Meeting Summary: Actuate Biomedical Knowledge Translation Program

Date: October 15, 2024

Quick Recap

During the meeting, Fridah presented on Actuate Biomedicine's mission and activities, highlighting the upcoming Actuate Summit. David discussed the integration of smart contracts into the Open Journal System, emphasizing their potential to enhance collaboration, efficiency, transparency, and accessibility in academic publishing. Macharia focused on implementing a smart contract to incentivize article submissions and the importance of understanding software and finance in today’s landscape.

Next Steps

• Hackathon Participation: All participants are encouraged to prepare for and consider joining the upcoming hackathon aimed at integrating Actuate smart contracts with the Open Journal System.
• Social Media Outreach: Participants should circulate information about the hackathon on social media and invite friends to join.
• Team Formation: Interested participants are encouraged to form teams or connect with friends who have coding skills in preparation for the hackathon competition.

Detailed Summary

Actuate Biomedicine Mission and Hackathon Discussion

Fridah outlined Actuate Biomedicine's mission as a biomedical knowledge translation organization, which includes hosting weekly sessions to guide learners through the stages of biomedical knowledge translation—from exploration to distribution. She encouraged participation in the upcoming Actuate Summit.

Smart Contracts in the Open Journal System & Actuate Token

David explained the integration of smart contracts into the Open Journal System and the Actuate Token. He highlighted the benefits of this integration, including enhanced efficiency, transparency, and accessibility in academic publishing. Smart contracts, being self-executing contracts stored on a blockchain, allow for automated and secure transactions. David discussed how this innovative approach could empower researchers and authors, facilitating a new era of open access publishing.

Collaboration and Technical Issues

During David's presentation, the team engaged in discussions about the potential for a hackathon to further explore smart contract integration.

Knowledge Management and Publication Costs

Macharia addressed knowledge management and the financial burden on authors in the context of the Open Journal System. He explained that Western governments provide financial support for researchers to publish their work.

Implementing Smart Contracts for Article Submission

Macharia advocated for a smart contract to incentivize article submissions through the Open Journal System, proposing a token distribution system as rewards for submissions. He emphasized the need for participants to engage in the hackathon and learn about Solidity, the programming language for Ethereum.

Exploring Scholarly Incentives

Macharia proposed using smart contracts to incentivize not only publication but also the review process. He suggested rewarding reviewers and editors with tokens, creating a system that recognizes their valuable contributions.

Design Competition for Biomedical Smart Contracts

Macharia announced a design competition for a smart contract focused on biomedical knowledge translation, applicable to STEM fields. He encouraged participants to involve friends with coding skills and stressed the importance of learning to code.

Understanding Software and Smart Contracts

Emphasizing the relevance of software in today’s world, Macharia urged participants to deepen their understanding of technology and finance, underscoring that coding skills are increasingly essential.

Hackathon Discussion and Next Meeting

The conversation concluded with a focus on the hackathon. Grace suggested posting an attendance form in the chat box, and the team agreed to reconvene next week for further discussions.

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