Conference: Software in the life sciences: development, usability, sustainability

Event by Novo Nordisk Foundation Science Cluster

Conference: Software in the life sciences: development, usability, sustainability

The importance of software is often overlooked in the life sciences. This unconference puts software center-stage and focuses on software technologies rather than specific software-driven biological discoveries. In particular, the unconference will focus on the life cycle of research software and its current unsustainable state: code rots after a PhD student/postdoc leaves the lab, funding agencies prefer to invest in publishable output instead of IT infrastructure, and career incentives for senior researchers are not aligned with long term maintenance of software. The event seeks to engage you and others in the community to get creative and to start initiatives that tackle these challenges from the bottom-up. Escape your daily work and spend two days interacting with like-minded people to develop solutions and form alliances that will improve software sustainability at the Novo Nordisk Foundation research centers. The event is organised as an unconference, meaning that all the attendees together decide what the exact agenda will be at the conference. This gives you the opportunity to bring your experiences and expectations to help shape the event resulting in topics that are most relevant to all the attendees. Fundamental to research, software affects everyone and everything in the life sciences. Even small improvements to the sustainability of scientific software have the potential to dramatically accelerate the progress of life science research as a whole, and at the NNF research centers in particular.

23-26 March 2019

How to apply

Application is mandotory as there are limited spots for this event. The application form will require a short bio sketch and a paragraph motivation. Please note that this a private event for staff and researchers at NNF research centers only (Biobank, Biosustain, CBMR, CPR, Danstem). You can obtain the link to the application website through your center administration (communication staff or research coordinator) or ask Sophie Labrosse at sfeb@novo.dk.

The primary criteria for attendance are the commitment to participate actively and meaningfully in the discussions and activities at the unconference.

The aim is to create a relaxed atmosphere of free and open discussion and debate across boundaries. Participants are expected to contribute to this goal by active participation. Furthermore all participants are expected to stay for the entire duration of the conference, including the overnight stay at Favrholm Campus. This is important in order to create the opportunities and the time necessary for the participants to build trust and strong relations.

The organising committee will select participants based on the provided information.

This event is entirely free of charge. Only your transportation to and from Favrholm Campus is at your own expense. It is extremely important that you cancel with the organizers if necessary, so that we can give your spot to somebody else on the waiting list.