The CBHDS team was excited to join the 2025 Community for Rigor (C4R) Conference, held September 8–10 in Philadelphia at the University of Pennsylvania and the Renaissance Hotel. This annual gathering brought together researchers, educators, thought leaders, and students from across the U.S., all dedicated to advancing rigor and reproducibility in science.

The conference opened Monday with Future Proof Your Research With Rigor, a panel featuring Ivan Oransky of Retraction Watch, a watchdog initiative that tracks and reports on retracted scientific papers to promote transparency, and Anita Bandrowsky of the Research Resource Identifier (RRID) Initiative, which helps scientists uniquely identify key research resources like antibodies, cell lines, and software. Moderated by Jason Williams of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, the panel explored their initiatives and highlighted the importance of designing research that can withstand both scrutiny and the passage of time.

Tuesday was dedicated to hands-on workshops and interactive sessions, featuring newly developed curriculum units from C4R’s first cohort of coLABs. Topics included randomization and the selection of controls in experiments, illustrating how robust study design reduces bias and enhances reproducibility. The day also featured a fireside chat, Rigor Meets AI: Responsible Use of LLMs in Research, with Carl Bergstrom (University of Washington and C4R coLAB PI) and René Vidal (Penn Integrates Knowledge and Rachleff University Professor). Their conversation sparked thoughtful discussion on how artificial intelligence can both advance and complicate rigorous scientific practice.

CBHDS team members attend network gathering during C4R25 Conference

On Wednesday, the focus shifted inward to C4R community updates. C4R coLAB cohorts, including the Virginia Tech team, shared progress and feedback on their curriculum development efforts. The day also included Creating & Teaching Scientific Rigor Courses: A Fireside Chat with Rigor Champion Micky Marinelly and C4R coLAB member Sara Gombash, who shared practical insights on developing effective teaching approaches for rigor-focused courses. 

Throughout the three days, attendees connected over Philadelphia’s signature food, lively group discussions, and networking opportunities. For CBHDS, the conference was both energizing and inspiring, an opportunity to engage with peers across disciplines and with members of the public equally committed to strengthening rigorous, reproducible science.

The CBHDS team looks forward to bringing these insights back to our own community and continuing to embed rigor at the heart of our collaborative research efforts.