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Computing skills for reproducible research: software carpentry – Course and Conference Office

EMBL Course

Computing skills for reproducible research: software carpentry

Overview

Course overview

Computation is an integral part of today’s research as data has grown too large or too complex to be analysed by hand. An ever-growing fraction of science is performed computationally but many scientists struggle with this aspect of research as they have not been properly trained in the necessary set of skills. The result is that too much time is spent doing steps manually or using inefficient tools when progress could be faster. This course provides training in several key tools, with a focus on good development practices that encourage efficient and reproducible research computing.

Audience

This course is aimed at researchers in the life sciences who wish to use or design analysis pipelines on individual or clusters of computers. The target learner is familiar with some command line/programmatic computer usage, and wants to become more confident using these tools efficiently and reproducibly.

If you have written a for-loop in some language before, but do not know what Git or Nextflow is (or at least are not very comfortable using them), you may be the perfect fit for this workshop.

Modules/Resources

  • Introduction to the Unix shell
  • Version control and history tracking with Git
  • Introduction to scripting and basics of data analysis with Python
  • Multi-step analysis and pipeline management with Nextflow
  • Best practices for reproducible analysis in high performance computing environments

Learning outcomes

After the workshop, participants will be able to:

  • interact with a command-line shell for local and remote computing needs
  • write and organise their own scripts for data analysis
  • use version control to keep track of, and revert changes to their files
  • implement efficient and reproducible pipelines that combine multiple tools and scripts
  • execute and troubleshoot command line tools and pipelines on a high performance computing cluster

Participant commitment

  • There will be an onboarding session (one week before the course starts) to make sure everyone has installed the required software and that everyone to a good starting position for the 5-day hybrid course in January 2025. 
  • Full-time attendance is required for the course duration.

Speakers

Speakers, trainers, and staff

Renato Alves

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Jean-Karim Hériché

EMBL Heidelberg

Germamy

Sarah Kaspar

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Jacobo Miranda

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Lisanna Paladin

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Jurij Pečar

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Christian Schudoma

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Mike Smith

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Christian Tischer

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Scientific organisers

Renato Alves

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Lisanna Paladin

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Christian Schudoma

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Course organisers

Iva Gavran

Course and Conference Officer

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Ellen Malovrh

Scientific Training Officer

EMBL Heidelberg

Germany

Preliminary programme

Are you on social media? Post using #EMBLSoftwareCarpentry and don’t forget to tag @EMBLEvents.

  • Please note the below programme is still subject to changes
  • Some pre-course work (such as installing software) with estimated time 0-10 hours will be required and will be shared in advance of the course.
  • Some speakers may need to join virtually to give their lecture or Q&A, and the programme is subject to change.
Onboarding session Tuesday 21 January 2025

Time
(Europe/Berlin)
SpeakerLocation
15:00 – 17:00Onboarding session (mandatory)Virtual
Day 1 – Monday 27 January 2025

Time
(Europe/Berlin)
SpeakerLocation
08:40 – 08:50Bus from hotel to EMBL ATC EntranceISG Hotel
08:50 – 09:00Coffee break and computer set upCourtyard Room A & B
09:00 – 09:30Arrival, housenotes and course overviewCourtyard Room A & B
09:30 – 10:30Flashtalks from all participantsCourtyard Room A & B
10:30 – 10:50Coffee breakCourtyard Foyer
10:50 – 12:20Intro to ShellCourtyard Room A & B
12:20 – 13:20LunchEMBL Canteen
13:20 – 14:20Intro to ShellCourtyard Room A & B
14:20 – 14:40Coffee breakCourtyard Foyer
14:40 – 16:10Intro to GitCourtyard Room A & B
16:10 – 16:30Coffee breakCourtyard Foyer
16:30 – 17:30Intro to GitCourtyard Room A & B
17:30 – 18:00Daily feedbackCourtyard Room A & B
18:00 – 19:00Social activity
19:00 – 20:00DinnerEMBL Canteen
20:00 – 20:10Departure to HotelATC Entrance

