Global Organisation for Bioinformatics Learning, Education & Training

Global Organisation for Bioinformatics Learning, Education & Training
Name	Global Organisation for Bioinformatics Learning, Education & Training
Abbreviation	GOBLET
Formation	2012
Type	Non-profit organization
Headquarters	Cambridge, United Kingdom
Region served	Worldwide

Global Organisation for Bioinformatics Learning, Education & Training is an international consortium established to coordinate training and capacity building in bioinformatics and computational biology across academic, clinical, and industrial sectors. It serves as a nexus connecting trainers, educators, curriculum developers and funding bodies to harmonize standards and share resources among institutions such as the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, National Institutes of Health, Wellcome Trust, and World Health Organization. The organisation engages with initiatives tied to large-scale projects and consortia including Human Genome Project, ENCODE Project, 1000 Genomes Project and regional networks like ELIXIR and H3ABioNet.

History and founding

GOBLET was formed in 2012 following workshops and meetings that brought together stakeholders from groups such as the European Bioinformatics Institute, International Society for Computational Biology, Royal Society, and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. Founding discussions involved representatives from the Carnegie Mellon University, University of Cambridge, National Center for Biotechnology Information, European Commission, and national initiatives including Genome Canada and Australian Research Council centers. The creation built on earlier community efforts exemplified by conferences like the ISMB and training programs at institutions such as Broad Institute and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

Mission and objectives

GOBLET's mission emphasizes capacity building and competency development by aligning curricula with stakeholder needs from organizations like Food and Agriculture Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Core objectives include developing shared training materials informed by standards set by bodies such as ISO and accreditation frameworks used by universities including University of Oxford and Harvard University, promoting trainer development in collaboration with societies like Royal Society of Biology and American Society for Microbiology, and facilitating access to resources for projects such as The Cancer Genome Atlas and Global Alliance for Genomics and Health.

Governance and organizational structure

GOBLET operates under a governance model with a Board of Directors drawn from partner institutions such as EMBL-EBI, National Institutes of Health, Wellcome Trust, and regional nodes like H3ABioNet and ELIXIR. Operational committees address curriculum development, trainer accreditation, and resource sharing, interfacing with advisory groups that include members from European Commission, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and national funding agencies such as National Science Foundation and Medical Research Council. Secretariat functions have been hosted by host institutions including University of Cambridge and University of Oxford.

Programs and initiatives

GOBLET coordinates workshops, train-the-trainer courses, and online resource repositories linked to platforms like Coursera, edX, and institutional learning management systems at MIT and Stanford University. Initiatives target competency frameworks compatible with projects such as FAANG and PDB training, and incorporate materials from partners including ELIXIR, H3ABioNet, Galaxy Project and Bioconductor. GOBLET has run joint events with conferences including ISMB, RECOMB, ECCB and regional meetings hosted by Australian Bioinformatics and Computational Biologists Society and Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

Partnerships and collaborations

Strategic partnerships include nodes within ELIXIR, consortia such as Global Alliance for Genomics and Health, and collaborations with universities and institutes like University of Toronto, Johns Hopkins University, Max Planck Society, Institut Pasteur, and National Center for Biotechnology Information. GOBLET engages with funders and policy bodies including the European Commission, Wellcome Trust, National Institutes of Health, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and regional networks such as H3ABioNet to align training investments with workforce needs identified by employers such as Genentech, Illumina, and Pfizer.

Impact and outreach

GOBLET's work has influenced curriculum adoption at universities including University of Cambridge, Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania and regional programs in Africa, Asia and Latin America linked to H3ABioNet, South African National Bioinformatics Institute, Indian Council of Medical Research, and Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública. Outreach activities have included collaborative sessions with World Health Organization on pathogen genomics, contributions to competency frameworks used by European Molecular Biology Laboratory and case studies informing policy dialogues at United Nations and G20 science fora. Metrics of impact include shared training materials used in workshops run alongside ISMB, increased trainer numbers through programs modeled on Carpentries and broader uptake by consortia such as ELIXIR and GA4GH.

Funding and sustainability

Funding sources have combined membership fees, project grants from bodies like the Wellcome Trust and NIH, collaborative awards with European Commission programs, and in-kind support from institutions including EMBL-EBI, University of Cambridge, and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Sustainability strategies mirror models used by ELIXIR and H3ABioNet, emphasizing diversified revenue through professional development courses, sponsored workshops with industry partners such as Illumina and Roche, and integration with long-term infrastructure grants from agencies like the National Science Foundation and philanthropic support from entities such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Category:Bioinformatics organizations