GOSH! 2016 | Gathering for Open Science Hardware

"Hardware is a vital part of experiments and advances in instrumentation have been central to scientific revolutions by expanding our observations beyond everyday human senses. Although scientists are often born-tinkerers, the current supply chain for science hardware can limit access and impedes creativity and customisation. Open Science Hardware addresses part of this problem through sharing open designs, which often take advantage of modern digital fabrication techniques. Expanding the reach of this approach within academic research, citizen science and education has potential to increase access to experimental tools and ease their customisation and reuse while lowering costs. A growing number of people around the world are developing and using Open Science Hardware, and we want to help build a coherent, self-organising community to raise its profile and drive change within institutions to increase uptake and opportunities. GOSH! 2016 will bring together 50 of the most active developers, users and thinkers in the Open Science Hardware space complemented by expertise from diverse, related backgrounds to seed just such a community. We aim to learn and build together, scoping the potential of the field and planning our way to implement change. This is intended as the first of a series of meetings that we hope to grow alongside the developing community."