CRAFT-OA Conference Call for Proposals

Call for Proposals

(Download the Call for Proposal info sheet)

CRAFT-OA’s activities and outcomes span technical, social, and policy dimensions. From data management to inclusive community practices and training, from infrastructure design to forward-thinking policies, we are connecting the grassroots work that sets the foundation for successful Diamond OA publishing.  

We invite contributions related to challenges, best practices, and projects on one or more of the following three themes:

Theme 1: Technical Frameworks 🛠️

Transitioning to community-led, interconnected publishing practices requires robust, interoperable technology. The Diamond OA community is developing tools for data services and publication workflows that are free of charge, reusable, interoperable, and adaptable— benefiting publishers, researchers, and society at large.

We welcome presentations on:

• Integrating and ensuring the quality of decentralised, collaboratively managed platforms, plugins, and other software
• Innovations across the data-driven publication lifecycle—from submission to archiving
• Metadata services and standards that enable interoperability and discoverability 
• Technical trends and challenges in open peer review processes
• The role of AI in scholarly communication

Theme 2: Community Empowerment 🌍

Developing a sustainable Diamond OA ecosystem requires an engaged and empowered community. For the transformation to occur, all stakeholders must be informed about the ongoing evolution and equipped with the necessary tools to address it.

We welcome presentations on:

• Promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in publishing systems
• Sustainability strategies for federated infrastructures
• Developing and sharing educational and training resources

Theme 3: Policy Concepts 🏛️

Effective policy is essential for sustaining Diamond OA. It can guide infrastructure funding, shape education & training efforts, and ensure constructive dialogue between policymakers and stakeholders.  

We welcome presentations on:

• Policies, communication actions, and frameworks that support a federated Diamond OA infrastructure
• Governance models for community-led publishing systems: best practices, needs, and challenges
• Examples of innovative funding programmes or long-term financing models for the Diamond OA publishing infrastructure

Who should apply?

We are calling on a wide range of stakeholders, including but not limited to:

• Libraries
• Universities
• Research institutions
• Researchers
• Publishers
• Policymakers
• Funders
• Service, tools, and technology providers

Contribution Formats

Presentations 🎤

Presentations are 20-minute talks that will occur in moderated sessions. Each talk will have an additional 10 minutes for the discussion. 

Include in your proposal:

• Contribution format (Presentation or Poster Lightning Talk)
• Relevant theme(s) (Technical Frameworks / Community Empowerment / Policy Concepts)
• Title and abstract (up to 300 words)
• Short presenter bio (up to 150 words), including ORCID, affiliation, and contact info

Poster Lightning Talks ⚡

Poster Lightning Talks have 5-7 minutes to showcase projects, ideas, or initiatives, accompanied by a poster (mandatory). 

Include in your proposal:

• Contribution format (Presentation or Poster Lightning Talk)
• Relevant theme(s) (Technical Frameworks / Community Empowerment / Policy Concepts)
• Poster title and description (up to 300 words)
• Short presenter bio (up to 150 words), including ORCID, affiliation, and contact info

Poster formats: Printed and PDF 

All posters must be printed and submitted to us as a PDF file. The printed versions will be displayed at the CRAFT-OA Final Conference in Göttingen. The digital versions will be presented during the lightning talks and uploaded to Zenodo.

• Language: English
• Size: A1 (59.4 x 84.1 centimeters), vertical orientation 
• Format: Printed and digital

Please note: Participants are required to bring their own printed posters. If you are unable to do so, please contact the local organization committee at craft-oa.coordination@sub.uni-goettingen.de.

Submission process 📬

Authors are invited to submit proposals for presentations and lightning talks via email (for details on what to include in your proposal, see the description above): 

• Send your proposal as a single PDF file to: craft-oa-final-event@sub.uni-goettingen.de. 
• In the subject field, please mention: “Submission to the CRAFT-OA Conference”

All posters and presentation slides will be published in the CRAFT-OA Community on Zenodo. By submitting a proposal, you agree to this publication.

Evaluation and selection criteria ✅

Proposals will be assessed by the Programme Committee based on their:

• Relevance to the call’s themes
• Potential to inspire discussion and collaboration
• Impact on the Diamond OA community
• Innovation and originality
• Openness of the solution/method/product
• Clarity and quality of the abstract

We also aim to ensure a balanced mix of topics and geographical representation.

Timeline & Key Dates 📅

We’re excited to hear your ideas and see your contributions.

Join us in CRAFTing the future of Diamond Open Access!