We are seeking volunteers to join the judging panel for Collaborations Workshop 2026 (CW26). CW26 will take place as a hybrid event from Tuesday 28 April to Thursday 30 April 2026 at ICC Belfast, and will centre around one powerful theme and clear purpose: Strengthening the Research Software Community.

Why Get Involved

We are seeking volunteers with a range of seniority levels and academic/professional backgrounds. This exciting opportunity would be ideal for someone who has previously participated in a collaborations workshop and is looking to contribute their expertise. 

Becoming a judge also offers a unique opportunity to network with your peers and the wider community, as well as gain recognition for your contribution: judges names will be displayed on the official CW26 webpage.

What’s Involved

Mini-workshops & lightning talks

Before the event, judges will be asked to score mini-workshop and lightning talk submissions. We will ask judges to:

• Participate in one short briefing session to ensure fairness and consistency across judging.
• Review and score mini-workshop and lightning talk submissions.
• Provide constructive feedback where appropriate to help entrants continue to grow.

Hack Day

On the day of the event, judges will be asked to score Hack Day projects. We will ask judges to:

• Participate in one short briefing session to ensure fairness and consistency across judging.
• Be available all day, either in-person or remote on Thursday 30 April 2026.
• Take part in final deliberations.
• Represent the integrity and professionalism of the judging process.

How to Apply

If you would like to be considered for the judging panel, please submit a short expression of interest outlining your professional background and area of expertise to ssi-community@software.ac.uk by COP Friday 14 November.

What to expect at Collaborations Workshop

The Software Sustainability Institute's annual Collaborations Workshop (CW) is an immersive, three-day unconference, which emphasises active collaborations, dynamic discussions, and hands-on problem-solving.

It brings together a diverse and passionate community, from researchers and software developers to funders and policy makers, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations. Networking is a central feature, with ample opportunities to meet, collaborate, and form partnerships that extend well beyond the event itself.

Keynotes and mini-workshops provide valuable insights, but the core of the event lies in interactive ideas and discussion sessions where diverse perspectives come together to shape the future of research software.

The final day is dedicated to the Hack Day, where creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving take centre stage. This isn’t just about coding; it’s a space where people from all backgrounds, technical or not, come together to experiment and co-create solutions to real-world challenges in research software and beyond. 

In essence, this event is more than a conference, it's a community-building experience and a catalyst for positive change in the research software sector.