The E. A. Milne Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Hull is hosting the STFC Introductory Summer School for Research Computing in Solar Physics and Astronomy from 2nd to 7th September 2018. The Summer School is aimed at (but not restricted to) PhD students in astrophysics and solar physics. We will use the Python language, which is fast becoming the de facto standard in scientific computing, particularly in astronomy and space physics. Python’s simple, readable syntax and thriving developer community make it an excellent choice of first language for beginners. However, the principles we will be teaching are language-agnostic and will give the students a good understanding of how to develop and maintain high-quality software in any language. This summer school will consist mostly of practical sessions, allowing the students to quickly put into use the concepts they are being taught. This will be combined with a number of invited talks and specialist sessions. The programme is now available here http://www.milne.hull.ac.uk/stfc-summer-school-2018/programme/.
As this will be a small summer school (~30 students), we expect to be over-subscribed. Therefore we are not accepting people primarily on a first come, first served basis, unlike other similar schools. Instead we aim to select attendees from the pool of applicants once all applications have been received. To register, please complete the following short questionnaire https://goo.gl/forms/k3hRcp4mIO2DHXXe2, which will allow us to select the most suitable participants.
Participants for this summer school will be selected using an algorithm, which will use questionnaire answers as input. One of the aims of this process is to help increase the diversity of participants by reducing bias in the selection process. A description and demonstration of the software used for this process can be found here https://goo.gl/gYFQ9v. In accordance with STFC rules, priority will be given to STFC funded candidates with a number of additional places now allocated for non-STFC candidates should the demand be too high.
The deadline for applications is now July 13, 2018 with the results of selection to be made available to candidates shortly thereafter. Please contact Dr Sergei Zharkov (S.Zharkov@hull.ac.uk) if you have any questions.