Media statement

Google and MRC working together

Google, Inc selected OpenMRS, of which the Medical Research Council's Biomedical Informatics Research Division is part of the core group developing OpenMRS, to collaborate and participate in the Google Summer of Code.

This prestigious and valuable award allows computer science graduates and coders from around the world the opportunity to receive funding from Google to work on OpenMRS and other selected open source projects for a period of three months.  

OpenMRS (www.openmrs.org), is a free and open source general electronic medical record and data management system focusing on HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis.  OpenMRS is dedicated to developing country applications and is particularly keen to attract developing country developers.  

This summer, students around the world have the opportunity to participate in an exciting collaboration between OpenMRS (http://openmrs.org) and Google, Inc. to further develop an open-source medical record system that improves the care of patients with HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria.

The Google Summer of Code 2007 programmed provides promising student software developers an opportunity to help these vulnerable populations by spending their summer vacation writing new code that will be used in countries throughout the developing world.

During this twelve week program, successful applicants will work directly with assigned mentors to complete their choice of a variety of focused development tasks laid out by the OpenMRS collaborative.

In another development, BIRD will be hosting its annual OpenMRS Implementers meeting which is open to open source developers and interested implementers and will take place in Cape Town from 22-26 April 2007 (see www.openmrs.org).

The closing date for applications is 26 March 2007.