FAQ
Q: Who is this hackathon for?
A: This hackathon is open to forward-thinking paleoclimate researchers who want to leverage the emerging cloud-based computational ecosystem in Python, particularly Pyleoclim, Xarray and the rest of the scientific Python stack, to advance their own scientific goals. Attendance will be limited to 15 scholars, with priority given to US-based applicants, ECRs and people from groups traditionally underrepresented in the geosciences. We anticipate that this will mostly attract advanced graduate students and postdocs.
Q: What is the format?
A: The workshop is in-person and will run for 4 days (June 20-23 2023), during which we will alternate between lectures, demos and group coding sessions. Collaboration will be encouraged at every level, and we will select attendees with a mix of interests/expertise to maximize intellectual cross-pollination. Participants will present on their research progress on the last day, and collaborations are expected to continue far beyond the workshop.
Q: Do I need to know Python to attend this hackathon?
A: Yes, that is non-negotiable. Basic familiarity with Pythia foundations, Python for the paleosciences, and Pyleoclim, will be necessary to make progress on your research. Get started now if you must!
Q: What do I need to bring?
A: a science plan, a toothbrush, a swimsuit, and some data to work with. A change of clothes and a beach towel won’t go amiss.
Q: How much will NSF cover?
A: NSF can only support US-based applicants. Candidates from outside the US are heartily welcome, but will need to find their own sources of funding. For US-based candidates, we will do our best to cover everyone’s travel and lodging expenses, but cannot know precisely how much we will give each participant. If $ is an issue, please let us know in your application. Also, as a courtesy to fellow applicants, we expect you to be responsive to communications and let us know if you need to cancel your participation at any point so we can apportion funds to other participants in need.
Q: What are the technical requirements?
A: You will be using the LinkedEarth research hub, a cloud-based JuyterLab server, so no local installation of the packages and Python will be required. However, it may be helpful for you to have a local installation of Python/Pyleoclim to try things out before the workshop.
Q: How do I register for the workshop?
A: Please fill out this form by March 19th, 2023.
Q: Will I be working alone?
A: No, this a team-building exercise as much as a coding rite of passage!
Q: What will I get out of this?
A: The goal is to bring your research to the next level, by learning how to use advanced techniques that you previously thought beyond your reach, or learning to apply methods to a much wider array of datasets than you previously thought possible. You will also meet fellow researchers at various career stages, hopefully making lifelong friendships and building your professional network. Finally, we expect the workshop to result in publications in a special issue of a journal, involving as many participants as possible.
Q: Do I need to have attended a previous PaleoHack edition?
A: This is not mandatory, but will certainly help you.
Q: What if I love Pyleoclim so much I can’t stop using it?
A: that’s a good problem to have. If you really love working with LiPD and Pyleoclim, we’ll make it easy for you to keep using those tools after the workshop, either on your personal computer (a decent laptop should suffice) or in the Cloud.
Q: OK, I’m sold. What happens next?
A: Once you have registered, the organizers will review applications and expect to make decisions by the end of March. If you are selected, you will be asked to:
- make timely travel bookings to minimize cost
- do a little background reading
- create/share a GitHub account with us
This is to make sure you can hit the ground running on June 20th.
Q: My application was not accepted. What did I do wrong?
A: You did nothing wrong! There are many possible reasons, but in the past the lead causes of rejection have been:
- rationale for attending is not sufficiently articulated: You need to explain why it will advance your scientific career to do this. Vague responses to the questionnaires will be dismissed. Response such as “I want to learn Python” also often lead to a rejection. This is not a Python short course. You need to demonstrate how this training will apply to your research in paleoclimatology or related fields.
- too many people from the same research group. While we are honored that some PIs are encouraging their entire labs to apply, we strive to balance opportunities between universities/countries/continents. Therefore, we’ll take a maximum of 2 people from the same research group per edition.
- minimum requirements not met: as written earlier, we think the training is pretty good, but it cannot perform miracles. A basic threshold of knowledge about paleoclimate data and Python is an absolute minimum.
If you don’t get in on the first try, you likely will on the next round. Persist!