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15 changes: 15 additions & 0 deletions docs/source/open-software-summer-school/funding.md
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If anyone knows of any more, please add them!

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# External sources of travel funding

Although limited fee waivers and travel stipends will be available, we encourage applicants to investigate alternative
sources of funding as early as possible. If local funding from your lab/institute is not possible, external sources include:

- [IBRO Neuroscience - Training Grants](https://ibro.org/grant/neuroscience-training-grants)
- [Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds Travel Grants](https://bifonds.de/fellowships-grants/travel-grants.html)
- [Royal Society of Biology – Travel Grants](https://www.rsb.org.uk/travel-grants.html)
- [hellobio - Early Career Scientist Grants](https://hellobio.com/scientist-grants-travel-grants-and-awards)
- [Open Bioinformatics Foundation – Event Awards](https://www.open-bio.org/event-awards/)
- [Guarantors of Brain - Travel Grants](https://guarantorsofbrain.org/grants/travel-grants/)
- [Biochemical Society - General Travel grants](https://www.biochemistry.org/grants-and-awards/grants-and-bursaries/general-travel-grants)
- [Society for Experimental Biology - Company of Biologists Travel grant](https://www.sebiology.org/grants/grant-overview.html)
- [Anatomical Society Symington Bequest](https://www.anatsoc.org.uk/grants-prizes/grants/the-symington-bequest/)

101 changes: 94 additions & 7 deletions docs/source/open-software-summer-school/index.md
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# Open Software Summer School

**The NIU Open Software Summer School brings together researchers, developers, and users of open-source neuroscience software for some hands-on training, community-building and hacking.**

The [the 2025 event](2025/index) (known as Open Software Week) brought together 44 attendees from 12 countries to learn about open source approaches for handling large images, processing microscopy data and analysing video behavioural data.
The event will return, **bigger and better**, in summer 2026 at the [Sainsbury Wellcome Centre](https://maps.app.goo.gl/CzWFFjXJZwX87aMj6)
in London, U.K. Details are being finalised, but take a look at the details of [the 2025 event](2025/index) for an idea of what you can expect.
We are excited to announce the second **NIU Open Software Summer School**, taking
place in **August 2026** at the [Sainsbury Wellcome Centre](https://maps.app.goo.gl/CzWFFjXJZwX87aMj6)
in **London, UK**. This event will bring together researchers, developers, and users of open-source software for some hands-on training, community-building and hacking.

:::{note}
Dates of the 2026 event are TBC, but we expect applications to open in early 2026.
[The 2025 event](2025/index) (known as Open Software Week) brought together 44 attendees from 12 countries to learn
about open source approaches for handling large images, processing microscopy data and analysing video behavioural data.
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For consistency, and because it's used as an adjective here.

Suggested change
about open source approaches for handling large images, processing microscopy data and analysing video behavioural data.
about open-source approaches for handling large images,

In 2026, we will return, with an expanded two-week program adding a new Extracellular Electrophysiology track,
additional satellite events, guest lectures and opportunities for researchers to present their own work.

## Schedule
![](/_static/osw_images/OSSS_2026_schedule.png)


There are four tracks targeted to different audiences.
We encourage you to read each track's description and choose the one(s) that best fits your interests.

:::: {grid} 1 1 4 4

:::{grid-item-card} {fas}`video;sd-text-secondary` Animals in Motion
:img-top: /_static/osw_images/animals-in-motion-card.png
:link:
:link-type: ref

Use open-source tools to track
and analyse animal motion from video footage.

:::

:::{grid-item-card} {fas}`microscope;sd-text-primary` Large array data
:img-top: /_static/osw_images/big-imaging-data-card.png
:link:
:link-type: ref

Bridging technical gaps and communities to process and analyse
large 3D datasets with open-source tools.

:::

:::{grid-item-card} {fas}`brain;sd-text-warning` BrainGlobe
:img-top: /_static/osw_images/brainglobe-card.png
:link:
:link-type: ref

Use the BrainGlobe ecosystem of computational neuroanatomy tools
to analyse whole-brain microscopy datasets.
:::

:::{grid-item-card} {fas}`bolt;sd-text-warning` Extracellular Electrophysiology
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Let's use the blue "info" colour here, to match the blue theme of ephys.

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:::{grid-item-card} {fas}`bolt;sd-text-warning` Extracellular Electrophysiology
:::{grid-item-card} {fas}`bolt;sd-text-info` Extracellular Electrophysiology

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Also, @JoeZiminski, happy to use this image as the placeholder thumbnail for the ephys track? I'm happy to push it myself.

ephys-card

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@adamltyson adamltyson Oct 31, 2025

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Looks good to me

:img-top:
:link:
:link-type: ref

Using open source tools to process and analyse large extracellular electrophysiology data (e.g. from silicon probes)
:::

::::

:::{admonition} Registration
:class: info
You may register for week 1, week 2 or both weeks. However, you can only register for one track per week, i.e.
Animals in Motion or Large Array Data and BrainGlobe or Extracellular Electrophysiology.
:::

## Key Dates

- **December 1st 2025**: Applications open
- **January 31st 2026**: Applications close
- **March 2026**: Applicants are notified of acceptance
- **July 2026**: Optional preparatory month begins
- **August 17-21 2026**: Week 1 (Animals in Motion & Large Array Data)
- **August 24-28 2026**: Week 2 (BrainGlobe & Extracellular Electrophysiology)

## Preparatory month
All four tracks require a basic knowledge of scientific Python programming. If you don't have this background, that's
totally fine, we will be running an asynchronous preparatory course in the month before the summer school. Training
materials and exercises will be shared with participants, and OSSS instructors will be available to answer any questions.

**This preparatory course is mandatory for those without Python experience, and requires a minimum of four hours per week
commitment for four weeks prior to the summer school**



## Fees
- **Academics**: £300 per week
- **Industry**: £600 per week

### Financial Assistance
A number of fee waivers will be available to applicants who would not otherwise be able to attend the summer school.
A limited number of travel stipends will also be available, but we encourage applicants to apply for
[independent travel funding](funding).


## Feedback from previous summer schools

![](/_static/osw_images/OSW_2025.jpg)
**Participants (having a great time) at the hackathon in 2025**

## Selected quotes from previous attendees
### Selected quotes from previous attendees
> Sparked a bit of a eureka moment after months of agonising over how to analyse my data!

> Thank you again for organizing this amazing event
Expand All @@ -29,6 +114,8 @@ Dates of the 2026 event are TBC, but we expect applications to open in early 202
:maxdepth: 1
:caption: Index

funding
2025/index


```