Frequently Asked Questions

I have no previous programming / electronics experience, can I participate?

While it is an advantage to have previous experience with coding, working with electronics and so on, and this is taken into account during evaluation, it does not preclude your participation. Students are expected to do up to 30h of preparation for the course, and this includes self-guided coding tutorials, for example.

Will I learn how to code during the course?!?

Unlikely, there’s only so much we can show you in a week! However, the workshops and demos are structured in a way that you should be able to follow even with no technical background. The aim of the course is to signpost resources and approaches that you can use to learn what you need to leverage state-of-the-art technology for insects monitoring.

Will I get to work on my own project during the summer school?

Not necessarily. You will work on a project together with your group (2-3 students) and supported by your mentor; this project may or may not be close to the project you submitted during application. We try our best to match students with similar interests, and sometimes groups end up working on a project close to one of the members’, but some other times you will have to come up with a new project to work on all together.

So what’s the point of submitting a project during application?!?

It serves two purposes: to evaluate your existing understanding of the technologies we touch on during the course and how you foresee them applied to your research; and it allows us to get to know your interests and therefore create groups around a similar theme as well as assigning mentors based on their expertise.

Can I submit multiple project ideas in my application?

Yes you can, but space is limited (1500 characters for the second “paragraph” of the application), so there is a trade-off in how much detail you can go into for each of your ideas.

Will we run an experiment during the course?

Unfortunately no, due to the short duration we do not have the time to collect much data. You are more than welcome to bring your own data to explore during the course though!

How does mentoring work?

Each team is assigned a mentor based on their theme, and the mentor will be chosen based on their expertise; each mentor follows only one team. The team and the mentor will meet (virtually) a few times in the months leading up to the in-person course, and develop together the collaborative project idea. During the in-person course, mentors will be around and can answer any questions and offer support to theirs or any other team. We have organised “mentor swaps” where teams explain their project to other mentors than their own and receive feedback. In general, mentors are there to help you get the most out of the course, so feel free to reach out before, during or after the course!

How is the preparatory work distributed?

It depends on the composition of your team and the group project you co-design. Preparation may include reading relevant papers, following coding tutorials, or experimenting with electronics. Teams decide how to organise the work, with the goal that everyone starts the course with a shared baseline understanding. Discuss expectations and availability with your teammates and plan accordingly. Your mentor will be happy to support you by suggesting reading material and other resources.

What kind of workload should I expect during the course?

You can consult the preliminary programme for an overview. Formal activities are generally not scheduled in the late afternoons or evenings, leaving time for project work and informal interactions. However, you should expect full days of activities and close collaboration with fellow participants and mentors, as is typical for intensive summer schools. Evening social activities are optional, but many past participants have found them particularly rewarding.

Is the venue accessible for persons with physical disabilities?

There is decent, but not excellent disability access. A person in wheelchair will be able to access the house via a concrete ramp, and the meeting room is situated on the ground floor, so no stairs there. One room on the ground floor is fairly easy to access, with a wheelchair accessible bathroom just outside.

How will payment work for the accommodation and food?

Accommodation and food will be invoiced by Kaløvig Center. The cost will be around 860 EUR, including all accommodation, meals, snacks, tea and coffee breaks from Sunday evening to Friday afternoon. We have made arrangements with the venue so you can pay after you receive your daily allowance reimbursement, ~1-4 weeks after the summer school. The daily allowance is a fixed per-diem amount intended to cover accommodation, meals, and local travel (<50 km), and will be sufficient to cover the venue invoice as well as additional costs. It is possible that participants receive an example invoice from the venue for these costs shortly before the course begins.

What are the accommodation arrangements like?

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.