Open Reaction Database - Training Program

The Open Reaction Database (ORD) is recruiting students and early career researchers to help contribute to our mission of creating an open access database of chemical reactions.

Please Note: The paid ORD Training Program is only available to current residents in the United States of America and the United Kingdom. To participate in the paid training program you will need to have the right to work as a self-employed contractor in either the USA or UK. Residents of other countries, and those in the USA or UK who are unable to work as a self-employed contractor (for example due to visa restrictions) may choose to participate in the training program on an unpaid basis.

Interested applicants should attend one of our Zoom information sessions (details below) to learn more, and then submit an Expression of Interest through our Google Form if they would like to be considered for training.

Learn More at One of Our Information Sessions

There are Zoom information sessions currently planned for Thursdays at 1600 GMT / 1100 EST / 0800 PST on the following dates:

• 1 3th November 2025
• 2 7th November 2025
• 4 th December 2025
• 1 1th December 2025
• 1 8th December 2025

Register on Eventbrite to receive an invite to the Zoom meetings.

About the Training Program

The ideal applicants will:

• Be a current student or researcher at an academic institution
• Have completed (or are completing) a chemistry degree
• Have the knowledge and experience required to interpret synthetic chemistry methods and data in the scientific literature

The ORD team will periodically select applicants from the list of interested applicants. The selected applicants will be invited to join the ORD training program. After training in how to use the ORD, applicants will select (normally) 1-2 papers from a pre-selected pool, and will prepare the reaction data into the ORD format. It is expected that applicants will spend 10 to 20 hours on the ORD training over a three month period and there is some flexibility to adapt this to the applicant’s situation.

Participants will gain valuable knowledge and experience of the ORD toolset to define reaction data in a structured format. All dataset submissions to the ORD receive formal recognition and a persistent identifier which can be included in CVs, professional web pages and professional development records.

Reimbursement

Current residents in the United States of America and the United Kingdom, with the right to work as a self-employed contractor, may be reimbursed for pre-approved ORD training activities completed under a contractor agreement. The reimbursement rate will be up to 30 USD per hour, with a maximum limit of paid hours per completed dataset.