title: Bioinformatics Training Network (BTN): a community resource for bioinformatics trainers.
abstract: Funding bodies are increasingly recognizing the need to provide graduates and researchers with access to short intensive courses in a variety of disciplines, in order both to improve the general skills base and to provide solid foundations on which researchers may build their careers. In response to the development of 'high-throughput biology', the need for training in the field of bioinformatics, in particular, is seeing a resurgence: it has been defined as a key priority by many Institutions and research programmes and is now an important component of many grant proposals. Nevertheless, when it comes to planning and preparing to meet such training needs, tension arises between the reward structures that predominate in the scientific community which compel individuals to publish or perish, and the time that must be devoted to the design, delivery and maintenance of high-quality training materials. Conversely, there is much relevant teaching material and training expertise available worldwide that, were it properly organized, could be exploited by anyone who needs to provide training or needs to set up a new course. To do this, however, the materials would have to be centralized in a database and clearly tagged in relation to target audiences, learning objectives, etc. Ideally, they would also be peer reviewed, and easily and efficiently accessible for downloading. Here, we present the Bioinformatics Training Network (BTN), a new enterprise that has been initiated to address these needs and review it, respectively, to similar initiatives and collections.
authors: EMBL Outstation, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK. vicky@ebi.ac.uk
authors: Maria V
authors: MV
authors: Schneider
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Walter
authors: Marie-Claude
authors: MC
authors: Blatter
authors: James
authors: J
authors: Watson
authors: Michelle D
authors: MD
authors: Brazas
authors: Kristian
authors: K
authors: Rother
authors: Aidan
authors: A
authors: Budd
authors: Allegra
authors: A
authors: Via
authors: Celia W G
authors: CW
authors: van Gelder
authors: Joachim
authors: J
authors: Jacob
authors: Pedro
authors: P
authors: Fernandes
authors: Tommi H
authors: TH
authors: Nyrönen
authors: Javier
authors: J
authors: De Las Rivas
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Blicher
authors: Rafael C
authors: RC
authors: Jimenez
authors: Jane
authors: J
authors: Loveland
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: McDowall
authors: Phil
authors: P
authors: Jones
authors: Brendan W
authors: BW
authors: Vaughan
authors: Rodrigo
authors: R
authors: Lopez
authors: Teresa K
authors: TK
authors: Attwood
authors: Catherine
authors: C
authors: Brooksbank
mesh_terms: D019058:Community Networks; D019295:Computational Biology / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D012108:Research Personnel / Q000193:education