Scaling ELIXIR’s training capacity
Training is central to ELIXIR’s mission: it enables life scientists to use ELIXIR’s services effectively and ensures that technical and scientific staff across the infrastructure have the skills needed for operational excellence. As demand for bioinformatics, data stewardship and open science training continues to grow, the Train the Trainer project focuses on expanding ELIXIR’s training capacity by equipping more people to design and deliver high-quality courses.
The project builds on ELIXIR’s strong training community and its longstanding collaboration with GOBLET. It strengthens national training programmes, supports the development of new instructors and ensures that training provision keeps pace with emerging scientific, technical and policy needs.
Project objectives
Train-the-Trainer aims to sustain and grow ELIXIR’s community of instructors by refreshing and extending the core Train-the-trainer curriculum, supporting a more coordinated approach across Nodes and providing opportunities for instructors to learn from one another. A key part of the project is the development of a mentorship programme for new trainers, helping them build confidence in course design, delivery and evaluation.
The project will design and pilot new training modules tailored to ELIXIR’s needs, particularly around FAIR digital assets, workflows, software, federated data infrastructures and other emerging areas. These modules will be reusable across Nodes and, where appropriate, linked to TeSS to increase visibility and accessibility. Through these activities, Train the Trainer helps Nodes meet national training needs while aligning training content and standards across the ELIXIR community.
Project outcomes
Train the Trainer will strengthen ELIXIR’s Europe-wide network of instructors, enabling more Nodes to deliver excellent training. It will provide updated curricula, new training modules and a structured mentorship system that supports the long-term development of trainers. By investing in the people who train others, the project contributes directly to ELIXIR’s ambitions to give all users access to training, strengthen national training programmes and ensure that technical and scientific staff have the skills needed for operational excellence and impact.
Co-leads
- Jessica Lindvall
- Patricia Palagi
- Lisanna Paladin
- Krzysztof Poterlowicz
- Katarzyna Kamieniecka
- Alexia Cardona
- Allegra Via
- Loredana Le Pera
- Gil Poiares-Oliveira
- Inês Chaves
- Erin Calhoun
- Brane Leskošek
- Alexander Botzki
