The Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (IGC) runs a training programme in Bioinformatics, the GTPB, since 1999. It has provided skills to more than 5000 course participants, so far. Successful learning results in acquired skills that can be used with independence.

The GTPB is based on combining hands-on training techniques such as supervised group problem solving, interactive exercises and cross-questioning by vote. Each course is custom designed for groups of up to 20 participants, following a procedural method that extensively uses learning by doing. We run courses in four categories:

• Introductory
• Thematic
• Programming
• Foundations

The GTPB shares its methodologies and promotes exchanges with networked organisations such as GOBLET, EMBnet and ELIXIR. It partners with other bioinformatics training providers such as:

• University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK (Bioinformatics and computational biology courses)
• EMBL-EBI, European Bioinformatics Institute, Hinxton, UK
• EMBL Australia Bioinformatics Resource: EMBL-ABR, Melbourne, AU
• EMBL-EICAT, Heidelberg, DE
• Istituto Italiano di Bioinformatica, Bari, IT    (IIB/ELIXIR-ITA Training Programme)
• Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona, ES
• Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, CH
• Centro de Investigacion Principe Felipe, Valencia, ES
• DTL, Dutch Techcentre for life Sciences, Utrecht, NL