Day 2 – Tuesday 28 January 2025
Time
(Europe/Berlin)
SpeakerLocation
08:40 – 08:50Bus from hotel to EMBL ATC EntranceISG Hotel
08:50 – 09:00Coffee break and computer set upCourtyard Room A & B
09:00 – 10:30Intro to PythonCourtyard Room A & B
10:30 – 11:00Coffee breakCourtyard Foyer
11:00 – 12:00Intro to PythonCourtyard Room A & B
12:00 – 13:00LunchEMBL Canteen
13:00 – 14:00Intro to PythonCourtyard Room A & B
14:00 – 14:30Coffee breakCourtyard Foyer
14:30 – 16:00Intro to PythonCourtyard Room A & B
16:00 – 16:30Coffee breakCourtyard Foyer
16:30 – 18:00Intro to PythonCourtyard Room A & B
18:00 – 18:30Daily feedbackCourtyard Room A & B
18:30 – 19:30DinnerEMBL Canteen
19:30 – 19:40Departure to HotelATC Entrance
Day 3 – Wednesday 29 January 2025
Time
(Europe/Berlin)
SpeakerLocation
08:40 – 08:50Bus from hotel to EMBL ATC EntranceISG Hotel
08:50 – 09:00Coffee break and computer set upCourtyard Room A & B
09:00 – 10:30Intro to PythonCourtyard Room A & B
10:30 – 11:00Coffee breakCourtyard Foyer
11:00 – 12:00Intro to PythonCourtyard Room A & B
12:00 – 13:00LunchEMBL Canteen
13:00 – 14:00Intro to PythonCourtyard Room A & B
14:00 – 14:30Coffee breakCourtyard Foyer
14:30 – 16:00Command-line scripting with PythonCourtyard Room A & B
16:00 – 16:30Coffee breakCourtyard Foyer
16:30 – 18:00Command-line scripting with PythonCourtyard Room A & B
18:00 – 18:30Daily feedbackCourtyard Room A & B
18:30 – 19:30DinnerEMBL Canteen
19:30 – 19:40Departure to HotelATC Entrance
Day 4 – Thursday 30 January 2025
Time
(Europe/Berlin)
SpeakerLocation
08:40 – 08:50Bus from hotel to EMBL ATC EntranceISG Hotel
08:50 – 09:00Coffee break and computer set upCourtyard Room A & B
09:00 – 10:30Intro to SLURM with NextflowCourtyard Room A & B
10:30 – 11:00Coffee breakCourtyard Foyer
11:00 – 12:00Intro to SLURM with NextflowCourtyard Room A & B
12:00 – 13:00LunchEMBL Canteen
13:00 – 14:00Intro to SLURM with NextflowCourtyard Room A & B
14:00 – 15:00World of Molecular Biology tour – for onsite participants only
Flexible coffee break
Imaging Centre / Courtyard Foyer
15:00 – 16:30Intro to SLURM with NextflowCourtyard Room A & B
16:30 – 17:00Daily feedbackCourtyard Room A & B
17:00 – 17:45Bus to city centre (with a stop at ISG hotel)
17:45 – 19:00Free time
19:00 – 21:30Downtown dinner
Day 5 – Friday 31 January 2025
Time
(Europe/Berlin)
SpeakerLocation
08:40 – 08:50Bus from hotel to EMBL ATC EntranceISG Hotel
08:50 – 09:00Coffee break and computer set upCourtyard Room A & B
09:00 – 10:30Best practices in HPC environmentCourtyard Room A & B
10:30 – 11:00Coffee breakCourtyard Foyer
11:00 – 12:00Best practices in HPC environmentCourtyard Room A & B
12:00 – 13:00LunchEMBL Canteen
13:00 – 14:00Best practices in HPC environmentCourtyard Room A & B
14:00 – 15:00Debrief and wrap-upCourtyard Foyer
15:00 – 15:30Bus to train station and downtownATC Entrance

Practical information

Registration fees and motivation letter

The course is limited to 15 virtual and 15 onsite participants. For selection purposes, please note that your application will not be considered without a letter of motivation.

Registration

Onsite registration fees include admission, course materials, meals and coffee breaks. Participants are expected to book and pay their own accommodation and travel expenses. 

Virtual registration fees include access to live-streamed course content (lectures, practical sessions, discussion rounds) as well as any learning activities in the virtual learning platform.

