Will more events be added to the schedule?
Yes, we will add more events throughout the year. Please keep an eye on our Outreach Events and social media pages for more information.
When are applications to participate in a workshop available?
The apply button will be activated to take you to the application form at least 6 weeks before the scheduled event.
When will I know if I am accepted for a workshop?
Accepted applicants will be notified 2 weeks before the event date.
Why are spots for some events capped or limited?
Our events are designed to provide the best possible participant experience, learning opportunity and interactivity. Thus, the number of spots in workshops and codeathons are capped based on curricular requirements and technical limitations.
How do you decide who is accepted?
These events are designed for education, training, and participation of researchers and educators at various career stages. We include participants who have the appropriate subject matter background and technical experience for a specific event. We also include those who have the highest likelihood of using the event content to support their current and future work.
What time does the event start?
As we are an agency of the U.S. government, we schedule our events to make sure that people in the United States are reasonably able to attend. However, we welcome people from all over the world to join in! We provide information on times for each of our events on it’s listing page, for example all of our webinars begin at 12noon and workshops begin at 1:00pm Eastern Time (ET). If you live in a different time zone and would like to figure out what time the workshop starts in your local area, please consider using a time zone converter before you apply.
Will I be able to get a certificate, diploma or some kind of documentation if I participate in an NCBI event?
NCBI workshops are the only events for which we provide the opportunity to get a certificate of completion. The instructions for how to obtain one are provided to participants during the event and are available for approximately a week after the event.
I missed or was not able to apply for an event by the deadline, what can I do?
Unfortunately, after the deadline we will not be able to accommodate special requests for inclusion. However the materials created for or during an event may be helpful for you, so just after the event we add a link to provide access, such as workshop materials including a video recording, webinar recording, or codeathon team repositories. On our Outreach Events page, we maintain a list of all, including past, NCBI webinars, workshops, codeathons, and other outreach activities. Feel free to browse the list or search by keyword or event type and explore what is available!
What type of computer set-up do I need for online events?
Our webinars, workshops and codeathons require you to have stable internet connection with a modern computer and an up-to-date web browser. Most of our events will be run using the video conferencing platform Zoom Webinar. For some tips about this platform, please refer to Zoom’s Support Center.
What do you recommend to be able to fully participate in interactive workshops?
Our workshops are intended to provide hands-on experiences for participants, so we encourage you to follow along with guided demos and try out active-learning exercises during the event. Many users have mentioned that they are comfortable shifting between the Zoom Webinar video window and a web browser tab to work on exercises using the live NCBI website on a single monitor. Some participant have mentioned that having access to two “screens” is easier for them to be able to watch the instruction while working on the exercises. If you have access to only one computer monitor, you may want to consider viewing the presentation on a tablet or smartphone while using your laptop or desktop computer for the hands-on exercises. Some people have told us that worked well for them!