About

TRAINING at VIB provides an overview of all training courses organized by VIB. We offer scientific and technical skills courses to help VIB and non-VIB researchers to excel as a scientist in increasingly interdisciplinary and fast-evolving times. We are convinced that next to being an excellent scientist, being a great people and project manager, having clear communication and presentation skills, and many other soft skills are equally important in one’s career. TRAINING at VIB gives the opportunity to scientists and support staff to put together a personal, high-quality training program tailored to each individual career path and ambition.

To the courses

TRAINING at VIB consists of four main categories: Science, Skills, Bioinformatics & Coaching.

• Our VIB SCIENCE TRAINING events aim to provide VIB and non-VIB researchers and technicians a solid scientific background and updates about esearch fields and state-of-the-art technologies. At these events, excellent scientists give training on how to incorporate the newest tools and technologies into the research. VIB SCIENCE training also provides young scientists with a forum for networking. To stimulate interaction with peers and provide opportunities for meeting role models, we organize meet-the-expert lunches, ask-the-trainer panel discussions, networking drinks, etc.
• The VIB SKILLS TRAINING courses are there to help scientists in mastering topics outside the boundaries of pure scientific research, such as in scientific writing, oral presentations, writing grant proposals, preparing for a grant interview, image processing and editing. VIB SKILLS TRAINING also provides courses on the ins and outs of technology transfer, on research ethics and on project management. In other words, VIB SKILLS training is there to enhance researchers’ repertoire of practical skills and become an all-around scientist.
• To support our scientists in the analysis of their data, VIB Bioinformatics Core organizes a variety of practical BIOINFORMATICS training sessions. The sessions are aimed at teaching scientists how to retrieve, manipulate and employ statistical methods to analyze biological datasets that are becoming increasingly larger and more complex thanks to technologies such as next generation sequencing, large scale mass spectrometry and others. VIB offers basic and advanced training in programming, statistics, database management and the use of bioinformatics software to analyze and interpret sequencing, structural, transcriptomics and proteomics data.
• The training category COACHING provides a program that introduces our established group leaders and postdoctoral scientists to the world of people management, leadership, problem solving, communicating, etc. To support our PhD students and postdocs to take the next step in their career, we offer career guidance and career counseling. Career counseling sessions are also open to technical and administrative collaborators at VIB to discuss urgent career questions. Additionally, we organize personal effectiveness coaching, to ameliorate self-management in terms of effectiveness, efficiency and motivation.  

If you think of interesting topics that you would like to get training on that are no part yet of our Training program, please contact training@vib.be and we will look at the different options for you.

We look forward to welcoming you at our VIB TRAINING courses in the future!

Geneviève Sachem (Training Assistant) & Joke Baute (Training & Development Manager)

Janick Mathys (Training Coordinator), Bruna Piereck (Elixir Training Coordinator) & Alexander Botzki (Lead Technology Training, Science Informatics Solution, ELIXIR Belgium Training Coordination)