Archived Events 2025

This is for external opportunities only. If you are looking for previous Graduate School activities, please see our Events page.

January 2025

  • Introduction to Python for Biologists, an Edinburgh Genomics Training Course
    • Monday 20 to Friday 24 January.
    • The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh.
    • £480.
    • This workshop is aimed at complete beginners and assumes no prior programming experience. It gives an overview of the language with an emphasis on practical problem-solving, using examples and exercises drawn from various aspects of bioinformatics work. 
  • Coastal Futures Conference
    • Wednesday 29 to Thursday 30 January.
    • RGS, London.
    • £125.
    • Coastal Futures is the largest ocean conference of its kind in the UK and the 2025 edition will provide delegates with wide-ranging coverage of the critical current and future issues.
  • Marine Data 4 Ocean Health, a Copernicus Online Workshop
    • Wednesday 29 and Friday 31 January, 9.00 am-11.20 am.
    • Free!
    • The aim is to share applications of the Copernicus Marine Service products in ecosystem monitoring studies and to focus on the main marine and regional challenges. The workshop will cover a number of related topics, ranging from phytoplankton, coral reefs, oil spills and eutrophication.

February 2025

  • Synthetic Forever: White Suits, Fatbergs, and the Breathing Museum, a Centre for Energy Ethics Webinar
    • Tuesday 4 February, 3.00 pm.
    • Free!
    • Using the 1951 film The Man in the White Suit, which imagines the outfall from the invention of an indestructible synthetic fabric, as guiding voice from the past, this talk positions the London Museum fatberg as an unruly artefact unsettling the climate control of the museum, intervening in the false yet crucially maintained separation of outdoor and indoor climates in the museum.
  • Functional trait diversity, a Transmitting Science Online Training Course
    • Tuesday 4 to Thursday 13 February.
    • 470€ (~£393) early bird pricing until Saturday 30 November, 596€ (~£498) thereafter.
    • This course is focused on applying and interpreting indices of functional trait diversity, and related metrics of community trait structure, a key component of biodiversity that is becoming increasingly important to understand how communities might respond to environmental change and the consequences of these changes for ecosystem functionality.
  • Preparing for the academic job market, a jobs.ac.uk Webinar
    • Wednesday 5 February, 12.00 pm.
    • Free!
    • In this session, you will gain insights into the diverse career paths in academia, from lecturer to professor roles, research fellowships, and teaching-focused positions to professional services roles in areas such as innovation and knowledge transfer.
  • Introduction to Bayesian Inference in Practice, a Transmitting Science Online Training Course
    • Monday 17 to Friday 21 February.
    • 496€ (~£415) early bird pricing until Tuesday 31 December, 570€ (~£476) thereafter.
    • The course will outline the relevant concepts and basic theory, but the focus will be to learn how to do Bayesian inference in practice, including how to implement the most common algorithms to estimate parameters based on posterior probabilities, such as Markov Chain Monte Carlo samplers, and how to build hierarchical models.
  • Remote sensing data analysis and coding in R for ecology, a PR Statistics Online Training Course
    • Monday 17 to Friday 21 February.
    • £490.
    • This course mainly focuses on the application of free and open source algorithms to study ecological change in space and time by remotely sensed imagery. Particular emphasis will be given to: 1) remote sensing principles, 2) remotely sensed data gathering and analysis, 3) monitoring ecosystem change in space and time by remote sensing data.
  • Introduction to Distance Sampling, a University of St Andrews Training Course
    • Monday 17 to Friday 28 February.
    • £225.
    • Distance sampling concepts to be discussed include line transects, point transects, survey design, detection function models, estimation of uncertainty and its sources, stratification for variance reduction, and indirect (dung or nest) surveys.
    • Sign up by Tuesday 28 January.
  • 7th ScotMER Symposium
    • Tuesday 25 to Friday 28 February.
    • Stirling and online.
    • Free!
    • The Scottish Marine Energy Research (ScotMER) programme is a Scottish Government collaborative initiative that brings together; academia, industry, statutory nature conservation bodies, environmental non-governmental organisations and the Scottish Government (marine science, planning and licensing). This symposium will showcase ground-breaking research to improve the evidence base around how offshore renewable energy developments may affect our natural environment and other users of the sea.
  • Socio-Oceanography, a National Oceanography Centre Workshop
    • Wednesday 26 to Friday 28 February.
    • £120.
    • The 2025 Workshop will focus on four highlight topics bringing together a mix of natural and social scientists, each working towards producing an output such as opinion papers, funding proposals and innovative multidisciplinary forms of communication.
    • The deadline to apply is Saturday 7 December.

