Seasonal School on Data Management in Biodiversity and Environmental Science

Acquire in-depth Research Data Management knowledge in just one week!

NFDI4Biodiversity and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research iDiv present the fourth Seasonal School on Data Management in Biodiversity and Environmental Science from 5 to 9 October 2026. The course is online, in English, and participation is free of charge.

We offer cutting-edge skills and knowledge essential for handling scientific data throughout their life cycle. The intensive five-day program introduces participants to fundamental and advanced workflows and tools in research data management (RDM) – specifically tailored to boost your academic career and meet today's funding requirements.

Participants will follow the entire life cycle of research data and learn how to find, access, collect, integrate, clean, visualize, and publish data. Using the GFBio DMP Tool, attendees will create a Data Management Plan (DMP) and map local plant occurrences with a digital fieldwork app. They will also integrate and clean datasets from repositories like GBIF and platforms like PlantHub, utilize Jupyter and R for data analysis and visualization, and learn how to publish data in repositories such as PANGAEA.

Renowned experts from universities, data centers, and research institutions will guide participants through essential RDM aspects, including handling spatial and taxonomical data, integrating diverse data sources, and navigating legal considerations. The course features highly interactive sessions with hands-on exercises and opportunities to network with peers and experts.

The program emphasizes the use of Jupyter Notebooks as a versatile RDM tool and development environment, suitable for interdisciplinary work by combining multiple programming languages.

Join us to learn...

• How to create a data management plan
• How to use Jupyter in combination with R (and Python) as working environment and Quarto to create reproducible content
• How to integrate and clean data from different sources
• How to set up reproducible workflows for data processing and analysis
• How to publish data according to the FAIR principles
• ... and about legal aspects of handling and sharing data

Please note that spaces for our Seasonal School are limited. Priority will be given to members of the iDiv Graduate School and to doctoral researchers from NFDI4Biodiversity partners, but participants from all institutions are welcome to apply. Participants will receive a certificate of attendance upon successful completion.

Prerequisites

Participants need at least basic programming experience in R (e.g., knowing how to load data and run simple scripts). Python knowledge is recommended. To help you prepare, we provide a list of required software installations and accounts, as well as recommended training materials to easily reach the required level of data handling skills here.

For more details and to register follow the link to the event in the side panel.

• Fees: Free of charge (no registration/attendance fees)
• Registration opens: 29 June 2026
• Registration closes: 30 August 2026 (23:59 CEST)

More about our Seasonal Schools

Are you interested in more information about our Seasonal Schools? You can find the concept and published training materials from previous Seasonal Schools here.