The ELIXIR-IT Training Programme: an overview of activities, collaborations and strategies

ELIXIR-IT, the Italian Node of ELIXIR, gathers most of the leading Italian research institutions in the field of life sciences. It consists of a vast and heterogeneous community of scientists that develop, maintain and provide a large set of resources and services, such as databases, software tools, training, computing power and data storage. The ELIXIR-IT Training Platform (TP), thanks to a team of qualified and motivated researchers and training experts, designs, develops and delivers activities closely in line with the ELIXIR training programme established in Europe, taking charge of the entire management process. In particular, the ELIXIR-IT TP co-leads the "Train the Trainer" programme within the ELIXIR Project Plan 2019-2023, and actively promotes Software and Data Carpentry workshops and the building of a "The Carpentries" community within ELIXIR. The TP collaborates with the ELIXIR Tool Platform on defining strategies for the adoption of best practices for research software development, including drafting a Software Management Plan for the ELIXIR community; it also participates in several projects with other ELIXIR Nodes. In order to meet international and local needs, the ELIXIR-IT TP provides training for both researchers, developers and trainers, thus promoting the growth of a community of highly qualified scientists and instructors, who can transmit their bioinformatics knowledge, skills and abilities with efficiency and effectiveness, in a virtuous cycle of sharing with the entire scientific community. This approach, which takes advantage of state-of-the-art teaching and learning techniques, has led to the establishment of a successful training programme, which includes practical short-term intensive courses, workshops, bio-hackathons, "Train the Trainer" and eLearning events, as well as a series of activities for high-school students and teachers, actions for the industry sector, and a wide range of scientific dissemination initiatives. All activities are monitored through quality and impact indicators and assessment strategies, the outcomes of which are helping identify strengths and weaknesses of the ELIXIR-IT training programme. Future challenges include scaling up face-to-face and eLearning training offerings whilst ensuring their full sustainability and ever-increasing quality.