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 Sheffield and Sheffield 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 (Sheffield 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 Sheffield), ‘Recognising the contributions of Research Technical Professionals at the University of Sheffield’ 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 Sheffield), ‘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 Sheffield), ‘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, Sheffield 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 |