March 2025

  • Marine restoration: Policy and regulation, a Oceans and Coastal Futures Webinar
    • Tuesday 11 March, 12.00 pm.
    • Free!
    • In this seminar, a range of experts will share their experiences of navigating the marine policy and licensing landscape while developing and delivering marine restoration projects. Further discussion will highlight why these challenges exist, how they can be overcome, and where opportunities lie for improving the current system to support marine restoration activity.
  • Neurodiversity Celebration Week
    • Monday 17 to Friday 21 March.
    • Free!
    • A week of panel discussions with inspirational speakers from a range of backgrounds and professions. The discussions will all be focussing on key neurodiversity topics, and aim to educate while inspiring conversations about neurodiversity.
  • Scotland’s Nature Student Conference
    • Tuesday 18 to Wednesday 19 March.
    • Botanical Gardens, Edinburgh.
    • Free!
    • This is the 7th installment of the conference previously known as the Scottish Ecology, Environment and Conservation Conference, geared towards postgraduate students. It offers fantastic opportunities to present the very best of research work and to meet with government staff, agencies, NGOs and researchers keen to make the best use of excellent research.
    • Register by Friday 21 February.
  • Introduction to Machine Learning with R, a Transmitting Science Online Training Course
    • Friday 21 March to Friday 11 April.
    • 620€ (~£522) early bird pricing until Friday 31 January, 692€ (~£582) thereafter.
    • The aim of the course is to introduce participants to the main components for implementing Machine Learning in R using the {tidymodels} and {tidyverse} framework packages. By the end of the course, students will be able to perform the necessary tasks for ML such as defining the problem, prepare and pre-process data, and apply different ML such as Random Forests. 
  • SULSA Workshop x Science Entrepreneur Club Scotland Launch Mixer
    • Wednesday 26 March, 2.30 pm-7.00 pm.
    • Edinburgh.
    • Free!
    • ​SEC Scotland will be centred around creating a relaxed, safe and supportive environment for Scotland-based life science entrepreneurs, investors and academics to come together, socialise, discuss the industry, tackle common hardships, share advice and have a little fun.

April 2025

  • Introduction to Mixed Models, a BioSS Training Course
    • Tuesday 1 to Wednesday 2 April.
    • Edinburgh.
    • £300.
    • Mixed models are used when data have a complex structure with random variation occurring at different levels. REML provides a method to estimate how much variability is due to each level, and the extent to which factors and covariates of interest affect the outcome variables. 

  • 9th European Marine Board Forum
    • Wednesday 2 April.
    • Brussels, Belgium and online.
    • Free!
    • The forum will discuss ‘Addressing coastal and water resilience on the land-sea interface’, considering aspects such as policy and governance for the land-sea interface, pollution crossing the land-sea interface, and coastal adaptation and livability on the land-sea interface.
  • Introduction to Python for Biology, a Transmitting Science Online Training Course
    • Monday 7 to Wednesday 16 April.
    • 526€ (~£443) early bird pricing until Friday 31 January, 610€ (~£514) thereafter.
    • After completing this course, participants will be able to apply Python programming automation to their own research problems. While this course will focus on data analysis, participants will gain language-agnostic principles of programming, like automation with loops and encapsulation with functions, that will serve as best practices for their scientific computing.