OnsiteVirtual
Academia€425€190
PhD Student€425€190
Industry€750€250

A letter to support your visa application will be issued, on request, once payment of the registration fee is confirmed. We recommend that you book your visa appointment as soon as possible, to avoid any delay with your visa application.

Confirmation and payment

The registration fee should be paid only after acceptance to the course. The results will be announced approximately 2-3 weeks after the application deadline.

Motivation letter submission

After you have logged in and successfully registered, you will receive an email asking you to submit your motivation letter. Click on the link provided and enter your motivation letter in the text box provided. Alternatively you can submit your motivation letter by clicking on the link on the confirmation page directly after registering.

Instructions

  1. Include your relevant skills, experience and qualifications showing why you would be suitable for the course.
  2. Explain why you would like to attend, including what you can contribute and how you think you will benefit from the course.

Please note:

  • The limit of 2000 characters refers to manually typed text and excludes spaces. If an error occurs try using a different web browser (preferably Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox).
  • If you copy-paste the text into the form, hidden formatting might still be included which may cause the text to exceed the 2,000 character limit resulting in an error message. We recommend you clear all formatting before pasting in the text.
  • If you have special symbols in your text, make sure you are using Unicode characters, otherwise these will not be recognised.

For detailed instructions, please watch our video on how to submit a course motivation letter.

Further details

For further information about registration and motivation letter submission please refer to the FAQ page.

Financial assistance

Financial assistance

Limited financial assistance is provided by the EMBL Advanced Training Centre Corporate Partnership Programme and EMBO in the form of registration fee waivers and childcare grants

Your place in the meeting is only confirmed by paying the registration fee, which is mandatory even when receiving a fee waiver.

Registration fee waivers

The fee waiver will cover the registration sum that you have paid to attend the course.

Childcare grants

There is the possibility to apply for a childcare grant to offset child care costs incurred by participants, speakers, trainers and organisers when attending a course. Eligible costs include (but are not limited to) fees for a babysitter or child-care facility and travel costs for a caregiver. Please note that priority will be given to early-stage researchers. There is a limited amount of funding available for the childcare grants and funds will be distributed amongst eligible applicants.

Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds travel grant

Applies to selected courses only. Availability will be indicated during the abstract or motivation letter submission process.

This grant covers costs related to your attendance to the course (registration, travel and accommodation costs). The grant is restricted to PhD students and postdocs who conduct basic biomedical research.
Whether you are eligible to apply for a travel grant, depends on when you received your university entrance qualification (e.g. Abitur, A-Levels, High School Diploma, Final State Examination):

– for PhD and MD students, as well as graduates, the university entrance qualification must not have been obtained more than 11 years ago at the time of the envisaged course
– for postdocs, the university entrance qualification must not have been obtained more than 13 years ago at the time of the envisaged course

Application

If you are attending virtually, you can apply for financial assistance in the submission portal by the abstract deadline. Read the instructions on how to apply for financial assistance. Only submissions for financial assistance will be accepted. Presentation abstracts cannot be submitted here and will be declined. 

In your application you will be asked to summarise your current work,  answer questions regarding why your lab cannot fund your attendance, and how your attendance will make a difference to your career. Application for financial support will not affect the outcome of your registration application.

*For some events, applications for Childcare Grants will still be done by email. Information about the grant will be sent out shortly after the abstract/motivation letter deadline. Please contact the event Conference Officer if you have any questions.

Selection

The scientific organisers will select the recipients of registration fee waivers during the participant selection process for courses. Results will be announced approximately 6 – 8 weeks before the event start date, however for some events this may be delayed. Selection results do not impact your admission to the meeting. Selection for registration fee waivers and travel grants is based on scientific merit, your current work or study location, the reasons for needing financial support, and the impact this event will have on your career.

Childcare grants will be allocated in the same timeframe (6-8 weeks before the event start date). Please note that priority will be given to early-stage researchers.

Further details

Check out this list of external funding opportunities or get more information on attending the conference as an event reporter.

For further information about financial assistance please refer to the FAQ page.

