I, along with @Vidash , am co-leading the newly formed Networking & Outreach Working (NOW) Group Task Force. We would like to introduce you to our task force and extend an invitation to any community members who might be interested in joining. We are looking for members to help us achieve the following goals:
Increase the number of new members who are actively engaged in the DCoP (through Discourse), particularly focusing on underrepresented research communities
Developing materials to engage with researchers at conferences/events
Achieve higher levels of participation in community activities such as webinars, discussion forums, and collaborative projects.
Gather feedback from members regarding the value and resources of the community.
Provide evidence of career advancements and successful collaborations resulting from DCoP participation.
Collaborate with other task forces where appropriate (for example, aligning with Mentorship & Training activities)
Being a member of the Task Force will allow you to provide input to task force goals and outputs, contribute to the creation of resources that will help other researchers, and get credit for these contributions. Members will volunteer for different tasks, and work will be divided equally. This is an opportunity to bring your abundant knowledge to make the DCoP relevant, interesting, and exciting!
Planned Activities:
Initial Kickoff Meeting: To introduce NOW Group Task Force members, outline the goals and objectives, and establish initial tasks and timelines.
Monthly Progress Meetings: To review progress, address challenges, and adjust strategies as needed.
Bi-annual Workshops or Webinars: Our goal is to hold 2 workshops or webinars over the course of the year to provide professional development opportunities and facilitate knowledge sharing within the community.
In-person Networking Event: We will plan and schedule an in-person networking event at an existing/ongoing scientific meeting that is relevant to DCoP members. Hopefully this will foster stronger personal connections and lead to meaningful collaborations!
Year-End Review and Planning Meeting: To review the past year’s accomplishments, celebrate successes, and plan for the upcoming year.
If you are interested in joining this exciting task force, please let us know by replying in the thread below by Tuesday, September 3! Please also feel free to reach out if there are any questions!
Hi @research_community , wanted to flag that this task force is now looking for new members! Please reach out to @Vidash , @gdp22 or myself for more info!
Could you kindly respond to this doodle link; Doodle
made for the 3 Thursdays in September when we intend to have the Kickoff meeting for the Networking and Outreach group
We would still love to have anyone else interested on Board. @gdp22 and I are excited to have a great start for our Taskforce.
Hi all! thanks so much for your replies, it looks like Thursday, Sept 12 at 10 AM EST works for most! Stay tuned for a calendar invite. @Vidash and I are looking forward to meeting with you soon!
The NOW Task Force had its kick-off meeting on September 12th, 2024. This task force aims to expand DCoP over the next year by identifying and recruiting new members from diverse professional backgrounds and geographic regions. We’ll also focus on enhancing collaboration opportunities, facilitating knowledge sharing, and supporting professional growth through targeted outreach efforts and networking activities. This will ultimately support the DCoP’s mission of creating a robust support system for researchers and practitioners working with Parkinson’s Disease datasets, contributing to advancements in research and treatment for PD.
Action Items from the Call:
In-Person Networking Event at MDS 2024:
Presentations and networking with attendees.
Attendees to post on Discourse afterward on topics related to networking strategies and experiences at MDS.
Identification of potential candidates at MDS who may be interested in joining the DCoP. Attendees to provide these contacts to @gdp22, @Vidash, @gginnan, @jgottesman.
We ask everyone who attends to try to take some pictures to document all the fun networking!
Materials Needed for MDS:
Develop materials to distribute at MDS and future meetings to help recruit potential new members. See highlighted areas in the Google Doc and please sign up!
Post-Event Survey:
Develop a survey to assess the effectiveness of the MDS event and gather suggestions for improvement. See highlighted areas in the Google Doc and please sign up!
Google Doc for Contributions:
Please volunteer for areas highlighted in yellow in the Google Doc, which include:
Materials for distribution at MDS.
MDS post-event survey.
Sharing ideas on speakers for the webinars/workshops.
Thanks again for your participation and contributions! We look forward to building this community together.
Hey, NOW group! Hope everyone’s November is going well
As we approach the year’s end, it’s time to review the first activities of this group as well as to discuss our plans for 2025. To keep things moving forward, please share your availability for our next call by completing the poll below.
Monday, Dec 2 9:30 am EST
Monday, Dec 2 10:30 am EST
Thursday, Dec 5 9:30 am EST
Thursday, Dec 5 10:30 am EST
Monday, Dec 9 9:30 am EST
Monday, Dec 9 10:30 am EST
Thursday, Dec 12 9:30 am EST
Thursday, Dec 12 10:30 am EST
None of these dates work for me
0voters
We’re excited to meet one last time this year and discuss what we can do in 2025 to support the growth and engagement of the community!
Hi all, thank you for voting with your availability! Our next call will be this Thursday, December 5th. You should have already received a calendar invite from me (please let me know if you didn’t receive it).
If you are not part of the Networking and Outreach Group and would like to be, please indicate your interest in this thread!
Hello everyone!
Thank you all for an incredibly productive call today! Here’s a quick recap of what we covered, some useful resources, and a few action item reminders to keep the momentum going as we head into the new year: Key Highlights from Our Discussion
• Webinar/Workshop Plans: Gian and Paula will draft outreach emails to potential speakers for an exciting event in late January or February—stay tuned for updates!
• Conference/Event Strategy:
o We compiled a list of conferences and events task force members will be attending over the next 6 months including the AD/PD meeting and the IAPRD meeting.
o Next steps include finalizing materials to distribute at these and future meetings.
o Reminder: If you haven’t already, add the conferences you’re attending to the collaborative notes doc! Discourse Activities
• Themed Discussion Thread: Hirotaka will kick off a thread about finding postdoc or research positions
• Quarterly Updates: Gian will publish a quarterly summary of task force activities and upcoming events to keep us all connected and informed at the end of December.
Thanks so much! Feel free to reach out with any additional ideas/comments!
Hello everyone! 
Here’s a quick recap of what we covered, some useful resources, and a few action item reminders to keep the momentum going as we head into the new year:
Key Highlights from Our Discussion
Reminder: If you haven’t already, add the conferences you’re attending to the 
Discourse Activities