  • Deep-sea knowledge for effective ocean management, an EMB Webinar
    • Friday 11 April, 1.00 pm UTC.
    • Free!
    • During this webinar, EMB will launch its Future Science Brief #12, titled “Deep Sea Research and Management Needs”. This brief addresses the critical need to increase our knowledge on the deep sea, an often-overlooked yet vital component of our global ecosystem and climate regulation.
  • Experimental Design and Analysis, a BioSS Training Course
    • Tuesday 15 to Wednesday 16 April.
    • Dundee.
    • £300.
    • This course covers the important topics in design and analysis, including randomisation, replication, blocking, factorial treatment structures, use of covariates and choice of design. Analysis of variance is used to interpret experimental results.
  • QGIS Essentials, a CIEEM Online Training Course
    • Monday 21 April to Friday 16 May.
    • From £150.
    • The course is suitable for beginners to GIS, those looking to refresh their skills, or migrate to QGIS software. The course will cover some essential skills an ecologist would need to confidently start using QGIS.
  • Introducing Mapping, Spatial Data and GIS, an Oxford University Online Training Course
    • Wednesday 23 April to Friday 4 July.
    • £385.
    • Investigate the power of maps and spatial data to document and illustrate local and global issues. Learn how to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to explore the world around you and share ideas. Apply GIS principles and tools to create your own maps from freely-available online spatial data.

May 2025

  • Marine Connections: from Seagrasses to Cetaceans, a CIEEM Webinar
    • Thursday 1 and Friday 2 May, 10.00 am-1.00 pm.
    • From £142.
    • This webinar split over two days aims to provide participants with the skills and understanding needed to recognise and identify salt tolerating plants, marine organisms, marine mammals and the complex connections and relationships that exist in the marine world. 
  • Evaluating species distribution models with R, a Transmitting Science Online Training Course
    • Tuesday 6 to Thursday 8 May.
    • 215€ (~£181) early bird pricing until Monday 31 March, 290€ (~£245) thereafter.
    • This short course will use R to compute a wide range of model evaluation metrics, encompassing discrimination, classification, explanatory power and calibration. It will also see different ways to validate models outside their training area, including spatial block cross-validation.
  • Association Mapping using R, a BioSS Training Course
    • Wednesday 7 May.
    • Dundee.
    • £150.
    • The course will introduce the basic concepts of Association Mapping. It will equip participants with the necessary information and software to conduct an Association Mapping Analysis on their own data, highlighting areas that need to be considered such as accounting for population structure and relationships between individuals. 
  • Practical use of Earth Observation Data in Research, a NERC Field Spectroscopy Facility and Earth Observation Data Analysis and AI Service Training Course
    • Tuesday 13 to Friday 16 May.
    • Leicester and online.
    • Free!
    • This course aims to provide researchers with the skills and confidence they need to choose, access and use Earth Observation (EO) data in their work. The course will cover how to select and download satellite data, how to collect in situ data with field spectrometers, and how to process EO data from UAV, aircraft and satellites so it is ready for analysis. Image classification and machine learning approaches for EO data will also be introduced. There will be an emphasis on practical sessions including using field spectrometers to collect reflectance spectra from targets and aerosol optical depth from photometers, and tutorials on how to process and visualise data from satellites.
    • Apply by Monday 14 April.
  • Analysing image data harnessing AI: A case studies of seabirds, penguins and seals monitoring, a University of Iceland Training Course
    • Thursday 15 to Thursday 22 May.
    • Iceland
    • Free!
    • This summer school will show you how to harness the power of AI, citizen science and new monitoring techniques including drones and camera traps as well as how to best analyse those datasets.
    • Contact SUPER for further information.
  • Grant Writing for Researchers, a SMMR Online Training Course
    • Tuesday 20 May, 1.00 pm-4.00 pm.
    • Free!
    • This course will cover all you need to know to write successful grant applications speedily and effectively. Offering lots practical tips and techniques, the session includes research councils and other grant-awarding bodies including philanthropic foundations, Fellowship applications, and collaborative applications. 
  • Using Bioacoustics for Field Survey, a CIEEM Training Course
    • Wednesday 21 May.
    • From £121.
    •  The training will introduce and explain a range of hardware, software and methodological approaches, that will allow attendees to understand how they might be able to use bioacoustics within their own practice. 
  • Crash course on Ecological Modelling, a CCMAR Training Course
    • Monday 26 to Wednesday 28 May.
    • Portugal.
    • 180€ (~£156).
    • Participants will gain hands-on experience with a modelling software (STELLA by Isee Systems) during the practical sessions. They will be encouraged to create conceptual diagrams of models tailored to their research interests. Additionally, they will learn how to mathematically translate the interconnections between model components and conduct initial simulations. 
  • Software Carpentry, a MASTS NEHM Forum Training Course
    • Tuesday 27 to Thursday 29 May.
    • St Andrews
    • Free!
    • You can choose which day(s) to attend depending on your interests/capabilities. It’s expected that most will choose to attend one or two days only (Day 1: Automating tasks with the Unix Shell and Version Control with Git, Day 2: Building Programs with Python, and/or Day 3: Intermediate Research Software Development).
    • Apply by Friday 2 May.
  • The Future of Marine Natural Capital Markets in Scotland, a MASTS Workshop
    • Wednesday 28 to Thursday 29 May.
    • Loch Lomond.
    • Free!
    • This interactive workshop will bring together researchers and practitioners to explore how Scotland’s coastal and marine science community can provide evidence to assess the feasibility, risks, and opportunities of natural capital markets. Building on an ongoing scoping review, we will co-develop a draft framework for translating Scotland’s Natural Capital Market Principles (2024) into the coastal and marine context. 
    • Submit EoI by Friday 28 March.