Accommodation and travel

Hotel

Accommodation is not included in the registration fee. Participants are expected to book and pay for their own accommodation. A mix of single and twin rooms have been reserved for 5 nights from 26 to 31 January 2025 at the ISG hotel. Single rooms are limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis. After the selection process, selected participants should contact the hotel directly to make a booking with a booking code (code of your course, e.g. SWC25-01) by the deadline of 26 December 2024.

We recommend that all course participants stay at the dedicated hotel for the course.

Travel information

For travel information, please see here.

If you are travelling to the conference within Germany then you are eligible for the Deutsche Bahn ‘Event Ticket’ (called the ‘Veranstaltungsticket’ in German). This will result in a lower ticket price if your travel distance to Heidelberg is more than 100 km. You need to provide proof of your event attendance when purchasing the ticket.

For more information in English see here or in German see here.

You can book your ticket here.

Local transport

Shuttle buses will go from the ISG Hotel to EMBL and back, mornings and evenings. A bus schedule and location of the bus stops will be made available prior to the meeting.

Further details

Address: EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany

For more information about accommodation and travel, please refer to the FAQ page.

On-site information

Catering

All meals and coffee breaks are included in the registration fee. Our catering staff will prepare a wide variety of vegetarian meals, meat and fish dishes, soups, pasta, fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as a variety of desserts.

Please wear your badge at all times when serving yourself.

No food or drinks are allowed in the laboratories.

Electricity and charging station

In most places the electricity is 220 volts AC (50 cycles). An adaptor and a plug that fits the German socket may be needed for your appliances/laptop (i.e. American, Japanese, etc.). A USB charging station for electronic devices is available at the registration desk.

EMBL Merchandise

If you are interested in purchasing EMBL merchandise (products presented in the glass display in the registration area), please email the EMBL shop to place an order or get in contact with your Course Organiser.

Kindly note the EMBL shop is only open upon request and all purchases must be made in cash (Euros only).

Health and safety notes

Please read EMBL’s COVID-19 safety policy for on-site events.
Do not smoke in any EMBL building.
Eating and drinking is prohibited in all laboratories.
Do not enter any restricted areas or the laboratories unless instructed to do so.

If first aid is required …

  • The first aid room is located next to the ATC Registration Desk (room 10- 205).
  • Dial the Emergency number 222 from any EMBL internal phone only.
  • Where is the accident? What happened? How many injured?
  • Emergency number 06221-387 7821 from mobile phones.
  • Please report all accidents to the conference officer at the registration desk.

In case of fire …

  • Press the nearest fire alarm button or the Emergency number 222 from any internal phone.
  • A loud fire alarm will go off if an evacuation is required. On hearing the alarm leave the building immediately following the escape route and fire wardens and head to one of the meeting points
  • Do not use the lifts.

Beyond first aid…

Please remember to bring your own medication, if needed, to the conference. Note that the next pharmacy is a 4-minute drive from the EMBL, but for many medications you will be required to see a doctor to get a prescription.

Ensure in advance that your medical insurance will cover you during your visit in the event that you do need to see a doctor while in Heidelberg. In any case, the EMBL Course and Conference Office will assist you to get to the pharmacy and a doctor of your choice if necessary.

Internet

Wi-Fi is available on campus. Log in using the EMBL-Events network and the event specific password, which will be provided on site. The eduroam network (secure, worldwide roaming access service developed for the international research and education community) is also available.

Lost and found

‘’Lost and Found’’ items are kept at the registration desk until the end of the conference.

Luggage

There are lockers available on-site to store your luggage, which require a 2 EURO coin to operate. There is another luggage room on level E0, which is free to use but remains unlocked during the conference.

Nursing room

There is a nursing room available in the ATC Rooftop Lounge on level A29.

Photography

During the conference, an EMBL Photographer may be taking photos. If you would not like to appear in these, please inform the photographer or a member of the Course and Conference Office.

Printing

We can help to print your boarding pass/train ticket. Please send it to events@embl.de and collect your print-outs at the registration desk.

Room for prayer, yoga, and meditation

There is a room for prayer, meditation, and yoga located on level E0 behind the Auditorium. Please be respectful of others using the room.

Sightseeing

A variety of activities in Heidelberg can be found on the website of Heidelberg Marketing.

