Cloud-SPAN
Cloud-based High Performance Computing for
SPecialised ANalyses on environmental 'omics
Cloud-SPAN trains researchers, and the research software engineers that support them, to run specialised analyses on cloud-based high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure. Cloud-SPAN is developing highly accessible resources which integrate with existing Carpentries courses.
We offer Diversity Scholarships to cover travel and/or childcare to enable members of underrepresented groups to participate in online or in-person training.
Click to read our blog post investigating these challenges in more depth!
Software installation for data analysis is complex and involves multiple dependencies.
HPC architectures vary between institutions and accessibility is a lottery.
Metagenomic analyses involve large datasets and take a long time to run.
Big data 'omics analyses using HPC are not core skills for researchers and have a steep learning curve.
Our Solution
Click to read our blog post explaining our solutions in more depth!
We use cloud-based containerised instances with pre-installed software which are scalable and easy to access.
We deliver high quality training with a low barrier to participation - absolutely zero previous experience needed!
Our Approach
We offer training in both self-study and workshop formats, with a mix of online and in-person teaching.
We are building a community of practice: a community of bioinformaticians who can support one another.
We are following open science principles and making our resources FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable).
Cloud-SPAN was established in March 2021 initially as a 2-year collaboration between the University of York and The Software Sustainability Institute funded by the UKRI innovation scholars award, project reference: MR/V038680/1. Additional funding from the Natural Environment Research Council, project references: NE/X006999/1 and NE/Y003527/1 allows the project to be extended until January 2024.