June 2025

  • Seascape Symposium 2025
    • Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 June.
    • London and online.
    • From £60.
    • Advancing science, policy and practice to reconnect coastal habitats for delivery of global nature restoration targets.
  • Practise your pr​esentation skills​, a SIIECS Seminar Series
    • Tuesday 10 June, 12.00 pm BST.
    • Free!
    • The ​online seminar series provides an informal and supportive forum for especially ECRs to practise giving presentations. During the session, presenters receive constructive feedback while using the opportunity to get rid of nerves before their actual presentation. ​​
  • Nutrients in Aquaculture and Fisheries, a European Sustainable Phosphorous Platform Workshop
    • Tuesday 10 to Thursday 12 June.
    • Bergen, Norway and online.
    • Free online and 181.50€ (~£153) in-person.
    • This workshop, with partners in Norway and with UNEP uPcycle, is on nutrient management in aquaculture feed, seafood processing and fish sludge valorisation, covering nutrient flows, environmental best practice, phosphorus recycling, regulatory challenges. 
    • Register by Friday 6 June.
  • Visual Skills for Communicating your Science, a Transmitting Science Online Training Course
    • Every Tuesday from 10 to 24 June.
    • Early bird pricing of 330€ (~£278) until Saturday 31 May, 420€ (~£353) thereafter.
    • This course will provide you with the necessary skills to create effective visual materials to communicate science, and a toolkit to improve your designs at the service of scientific dissemination and outreach. This course is designed to enhance the attendees’ ability to use the power of images for scicomm.
  • So you want to spin-out?, a SULSA Webinar
    • Wednesday 11 June, 12.30 pm-2.00 pm.
    • Free!
    • Learn about different types of investors, what they’re looking for, and how to prepare for conversations with funders. Ideal for anyone considering launching a company.
  • Structures in the Marine Environment Conference
    • Monday 23 to Tuesday 24 June.
    • Edinburgh.
    • From £33.
    • Day 1 is centred around the Value of Marine Artificial Structures, and on Day 2 meet science/policy experts for talks, panel discussions and a workshop about sustainable management of Marine Artificial Structures, considering the value of biodiversity and nature associated with the structures, as well as the pressing issues relating to their future decommissioning…and beyond.
    • The abstract deadline is Monday 28 April.
  • Advances in Marine Biogeochemistry Conference
    • Monday 23 and Tuesday 24 June.
    • Edinburgh Climate Change Institute.
    • From £45.
    • The conference provides a technical forum for students, educators, researchers and governmental and industrial partners with shared interests in marine biogeochemistry.
    • The abstract and registration deadline is Monday 2 June.
  • Revolution VI: Quantitative ecology and spatial prediction of species distribution, a CCMAR Training Course
    • Monday 23 to Wednesday 25 June.
    • Portugal.
    • 180€ (~£156).
    • Main topics include basic R programming and automating tasks, preparing statistical reports, analysis of vector and raster cartography, connecting with GRASS and QGIS, diversity and multivariate analysis, ordination and gradient analyses, Ecological Niche Factor Analysis, habitat suitability maps, metapopulation simulations, construction, optimization and evaluation of linear models, representation and spatial interpretation, and construction, optimization and evaluation of non-linear models.
