Research Computing Services Blog

Look who’s coming to the Bazaar!

The training classes at the Research Bazaar conference are going to be great, but the real highlight of the event is going to be the afternoon/evening social program (see the timetable here). Hosted under a large tent (i.e. a bazaar/marketplace setup - hence the name of the conference), this part of the conference will be a mix of short informative talks, networking opportunities, fun and games, intellectual debates, interesting exhibitors and great food. Here’s an overview of the organisations and people that will feature:

(More organisations/people will be added in the lead up to the event.)

Authorea (@Authorea)
Authorea is the online platform for writing scientific, academic, and technical documents in collaboration. The co-founders of Authorea (@albertopepe & @nathanjenkins12) will be on hand to answer your questions.

DJ lessons
It turns out that the head of the Research Platforms Department at the University of Melbourne (which runs the Research Bazaar project) is a kick-ass DJ in his spare time. Come along and learn a thing or two from the master!

Filmonik (@FilmonikMelb)
Filmonik is Melbourne’s open-mic short film night, where new and established film-makers share their short films. Video is a powerful way to share a story, explain an idea or document an event. Meet the Filmonik crew, see some fresh short films and learn some tips and tricks for creating a great short film.

Guru talks
There are a lot of very smart and knowledgeable people attending ResBaz, so we’ve asked a bunch of them to give short 15 minute talks on topics that they’re experts in.

Hackathon
Hackathons are all the rage these days. A number of recent Hackathon organisers (e.g. @FCTweedie / GovHack) and award winners (e.g. @sritchie73 / HealthHack) will be attending ResBaz, so come along and chat with them about their experiences, and the value of hackathons to research.

Hacky Hour (#HackyHour)
Hacky Hour (great pun, right?) is a weekly meetup at the University of Melbourne where researchers come and have their programming questions answered by our team of gurus. During the Bazaar, we’ll be running multiple Hacky Hours.

Melbourne Accelerator Program (@MAPUniMelb)
The Melbourne Accelerator Program (MAP) supports entrepreneurs of all stages and accelerates the growth of world-class startups. From those who just have an idea, to those who have already raised funding, MAP provides the networks and expertise to accelerate the growth of world-class businesses.

Mozilla Science Lab (@MozillaScience)
The Mozilla Science Lab is helping a global network of researchers, tool developers, librarians and publishers collaborate to further science on the web. Their Director (@kaythaney) and Community Manager (@billdoesphysics) will be around to chat with ResBaz attendees.

OpenGLAM
OpenGLAM is an initiative that promotes free and open access to digital cultural heritage held by Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums. We’ll be talking about the joys and challenges of working with cultural collections with the  Ian Potter Museum’s Heather Gaunt.

Research tool consultations
With so many digital research tools out there it can be hard to figure out which ones are best for you. At this session we’ll have a bunch of computing gurus on hand to help you make sense of the options. You describe your research, and they’ll hook you up with the tools you need.

ResBaz TV (@ResPlat)
The Research Bazaar project has a very active YouTube channel, which features interviews and recordings from the various events and researchers that we’re involved with. Come along and chat with Dejan (@heyDejan) and Marcella (@marcellapurnama) - they promise they won’t bite!

Software Sustainability Institute (@SoftwareSaved)
The Software Sustainability Institute supports better research by helping researchers to build and use better software. Come along and chat with their Deputy Director, Simon Hettrick.

Technological liberalism
Our Research Community Coordinator for the Humanities (@interrogator) will lead a discussion on technological liberalism.

Telescope
Some of the astronomers from Telescopes in Schools are bringing a telescope to view the night sky! If the weather is clear, we should be able to see the Orion nebular, Jupiter, and maybe even Mars and Venus!

The Conversation (@ConversationEDU)
The Conversation is a collaboration between editors and academics to provide informed news analysis and commentary that’s free to read and republish. Their staff will be on hand to answer any questions you might have about publishing with them, or simply about communicating your research to the public.

3D printing (#digismith)
Our digital blacksmith training courses have been hugely popular, so come along to see cool 3D printed objects and hear from our 2014 grant winners.