The institute was officially opened by Queen Máxima of the Netherlands. Several news items were broadcast on national TV (NOS, De Wereld Draait Door), together with coverage in important online news outlets and print publications.

Oncode organises two large events (up to 400 people) each year. In November 2018 we organised the Annual Conference at the KIT Amsterdam, where cancer researchers from all over the Netherlands gathered. The event topic ‘From tissues to cells to molecules: multi-scale visualization of cancer processes’ brought together world-class speakers from different parts of the globe, each representing a different focus area.

It is important to inform our stakeholders about relevant topics within Oncode. Our newsletter cycle serves a variety of readers, such as Investigators, researchers, funders, partners and our broader external network. The newsletters form part of the 360-degree communication strategy for Oncode, which includes our website and social media channels, as well as posters and flyers when needed.

Oncode researchers are regularly featured in the (national) media, demonstrating that interest in their hard work goes beyond the Oncology community. We are proud of how Oncode researchers are able to explain their scientific work to the general public and we try to support them whenever we can. In 2018 we also proactively reached out to several journalists to help Oncode researchers tell their stories. An example is the interview we secured for newly appointed Investigator Sarah Derks with Algemeen Dagblad about her role within Oncode.

It is often very difficult for researchers to find the right people to collaborate with outside their lab or institute. With that in mind, Oncode and a researcher User Board co-created an online community platform that allows researchers to find the expertise they need. Via a simple search button they can look for people, events, techniques, equipment and much more.The goalof the platform is to support collaboration between scientists across institutes and focus areas.

In addition to large events, Oncode hosts smaller events around specific topics. These smaller events are typically organised by researchers from the Oncode community. The goal of the sessions is to provide attendees with the opportunity to deepen their knowledge about a specific topic and at the same time strengthen their network. In 2018 we managed to have a ‘full house’ for most events.