Contents
- 1 Open Source Hardware
- 1.1 Content overview
- 1.2 Learning objectives
- 1.3 Completion criteria
- 1.4 Audience
- 1.5 Level (Introduction, intermediate, advanced)
- 1.6 Prerequisite skills, expertise and experience
- 1.7 Overall likely time commitment
- 1.8 Event date and time
- 1.9 Registration deadline
- 1.10 Training partner
- 1.11 Location
- 1.12 Cost to institution per participant
- 1.13 Number of attendees
- 1.14 Evaluation
- 1.15 Application
Open Source Hardware
Content overview
Who this course is suitable for:
This course would be suitable for anyone who develops hardware (equipment, tools, art pieces, etc) in their research and wants to freely and openly disseminate designs, construction and operation methods following best practices in Open Hardware.
Examples of research hardware that could be made openly available include:
- Any 3D printing designs used to create an exhibition piece
- Any 3D printing design that has been created to adapt a piece of equipment
- Specialist equipment designs such as HPLC builds
- Engineering equipment designs
- Research object capture equipment, such as photographic equipment or sensor equipment
More information:
Open source hardware practitioners freely share the complete design documentation of their physical research artefacts, allowing others within the research community to replicate, learn, use, modify and develop their own designs. By democratising access to hardware designs and fostering a culture of sharing and collaboration, open source hardware empowers research communities to create and innovate.
This one-to-one mentoring course provides a supportive scheme for hardware developers to learn and implement best practices in open source hardware development. By following the course, they will guarantee their projects are reproducible, while learning how to train others to do the same. They will become disseminating agents within their institutions. The course curriculum can be found here.
Find out more about the UK Reproducibility Network’s involvement in Open Hardware.
Learning objectives
- Describe the relevance of open source hardware
- Apply the principles of open source hardware to their own project
- Evaluate the appropriate method to share their work
- Acquire a competency in disseminating the information at a local level
Completion criteria
By the end of the course, trainers will have completed the following tasks:
1. Developed, and at least partially implemented a documentation and community building plan for their open source hardware project with the support of one-to-one mentoring
2. Planned their own sessions to disseminate the process within their institutions
Attendance of the mentoring sessions will lead to UKRN accreditation.
Audience
Researchers at any career stage who are makers of Hardware or physical artefacts of research. Could have particular relevance to practise research, physical sciences, computer sciences.
Level (Introduction, intermediate, advanced)
Introductory but some prior training/teaching experience may be beneficial.
Prerequisite skills, expertise and experience
Currently developing physical artefacts of research. This course will provide you with the skills to disseminate sharing build information for open source hardware.
Overall likely time commitment
The course has a contact time commitment of 6 hours. This is split between a fortnightly 45-minute one-to-one mentoring session, and fortnightly 45-minute group sessions. Outside of these times, attendees are encouraged to independently develop their project towards the goals agreed with their mentor.
Event date and time
The online mentoring sessions will be on the following dates: 03/02/25, 10/02/25, 17/02/25, 24/02/25, 03/03/25, 10/03/25, 17/03/25, 24/03/25 (as trainers will be matched with a mentor, some of these sessions can potentially be rearranged to so that it is better suited for each mentor/mentee pair
Registration deadline
14th January 2025
Training partner
Location
Online
Cost to institution per participant
£600
Number of attendees
10
Evaluation
Course completion will be signed off by individual mentors. Mentors will consider the progress of the project in this; however, individuals will be continuously supported by their mentors. UKRN evaluation will be delivered via the Community of Practice.
Application
For information about how to apply, please contact your institution’s Open Research Coordinator and Administrator (linked via this page).
For specific course content information: orca-southampton@ukrn.org
For general information regarding the UKRN ORP training: elle.chilton-knight@bristol.ac.uk