  • Macroecology in R: Exploring Biodiversity Patterns at Large Scales, a Transmitting Science Online Training Course
    • Monday 23 to Friday 27 June.
    • Early bird pricing of 426€ (~£358) until Saturday 31 May, 520€ (~£438) thereafter.
    • Students will learn to manipulate large geographic databases in R, grid-map biodiversity in various forms, conduct analyses of biogeographic regionalization incorporating evolutionary history, and estimate phylogenetic turnover and historical dispersal in geographic space. The practical sessions also cover common metrics in community phylogenetics and diversification, focusing on large geographic scales.
  • Scotland’s New National Islands Plan, a Scottish Government Online Event
    • Tuesday 24 June, 11.00 am-12.00 pm.
    • Free!
    • This session offers a chance to explore the results of the public consultation to inform a review of the first ever National Islands Plan and understand how they are guiding the development of the document. It’s also an opportunity to learn more about the proposed priorities and themes for the new Plan, allowing you to share your thoughts and shape its content.
  • 3rd Emerging Bioacousticians’ Day
    • Tuesday 24 to Thursday 26 June.
    • Normandy, France.
    • 20€ (~£17).
    • This event represents a unique opportunity to bring together students, PhD students and researchers at the start of their careers in the field of bioacoustics.
    • The abstract deadline is Sunday 6 April.
  • The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life Conference
    • Sunday 29 June to Friday 4 July.
    • Prague, Czech Republic.
    • CZK 8,300 (~£277).
    • This international conference promises to be a dynamic forum where scientists, regulators, and representatives from industry and environmental groups from around the world will converge to see formal presentations on the effects of anthropogenic sounds on aquatic life. 
    • The abstract deadline is Friday 28 February
  • The LifeWatch ERIC Biodiversity & Ecosystem eScience Conference
    • Monday 30 June to Thursday 3 July.
    • Crete, Greece.
    • Free!
    • The Conference brings together researchers, policymakers, and experts to tackle the Triple Planetary Crisis (climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution) through eScience and European Research Infrastructures.
  • Statistical analyses with R, a Transmitting Science Online Training Course
    • Monday 30 June to Friday 4 July.
    • 470€ (~£389) early bird pricing until Monday 31 March, 540€ (~£477) thereafter.
    • The course is given in four modules covering exploratory data analysis, univariate and multivariate statistical techniques and a final discussion session where students will work and discuss their projects.
  • Harper Adams University & Royal Entomological Society Entomology Summer School
    • Monday 30 June to Friday 4 July.
    • Shropshire.
    • Free! Includes food, accommodation, and travel reimbursement.
    • The course provides foundational skills for ecological and evolutionary research in entomology, with a particular emphasis on field sampling techniques, insect identification, and essential laboratory skills such as insect culturing and specimen preparation and curation.
    • The deadline to apply is Thursday 8 May.

