Australian BioCommons bioinformatics training program

In the era of ‘big’ biological data, developing sufficient core informatics competencies of bioscience researchers is considered to be one of most significant challenges facing this research community globally.

Australian BioCommons is committed to enabling this critical workforce transition and enabling life science research excellence by creating opportunities to develop transferable skills in bioinformatics and to learn how to use new platforms, tools, services and techniques. Monthly webinars and hands-on workshops uplift hundreds of participants and recorded resources are viewed by thousands.

The Australian BioCommons training team convenes the National Bioinformatics Training Cooperative and collaborates with the strong national network and strategic global partners to deliver practical and accessible bioinformatics training. We connect large organisations, small facilities, collaborative initiatives and individual experts to deliver community-scale training opportunities. 

BioCommons can support your event in a range of ways including co-hosting or sponsorship.

We welcome opportunities to enable events related to bioinformatics and/or research infrastructure for life sciences that benefit a national audience. Just as BioCommons forms partnerships to drive coordinated solutions to life science researchers’ problems, we support specialists from our community to create training resources and events, and partner with professional associations and event organisers as sponsors.

Our hybrid training methodology

Building upon training activities that we developed as part of the EMBL-ABR training programme, we developed a ‘hybrid’ approach to training that combines guidance from experienced trainers with the benefits of both webinar-style delivery and concurrent face-to-face hands-on practical exercises in classrooms. The method has become a key tool to ensure scalable and more equitable delivery of short-course bioinformatics training across Australia and was described in this practical how-to publication, Application of a bioinformatics training delivery method for reaching dispersed and distant trainees.

Get in touch to find out how we can help bring your training to a national audience via training@biocommons.org.au.