Renato Alves
EMBL Heidelberg
Germany
EMBL Course
This is a two-hub course organised by EMBL in parallel at EMBL Heidelberg, Germany and at the Barcelona Collaboratorium, Spain.
Applicants are encouraged to select the location nearest to them. Those open to either location may indicate no specific preference.
The missing step between data collection and research progress is a lack of training for researchers in crucial skills for effectively managing and analysing data, often in large amounts. This hands-on workshop teaches researchers the fundamental data skills they need to conduct their work and provides high-quality, domain-specific training covering the full lifecycle of data-driven research. The domain-specific approach allows participants to tailor the data, content, and tools to reflect the specific data and analysis needs of different areas.
The course is aimed at graduate students and other researchers in the life sciences who would like to learn good practices in data management and analysis. The course is ideally suited to students without prior experience in computational research, but some familiarity with working with tabular data on a computer is welcome
Participants need to bring a laptop where they should have installed all the required software. Software requirements will be made available as part of the course information pack. An onboarding session will be offered to troubleshoot installation problems.
“The training at EMBL on ”Exploratory Analysis of Biological Data” stands out as one of the most valuable hands-on scientific training sessions I’ve experienced. It equips researchers with essential data skills crucial for their work, delivering top-notch, domain-specific training that spans the entire lifecycle of data-driven research.” – Francis Irabor, Benson Idahosa University, Nigeria
“I really enjoyed the course “Exploratory analysis of biological data: data carpentry”. It was a great opportunity and amazing experience to learn the use of R and how to apply it to analyze our own data in a very practical way!” – Marcos Galán Ganga, University of Barcelona, Spain
“A very well spent and highly instructive week, thanks to the excellent trainers and organizers as well as the inspiring and motivating environment at EMBL in Heidelberg. Already looking forward to visiting again!” – Christina Parassiadis, Robert Bosch Center for Tumor Diseases, Germany
EMBL Heidelberg
Germany
EMBL Heidelberg
Germany
EMBL Barcelona
Spain
EMBL Barcelona
Spain
EMBL Barcelona
Spain
EMBL Heidelberg
Germany
EMBL Barcelona
Spain
EMBL Rome
Italy
EMBL Heidelberg
Germany
EMBL Heidelberg
Germany
EMBL Heidelberg
Germany
Scientific Training Officer
EMBL Heidelberg
Germany
Course and Conference Officer
EMBL Heidelberg
Germany
Administrative Officer
EMBL Barcelona
Spain
Project Manager
Barcelona Collaboratorium for Modelling and Predictive Biology
Spain
Are you on social media? Post using #EMBLDataCarpentry and don’t forget to tag @EMBLEvents.
| Time Berlin / Barcelona | Programme |
|---|---|
| 10:45-11:00 | In Heidelberg: Bus transfer from ISG Hotel |
| 11:00-11:15 | Welcome and house notes and course overview |
| 11:15-12:30 | Flashtalks |
| 12:30-13:30 | Lunch |
| 13:30-14:15 | Lecture: Data organization and cleaning |
| 14:15-14:35 | Coffee break |
| 14:35-16:05 | Lecture: Data organization and cleaning (continued) |
| 16:05-16:20 | Coffee break |
| 16:20-17:50 | Lecture: Data organization and cleaning (continued) |
| 17:50-18:50 | Social networking / Q&A |
| 18:50-19:50 | Dinner |
| 20:00-20:15 | In Heidelberg: Shuttle bus to ISG Hotel |
| Time Berlin / Barcelona | Programme |
|---|---|
| 08:40 – 08:55 | In Heidelberg: Bus from hotel to EMBL HD |
| 09:00 – 11:00 | Practical session: Versioning with Git (using RStudio) |
| 11:00 – 11:30 | Coffee break |
| 11:30 – 12:30 | Practical session: Versioning with Git (using RStudio) |
| 12:30 – 13:30 | Lunch break |
| 13:30 – 15:00 | Practical session: Introduction to R |
| 15:00 – 15:30 | Coffee break |
| 15:30 – 16:50 | Practical session: Introduction to R |
| 16:50 – 17:10 | Coffee break |
| 17:10 – 18:30 | Practical session: Introduction to R |
| 18:30 – 19:30 | Dinner |
| 19:30 – 19:45 | In Heidelberg: Shuttle bus to ISG Hotel |
| Time Berlin / Barcelona | Programme |
|---|---|
| 08:40 – 08:55 | In Heidelberg: Bus from hotel to EMBL ATC Entrance |
| 09:00 – 11:00 | Practical session: Data manipulation with dplyr |
| 11:00 – 11:30 | Coffee break |
| 11:30 – 12:30 | Practical session: Data manipulation with dplyr |
| 12:30 – 13:30 | Lunch break |
| 13:30 – 15:00 | Practical session: Data visualisation with ggplot2 |
| 15:00 – 15:30 | Coffee break |
| 15:30 – 16:50 | Practical session: Data visualisation with ggplot2 |
| 16:50 – 17:10 | Coffee break |
| 17:10 – 18:30 | Practical session: Data visualisation with ggplot2 |
| 18:30 – 19:30 | Dinner |
| 19:30 – 19:45 | In Heidelberg: Shuttle bus to ISG Hotel |
| Time Berlin / Barcelona | Programme |