Travel to and from the venue

During the event, we provide conference shuttle buses to and from EMBL. In addition, there is the public bus 39A that serves the EMBL campus and taxis can be easily booked at any time. Information on the shuttle buses can be found on the individual event website and more detailed information on travelling to EMBL can be found on our Travel Information page.

Technical requirements and event software

Technical requirements

Below you will find the software and technical requirements for this course. You will need admin rights to be able to install the software on your computer and we recommend you try this before the course. If you do not have admin rights, please contact your technical support team in advance to make sure the software can be installed.

Below you will find the software and technical requirements for this course.

  • On-site participants need to bring their own laptops, which will be used to remotely access EMBL virtual machines with pre-installed software. All participants will be requested to install software before the course. Please make sure to bring the laptop with the installed software to the course.
  • You will need admin rights to install the software required to access the virtual machines. If you do not have admin rights, please contact your technical support team in advance to make sure the software can be installed.
  • If you have a non-standard HDMI port (other than type A), you need to bring an adaptor.
  • Keyboard and PC mouse are available for use with a standard USB port. If you have a different port type, such as USB-C, you will need to bring your own.

Additional software

The EMBL eCampus learning platform will be used to collaborate, communicate and network with all of the course participants. All participants will receive information on how to join shortly before the course. We recommend using Chrome, Safari or Mozilla Firefox browsers for eCampus. 

Zoom will be used for the live talks and Q&A sessions. More information will be provided closer to the start of the course.

Other information

While using the software during the course, please make sure you have nothing else using your bandwidth. We recommend using a wired connection.

Virtual participation guidelines

Guidelines

  • Do not broadcast the course to unregistered participants.
  • Do not share your login details with others.
  • You are encouraged to tweet and post about the event. Tweet unless the speaker specifically says otherwise, but be mindful of unpublished data. 
  • Please do not capture, transmit or redistribute data presented at the meeting.

Additional information can be found in our Code of Conduct.

Health and well-being

It is important to stay healthy and move around, especially when you are attending an event virtually. We have put together a few coffee break stretches and yoga videos in eCampus for you to enjoy during the event.

How to ask questions

Questions during and after the talks can be asked in the live streaming platform. If time runs out or you think of a question later, you can use the EMBL eCampus forum or send a direct message to the speaker/trainer.

Time zone

The programme is planned based on the Europe/Berlin time zone, unless otherwise stated. As many virtual participants are attending from around the world, we do our best to accommodate as many time zones as possible when creating the programme. Please take your time zone into consideration when planning your attendance.

Additional information

Please find additional information including FAQs and terms and conditions on our Information for Participants page.

Sponsors

Sponsorship opportunities

We offer a variety of event sponsoring possibilities, with the flexibility to select a set sponsorship package or combine individual sponsorship options to suit your event budget. Discounts are available for companies sponsoring multiple events at EMBL Heidelberg. View other events, or contact sponsorship@embl.de for further information.

If you are interested in becoming a media partner of this event, please visit our media partnerships webpage.

Warning

EMBL wishes to warn sponsors of EMBL conferences and courses of fraudulent schemes purporting to offer sponsorship opportunities on behalf of EMBL or affiliated with EMBL officials. One current scam campaign of which we are aware is conducted using the name ‘Judy Eastman’ (judy@gopcontact.a2hosted.com) and entails approaches to sponsors offering sponsorship opportunities on EMBL’s behalf. Please be kindly advised that all relevant communication regarding sponsorship of EMBL conferences, symposia and courses is handled by EMBL directly and is sent from an official EMBL account. EMBL does not work with any external providers on sponsorship acquisition.

Please also note that:

  • EMBL never provides attendee lists for purchase. Any offers of such are fraudulent.
  • EMBL will never call or email you to ask for your credit card details or to request a payment.
  • All payments are on invoice.

Suspicious communications purportedly from, for or on behalf of EMBL should be reported to EMBL at the following email address sponsorship@embl.de.

Media kit

Want to let others know you’re attending this event? Take a look at our shareable media and feel free to use them in your social media channels or presentations.

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Date: 27 - 31 Jan 2025

Location: EMBL Heidelberg and Virtual

Venue: EMBL Advanced Training Centre


Deadline(s):

Application: Closed


Organisers:

  • Renato Alves
    EMBL Heidelberg, Germany

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