July 2025

  • 12th PRIMaRE Conference
    • Wednesday 2 to Thursday 3 July.
    • University of Bristol.
    • Free!
    • The annual PRIMaRE conference provides a forum for exchanging the latest research and development and fostering collaborations in Marine Renewable Energy.
    • Abstract deadline is Sunday 30 March.
  • European Marine Biology Symposium
    • Sunday 6 to Wednesday 9 July.
    • Bodø, Norway.
    • 300€ (~£251) early bird pricing until Monday 31 March, 350€ (~£293) thereafter.
    • This is the 58th annual EMBS, continuing an tradition since the 1960s to bring early career and experienced researchers together in a relaxed environment to share knowledge, know-how and thinking about marine biology and related sciences.
    • Abstract deadline is Friday 28 February.
  • Ocean Justice and Disability, a Ocean and Coastal Futures Webinar
    • Monday 7 July, 12.00 pm-1.15 pm.
    • Free!
    • This webinar will explore what “access” to the ocean sector means to different communities, how a lack of access to the ocean can be a barrier to both ocean action, and to individuals wanting to experience the many benefits the ocean can provide.
  • ReMeMaRe Conference
    • Wednesday 9 to Thursday 10 July.
    • Scarborough and online.
    • From £45.
    • The conference will bring together restoration practitioners, government bodies, environmental non-governmental organisations, industry and businesses, with a shared vision to restore our estuarine, coastal and marine environment. 
  • International Conference on Marine Protected Areas in Marine Spatial Planning
    • Wednesday 9 to Saturday 12 July.
    • Bodø, Norway.
    • 120€ (~£100) early bird pricing until Thursday 3 April, 180€ (~£151) thereafter.
    • Explore the latest updates and scientific advances in marine biodiversity conservation at the MPA in MSP Conference. The conference will cover topics such as MPA planning, climate change effects on marine biodiversity, blue carbon science, and spatial planning benefits. Immediately before the conference the organisers are hosting the 58th European Marine Biology Symposium.
    • Abstract deadline is Monday 3 February.
  • 2025 Ocean Observatories Initiative Facility Board Summer School on Acoustics
    • Monday 14 to Friday 18 July.
    • University of Washington, Seattle.
    • Free!
    • This summer school is focused on the access, analysis, and interpretation of acoustics data and introducing complementary oceanographic data available through the National Science Foundation Ocean Observatories Initiative (NSF OOI). This week-long, intensive program will feature a mix of targeted lectures, hands-on tutorials, and practical exercises working with real-world examples and NSF OOI data products.
    • Apply by 4.59 am UTC Wednesday 19 March

July 2025

  • Implementing GIS Standards for BNG Assessments, a CIEEM Webinar
    • Monday 21 July, 12.30 pm-1.30 pm.
    • Free!
    • The introduction of BNG legislation marks a significant shift in environmental planning. Yet, its success is being compromised by inconsistencies in GIS data submissions and the absence of standardised requirements. This webinar will introduce the FRIDAS® checklist—a practical framework for improving GIS data quality in BNG submissions.
  • Graphs with R’s ggplot, a Transmitting Science Online Training Course
    • Monday 28 to Wednesday 30 July.
    • 277€ (~£234) early bird pricing until Wednesday 30 April, 350€ (~£295) thereafter.
    • This course will teach the core elements (data, aesthetics, and geometries) as well as more advanced topics of information communication and styling (annotation, themes, and facets). Class exercises will cover common visualisation tasks such as rescaling axes, managing legends, reordering categories, and highlighting data elements of special interest.

August 2025

  • The Arctic Ocean Climate System, a Swedish Polar Research Secretariat Expedition
    • Saturday 9 August to Friday 19 September.
    • Sweden to Canada.
    • Berth and travel expenses covered!
    • The course combines practical work with observations and measurements in defined work packages with a curriculum of lectures covering the coupled Arctic climate system, and it will also allow for the enhancement of the participant’s own research projects. As an Early Career Scientist, you will participate in the data acquisition and ideally use the collected material and data in your research.
    • Apply by Monday 20 January.
  • SETAC 13th Young Environmental Scientists Meeting
    • Monday 11 to Thursday 14 August.
    • York.
    • Pricing TBD.
    • The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is dedicated to advancing environmental science and science-informed decision-making. This year’s YES meeting theme “Between Grinding Gears – Students and Early Career Scientists under Pressure,” emphasises the increasing pressures faced by ECRs in today’s rapidly changing world.
    • Abstract and grant deadline is Tuesday 22 April.
    • Register by Tuesday 1 July.

September 2025

November 2025

March 2026