|---|---|
| 08:40 – 08:55 | In Heidelberg: Bus from hotel to EMBL |
| 09:00 – 09:50 | Lecture: Data visualisation with ggplot2 |
| 09:50 – 10:00 | Short coffee break |
| 10:00 – 10:50 | Practical session: Data analysis with applications to genomics |
| 10:50 – 11:20 | Coffee break |
| 11:20 – 12:20 | Practical session: Data analysis with applications to genomics |
| 12:20 – 13:20 | Lunch break |
| 13:20 – 14:50 | Practical session: Data analysis with applications to genomics |
| 14:50 – 15:20 | Coffee break |
| 15:20 – 17:00 | Practical session: Data analysis with applications to genomics R |
| 17:00 – 17:30 | In Heidelberg: Shuttle bus to city centre |
| 17:30 – 19:00 | Free time |
| 19:00 – 20:30 | Dinner in the city centre |
| Time Berlin / Barcelona | Programme |
|---|---|
| 08:40 – 08:55 | In Heidelberg: Bus from hotel to EMBL |
| 09:00 – 10:30 | Practical session: Data analysis with applications to genomics |
| 10:30 – 11:00 | Coffee break |
| 11:00 – 12:00 | Practical session: Data analysis with applications to genomics |
| 12:00 – 13:00 | Lunch break |
| 13:00 – 14:00 | Debrief and wrap-up |
| 14:00 – 14:30 | In Heidelberg: Shuttle bus to Heidelberg main train station |
The course is limited to 15 participants in each hub (Heidelberg and Barcelona). For selection purposes, please note that your application will not be considered without a letter of motivation.
our registration for this course includes:
Accommodation and travel are not included in the fees — participants are expected to book and pay their own expenses.
| Academia | €450 |
| PhD Student | €450 |
| Industry | €775 |
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.
If you are no longer able to take part in the course, please inform your course contact responsible for this event. Your registration and the submitted motivation letter will be deleted.
Please also check our Terms and Conditions for the cancellation policy.
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
There are 26 additional questions that you are required to answer before submitting the motivation letter.
Please note:
For detailed instructions, please watch our video on how to submit a course motivation letter.
For further information about registration and motivation letter submission please refer to the FAQ page.
Limited financial assistance is provided by the EMBL Advanced Training Centre Corporate Partnership Programme and EMBO in the form of registration fee waivers, travel grants, 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.
The fee waiver will cover the registration sum that you have paid to attend the course.
The travel grant will cover the cost of travel (airfare, train, bus, taxi, accommodation, visa) and is provided up to specified caps which are normally as follows:
– up to €400 for participants travelling to an EMBL Course within Europe.
– up to €1000 for participants travelling to an EMBL Course from outside Europe.
The organisers may reduce the grant cap to accommodate more participants. Recipients will be notified of their travel cap amount when they are informed of the outcome of their application. Original receipts must be provided with your signature for all costs incurred within two months of completion of travel. Scanned copies cannot be accepted.
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.
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.
A selection process will take place with the results announced by email to all applicants / submitters. We aim to announce 3 weeks (21 days) after the abstract submission deadline but delays may occur.
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.
Check out this list of external funding opportunities.
For further information about financial assistance please refer to the FAQ page.
We can send you a registration confirmation to support your visa procedure (not an official invitation letter). Please contact the Conference Officer responsible for your event. For more information, please see here.
If you are travelling to Heidelberg via aeroplane, train, car, or long-distance bus, you can find useful information here.
Accommodation is not included in the registration fee. Participants are expected to book and pay for their own accommodation.
Heidelberg Hub participants
A combination of single and twin rooms will be pre-reserved at the ISG hotel a short drive from EMBL Heidelberg for the participants to book independently. After the selection process, those chosen can contact the hotel directly to secure their reservation using a provided booking code. We recommend that all course participants in Heidelberg stay at the designated hotel for the duration of the course, as the shuttle bus will depart from there.
Barcelona Hub participants
No rooms are being prebooked; accommodation must be arranged by participants themselves, according to individual preferences. The training location is very central and conveniently located for public transport.
