Open Research Conference

The University of Manchester’s Open Research Conference 2025 was held on Monday, 9 and Tuesday, 10 June 2025, bringing together over 120 delegates and speakers from across the UK and beyond.

The two-day conference offered a rich programme of presentations, posters, and interactive sessions focused on research culture, skills development, and inclusion. University researchers also showcased their work and shared best practices in Open Research. The event was a collaborative effort, organised by the Office for Open Research (with support from the Research Lifecycle Programme), the School of Engineering Open Research Lead, the UK Reproducibility Network, and the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute.

Since launching its Open Research Programme in 2022, the University has remained committed to promoting and supporting Open Research practices across the institution. Now in its second year, the conference highlighted the progress made so far, with contributions from colleagues leading efforts to embed Open Research into everyday academic practice.

Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive, with many highlighting the “vibrant atmosphere,” “enthusiasm,” and “rich discussions” as standout features of the event. Delegates also praised the “breadth and depth of the conference themes,” which reflected the diverse and evolving landscape of Open Research. One participant described it as “a great opportunity to connect with peers and like-minded colleagues,” while another noted that “the conference helped me understand what researchers experience once they receive their awards and want to publish their research.”

Conference materials

The Conference Abstract Book, slides and posters are openly available on Figshare. Presentation recordings will be made publicly available in the coming weeks.

Conference themes

• Open Research in Communication and Publishing.
• Open Research in Practice.
• Open Research and Collaboration.
• Open Research with Sensitive Data.
• Building Communities and Skills for Open Research.

Keynote speakers

Special thanks to our keynote speakers, for their insightful and thought-provoking presentations.

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  Day 1: Monday, 9 June

  Stephen Curry: 'The Open Imperative'

  Stephen Curry is an Emeritus Professor of Structural Biology at Imperial College London. He previously served as the university’s first Associate Provost for EDI and a University Consul. He is the Head of Strategy for the Research on Research Institute (RoRI).

  Find out more about Stephen

• 

  Day 2: Tuesday, 10 June

  Giovanna Lima: 'DORA: Enabling the Open Research Future'

  Giovanna Lima is the Program Manager for the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), a global initiative that campaigns for and supports the reform of research evaluation practices.

  Find out more about Giovanna

Open Research Award 2025

A highlight of this year’s conference was the presentation of the Open Research Award 2025, recognising outstanding contributions to the University’s Open Research culture in the past year. The award was presented by Professor Nalin Thakker, Vice-President for Social Responsibility.

Open Research Award Winner

This year’s award was presented to the Environmental Data Engineering and Science Laboratory (ENVDES) for their exemplary application of open research practices in environmental data science. The team consists of Dr Zhonghua Zheng (Team Leader) Yuan Sun, Junjie Yu, Fei Jiang and former member Haofan Wang. Their work advances research in global environmental change and urban climate resilience, embedding openness at every stage of the research lifecycle through training, tools, and collaborative projects. ENVDES sets a benchmark for Open Research both within the University and further afield.

Highly Commended 

•    Dr Aleksandra Nenadic
Dr Aleksandra Nenadic, Research Software Training Lead at the UK Software Sustainability Institute, based at The University of Manchester. Aleksandra has made significant contributions to open and reproducible research through training, community engagement, and strategic initiatives. She develops and delivers training in research software and data practices, supports national and international communities, and plays a key role in promoting open, collaborative approaches to research both at the University, across the UK, and internationally.

•    Dr Murilo Marinho
As one of The University of Manchester Open Research Fellows (2024–25), Murilo has demonstrated a strong commitment to Open Research through education, software development, and community engagement. He recently completed his project: Open Executable Books in Robotics (OXBR), now fully available to the community, supporting both basic and advanced learning in robotics.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, please contact the team at openresearch@manchester.ac.uk 

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