This year’s event will be awesome!
Like many other fields, MRI research greatly profits from the collaboration between researchers, users, developers, and industry. With OpenMR Benelux 2020, we want to demonstrate how an increasingly open network can help us create innovative solutions to problems we face.
With a wide range of topics, our goal is to welcome attendees from technical or clinical backgrounds and to discuss open science practices in magnetic resonance imaging research. Topics will range from open data science practices and new initiatives in scientific publishing to practical introductions to open source software, version control, and a variety of open source MRI toolboxes.
Our goal is to have something for everyone and to create enough opportunities for discussion, learning from each other, and working together on innovative solutions.
Event format
OpenMR Benelux 2020 is not a typical academic conference. We take inspiration from the hacking culture and the unconventional styles of BrainHack and SIPS. Instead of only listening to talks, we encourage you to participate in open discussion. In contrast to purely consuming information, we encourage participants to work together and generate new information. Instead of the standard "keynote, symposium, poster session" scenario, we offer a collaborative environment with a variety of activities.
OpenMR Benelux will span 3 days, 21-23 January 2020, during which participants can take part in the following main activities:
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Tuesday 21 January - Talks: the opening day of OpenMR Benelux will be filled with talks and discussions on a variety of topics applicable to open science in MRI, similar to OpenMR Benelux 2019.
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Wednesday and Thursday 22+23 January - HackTrack: this year, we will also host a hackathon! For more information about the hackathon concept, head over to the Resources Page. Participants are welcome to suggest their own projects or join an existing project. Hacking will take place on days 2 to 3.
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Wednesday and Thursday 22+23 January - TrainTrack: in parallel to the HackTrack, we have worked out a full program for those who want to get more hands-on experience with tools for conducting open research in MRI, including version control with git, Python, Jupyter Notebooks, Docker, and a treasure-trove of toolbox demos.
Apart from the talks on the opening day and the planned time slots for the TrainTrack sessions, there's no defined structure to the event. Participants are welcome to use the collaborative environment to start their own unconference-like discussions in parallel to the TrainTrack or HackTrack, or start off with a hackathon project and later join the toolbox demos in the HackTrack. We want you to enjoy yourself, learn, and collaborate in whichever way works for you!
Venue and dates
We are happy to host this year's event at the Donders Institute for Cognition, Brain and Behaviour in Nijmegen, The Netherlands..
OpenMR Benelux will span 3 days, 21-23 January 2020.
We specifically chose the venue and dates to be close to the annual meeting of the ISMRM Benelux chapter, which takes place on 24 January at the Burgers' Zoo in Arnhem. So come to Nijmegen to share, collaborate, and learn, and then hop on a quick train to Arnhem to continue your journey through the interesting world of MRI!
Program
To get a sense of the talk topics, speakers, TrainTrack workshops, demos, and hackathon projects, head over to the Program Page.
Registration
Registration for OpenMR Benelux is OPEN! It closes on 20 December 2019 and we have limited space, so don't waste time: Register now!
This year, we charge a registration fee of €50, which covers attendance costs including lunch, coffee/tea, and snacks over the course of the event. You will have to take care of travelling and accommodation yourself or through your research institution. Attendance certificates will be sent out electronically after the event to assist with your expense claims.
IMPORTANT: If you are a PhD student from Ghent University, funding is available through the Social and Behavioral Sciences Doctoral School training program to (partially) cover your travelling and accommodation costs to attend OpenMR Benelux 2020. This funding is possible with the support of the Flemish Government. When interested, quickly get in touch using our Contact Page since the spots are limited! After contacting us and receiving confirmation, you can proceed with your registration here!
DO NOT HESITATE: only 10 spots available for DS SBS funding!