More information on the hotel booking process will follow after the participant selection.
In Heidelberg, due to the remote location of the EMBL Heidelberg Campus, a shuttle bus 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.
In Barcelona, no shuttle bus service is to be provided. Participants are expected to arrive to the venue on their own.
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 training rooms.
In most places the electricity is 220 volts AC (50 cycles). An adaptor or plug that fits the German sockets may be needed for your appliances/laptop (i.e. if American, Japanese, etc.)
Smoking is prohibited in the buildings at both sites.
Eease take a moment to read our health and safety policy.
If first aid is required
In case of fire
Beyond first aid
The Heidelberg University Hospital or ‘Universitätsklinikum‘ has a 24 hour accident and emergency facility and is at ‘Im Neuenheimer Feld 672’. It is a 8km or a 20 minute taxi ride away from EMBL. In a medical emergency, the ambulance service generally transports patients to this hospital.
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.
The EMBL course and conference office team are able to advise you on where to turn for emergency or non-emergency medical treatment in Heidelberg and can assist you in making appointments and / or arranging transport to get to the pharmacy or a doctor of your choice if necessary. Please note, we are not however permitted to personally accompany you off campus.
Wi-Fi is available. 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’’ items are kept at the registration desks until the end of the course.
There are lockers available on-site close to the ATC reception desk 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 events.
There is a nursing room available in the ATC Rooftop Lounge on level A29.
During the event, 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.

At EMBL Heidelberg there is a room for prayer, meditation, and yoga located on level E0 behind the Auditorium. Please be respectful of others using the room.
A variety of activities in Heidelberg can be found on the website of Heidelberg Marketing.
During the event, we provide course 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.
Address:
Advanced Training Centre, EMBL Heidelberg
Meyerhofstraße 1
69117 Heidelberg, Germany
Please find additional information including FAQs, terms and conditions and travelling to EMBL on our Information for Participants page.
The Barcelona Collaboratorium for Modelling and Predictive Biology brings together researchers from biology, mathematics, physics, computer science, and AI to transform biological knowledge and large-scale datasets into predictive, multi-scale models spanning from molecules to ecosystems. The Barcelona Collaboratorium for Modelling and Predictive Biology is a joint initiative of the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) and EMBL Barcelona.
All meals (except breakfast – because participants are to arrange hotels / accommodation themselves) 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 training rooms.
In most places the electricity is 220 volts AC (50 cycles). An adaptor or plug that fits the Spanish sockets may be needed for your appliances/laptop (i.e. if American, Japanese, etc.)
Smoking is prohibited in the building.
Eating and drinking is prohibited in all training rooms. The Collaboratorium features a kitchenette and dining tables for meals.
Do not enter any restricted areas or the laboratories unless instructed to do so.
If first aid is required:
The Collaboratorium team will provide building evacuation instructions in the event of a major incident.
In case of a medical emergency, immediately inform the on-site project manager, who will coordinate emergency assistance.
The emergency number to call is 112.
Beyond first aid…
Please remember to bring your own medication, if needed, to the course.
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 Barcelona.
In any case, the staff on site will assist you to get to the pharmacy and a doctor of your choice if necessary.
Wi-Fi is available on site.
Connect using the local network credentials, which will be provided upon arrival.
The eduroam network, a secure worldwide roaming access service for the international research and education community, is also available.
A nursing room is located on the same floor as the training room.
During the event, the Project Manager may be taking photos. If you would not like to appear in these, please inform the Project Manager.
‘’Lost and Found’’ items are kept at the registration desks until the end of the course.
Lockable storage spaces with magnetic locks will be made available to you during the course.
Barcelona offers a wide range of activities.
For an extensive list, please visit the official tourism office website.
The training venue is easily accessible by public transport. The Collaboratorium is accessible via metro lines 2 and 4.
Address:
Barcelona Collaboratorium for Modelling and Predictive Biology
Pasqual Maragall Foundation Building
Wellington, 30, 2nd floor
08005 Barcelona, Spain
Please find additional information including FAQs, terms and conditions and travelling to EMBL on our Information for Participants page.
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.
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.
While using the software during the course, please make sure you have nothing else using your bandwidth. We recommend using a wired connection.
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 conferences, 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.
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. 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:
Suspicious communications purportedly from, for or on behalf of EMBL should be reported to EMBL at the following email address sponsoring@embl.de.
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.
Date: 2 - 6 Feb 2026
Location: EMBL Heidelberg and Barcelona Collaboratorium
Venue: EMBL Heidelberg Advanced Training Centre and Barcelona Collaboratorium for Modelling and Predictive Biology (EMBL Barcelona - CRG)
Deadline(s):
Registration: 10 Nov 2025
Organisers:
Contact: Adéla Graf