Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Are you interested in becoming a certified instructor to teach the computing, software, and data skills that facilitate open and reproducible research?

Through generous funding from Magdalen College, Reproducible Research Oxford (RROx) has established an institutional membership between the University of Oxford and The Carpentries. The Carpentries is a non-profit, community-led organisation, which specialises in teaching Software, Data, or Library skills to researchers across disciplines, in an inclusive environment.

As part of the institutional membership, we are able to offer training for members of the collegiate University to qualify as instructors for The Carpentries. The training involves attendance of a 16-hour online event, followed by a simple check-out process. Certified instructors are then able to help deliver Software, Data, or Library Carpentry workshops, for example by organising an event for their research group or department. We expect newly trained instructors to be involved in delivery of at least one workshop at Oxford within 12 months of completing the training.

We are able to offer a limited number of places on the instructor training free of charge, or subsided, to members of the collegiate University (indicatively, on the order of 10 places free of charge). The UK Reproducibility Network (UKRN) is generously funding up to an additional 6 places free of charge for University members based at Medical Research Council (MRC) Units (one place per Unit). 

The cost of one place on the instructor training is estimated at $1,000 (+ 20% VAT). If you wish to secure a place, and you have funding available to cover the cost in full, please contact the RROx Coordinator, Dr Malika Ihle (malika.ihle@anthro.ox.ac.uk), as soon as possible. Similarly, do get in touch if you have funding available for members of your unit to join the training. For example, you or your line manager may have access to a training budget that can be used for this purpose; if you are a student, you may have access to training funds via your programme, College, or Department.

If you have partial funding to cover the cost of the training, or no funding, please read the information below and fill out this application form. If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with the RROx Coordinator, Dr Malika Ihle (malika.ihle@anthro.ox.ac.uk). And please share widely!

Important dates

Application deadline: 31 March 2021

Applicants notified: review of applications will begin on 15 March, and applicants will be notified by the end of April 2021.

Instructor training: Those offered a place are encouraged to attend the online training as soon as possible, from April 2021. Participation for the whole duration of the training is required. This 16-hour event can take place over 2, 4, or 8 days. Two sessions are provided each month, and new dates are shared every quarter. Please see the training calendar here for upcoming sessions.

Workshop delivery: We expect newly trained instructors to be involved in delivery of at least one Carpentries workshop at Oxford within one year of completing the training.

Eligibility criteria

This call is aimed at postgraduate research students, research staff or fellows, and research support staff from any department, who expect to be based at Oxford at least through the end of September 2022.

 

Selection criteria

Places funded in full, or subsidised, are limited and they will be allocated in line with the goal to build a sustainable community of instructors based at Oxford. Criteria include:

  • career stage, motivations, and experience (i.e. balance between early-career researchers interested in building a community of peers, and permanent University staff already involved in training);
  • representation across Divisions (i.e. balance between discipline with high demand for training in computing skills, and disciplines with limited training opportunities in this area);
  • previous involvement with Reproducible Research Oxford and/or with The Carpentries (both favoured, but not necessary);
  • a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, to ensure that all future workshop participants are able to access training in a welcoming environment.

We warmly encourage members of the University who identify with groups that have been historically excluded from computer science and related fields (e.g. women, people of colour and/or from ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ+ community).


Click here to access the online application form.