A Summer School for Automated Monitoring of Insects
AI and deep learning are transforming research in ecology and entomology, but starting to use and developing these methods – and applying them to real-world problems – can be daunting. InsectAI ACCESS empowers early-career researchers to leverage state-of-the-art imaging techniques, AI and other methods to tackle challenges in insect ecology and entomology.
Where and when
ACCESS-2026 is an in-person, residential summer school based in Aarhus, Denmark. The event will run from 14th to 18th September, 2026.
What we offer
- • A fully-funded course - free tuition, and refunds for accommodation, food and travel for the selected candidates: we can support between 15 and 20 participants, but might be able to host a few self-funded candidates
- • A series of guest lectures and practical workshops from international experts
- • A project-based learning experience within a multidisciplinary student and mentor team
Who the course is for
- • Biologists (entomologists, ecologists, etc) wanting to apply computational methods to their fields
- • Computer and data scientists (engineers, physicists, etc) seeking to translate their expertise to study insects
- • We particularly support early-career researchers (graduate students, PhDs and postdocs)
What will you do
The course is structured around a group project you will develop in a team of 2-4 students. We will provide you with a mock funding call, and you and your team will write a collaborative research project to submit as a mock proposal.
Each group is assigned a mentor that will advise them on their project before and during the in-person course, and will offer guidance on self-guided resources to prepare for the course (i.e. relevant papers, coding tutorials, etc).
You will meet online with your group starting around 2 months in advance of the in-person course, and start work on your collaborative project. Before and during the course there will be opportunities for feedback from peers, mentors and instructors.
The in-person course in Aarhus will consist of lectures, case studies and workshops, with time allocated for group project work each day.
Venue
The summer school will take place at Kaløvigcenter, situated at the bay of Kalø Vig just north of Aarhus, the estate sits where steep coastal slopes meet forest. Originally built as a seaside hotel over 100 years ago, the center offers a calm and idyllic setting with a large garden featuring a fireplace, petanque court, and apple grove.
Most rooms have a sea view. They will mostly be shared between two students, providing good beds with goose down duvets and pillows, bed linen with satin weave, good towels, small table and/or desk with work lamp, armchair, wardrobe for clothes, TV, green plants, and lovely soaps and cream in the bathroom. The venue is close to the sea; an evening swim might be possible - weather permitting.
As Denmark’s first carbon-neutral conference center, Kaløvigcenter runs entirely on renewable energy through solar panels, windmill shares, and geothermal installations. During the summer school, participants will enjoy well-prepared meals with homemade bread, fresh vegetables, and local produce while benefiting from the center’s peaceful atmosphere, ideal for focused learning and collaboration.
The venue is reachable by bus line 123 from Aarhus, getting off at Følle, plus a ~25min walk on paved road. However, the best route from Aarhus Airport is probably to take the 312 bus to Ebeltoft and take the 123 towards Aarhus, getting off at Følle (25 min walk). Further info on how to reach the venue is available on their website; for accessibility options see the FAQs.
Application
Requirements
The course is aimed at early-career researchers interested in computational entomology from either biological or data-science backgrounds.
Applicants should:
- have basic programming skills (preferably in Python), or be willing to learn before the course;
- be able to dedicate ~30 hours of preparation before the event, over two months;
- attend the full 5-day in-person course, but most of all
- be excited to apply computational tools to biological questions!
The application requires a CV (max 2 pages) and two short paragraphs (1500 characters each, with spaces) describing your motivation and one or more research question(s) you would like to explore in invertebrate (preferably insect) ecology, behaviour, evolution, conservation or related fields.
How to apply
Fill out the application form by April 30th, 2026.
Selection process
Applications are evaluated by the organisers together with select members of the InsectAI core group. Selection is based primarily on motivation and the proposed research idea(s), with the final stage also considering the CV and the complementarity of participants when forming project teams.
Participation is highly competitive, reflecting the consistently high number of applications submitted in past years. For more details on the evaluation procedure and eligibility for financial support, please read this page.
Financial aspects
For more details, please see the dedicated page.
Preliminary Program
Schedule and content are subject to change.
FAQ
See the dedicated FAQ page.
Past Editions
Gallery 2024
Gallery 2025
ACCESS has been run twice so far, in 2024 and 2025, and, due to the dedication of the students and mentors, it has been a huge success, and we learnt a lot from each other. ACCESS has attracted between 70 and 100 applications each year, but we have only been able select 20 participants; we are thrilled to run the course again this year and offer this learning opportunity to more students!
Here are the past editions’ websites: ACCESS-2024 website, ACCESS-2025 website.
Contact
Acknowledgements
This summer school is funded by the InsectAI COST Action; you can become a member of InsectAI by following the instructions on this page.
Read more about the COST Association here.