpenFest 2025 will take place between 2nd-5th September 2025.
View the programme and book your place:
Co-delivered by the University of ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ and ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ Hallam University, OpenFest is our flagship celebration and exploration of open research.
This year’s OpenFest will take place primarily online during 2nd-5th September 2025. For the online sessions, all are welcome to join.
The theme for 2025’s event is Open Research and Equity, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (OR+EEDI). Please find the programme below, and use the registration links to book a place on your chosen sessions.
Programme and registration links
Tuesday 2nd September, online
| 10.00-11.00 | Libraries, Open Research & EEDI (invited talk) Beth Montague-Hellen (Francis Crick Institute) | |
| 14.00-15.00 | Diversity in (open) data and metadata for representative research Emma Wilson (University of Edinburgh), ‘Mind the (metadata) gap: How challenges in finding and accessing research literature harms bibliographic diversity’ Ronak Naeemaee & Lewis Quayle (¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ Hallam University), ‘Beyond the Median: Open Tools for Equitable and Rigorous Biomarker Validation in Cancer Research’ Lynda Kellam (University of Pennsylvania), ‘The work of the Data Rescue Project’ | |
| 15.05-16.00 | Building inclusive relationships with research participants - Panel discussion Led by Julia Taibi-Voigts and Monty Mountford (De Montford University) |
Wednesday 3rd September, online
| 10.00-11.00 | Towards an equitable, inclusive and bibliodiverse publishing ecosystem Simon Bowie (Coventry University) and Kevin Sanders (Copim / Open Book Collective), ‘Opening the Unexpected: Enabling experimentation through open access and open source’ Hannah Hillen (Thoth Open Metadata), ‘No open access without open infrastructure: Five not-for-profit infrastructures with shared values for OA books’ Sam Moore (University of Cambridge), ‘Publishing beyond the market: Open access, care, and the Commons’ | |
| 14.00-15.00 | Inclusive approaches to research recognition Esther Plomp (University of Aruba), ‘Why CRediT is not enough’ Holly Ranger (University of ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ), ‘Recognising the contributions of Research Technical Professionals at the University of ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ’ Elizabeth Newbold (Science and Technology Facilities Council, UKRI), ‘RDA Data Stewards Career Track Working Group: What do career tracks for data stewards look like?’ |
Thursday 4th September, online
| 10.00-11.00 | Building diverse open research networks & communities Rob Farrow, Beck Pitt and Carina Bossu (Open University), ‘The Global OER Graduate Network (GO-GN.net)’ Beth Knazook (Digital Repository of Ireland) and Francis P. Crawley (EOSC-Future/RDA Artificial Intelligence & Data Visitation Working Group), ‘RDM best practices in action: How the RDA is broadening connections between domain and subject experts with its global network of researchers and innovators in Open Science’ Jenni Adams (University of ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ), ‘Materialising open research practices in the Humanities and Social Sciences - Introducing the MORPHSS project’ | |
| 14.00-15.00 | Changing and critiquing (open) research culture Batool Almarzouq (University of Liverpool), ‘How "dependency theory" explains Open Science's funding crisis’ Alice Gibson (Francis Crick Institute), ‘Identifying opportunities to foster a responsible research culture in a research environment under pressure’ Lesley Uttley (TBC, University of ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ), ‘Research culture influences in health and biomedical research’ |
Friday 5th September 2025, in-person (TUoS and SHU staff and students only)
| 09.00-12.30 | In-person event, ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ Hallam University 9.00-10.00 Arrival and refreshments 10.00-10.15 Welcome and introductions 10.15-12.00 Open Research Award ceremony
12.00-12.30 Lunch, followed by an in-person networking opportunity |