Our Kick-off 1st Cohort
From the 30th of November to the 02nd December 2022 the first NFDI4Earth Academy cohort held a Kick-Off retreat at castle Buchenau, close to Bad Hersfeld. It was the first get-together of the 39 fellows, and therefore mainly focused on getting-to-know each other and networking. The starting point for the intra- and interdisciplinary discussions was a poster session. Here the fellows presented their research topics with focus on the application of data science. Overlaps between topics and possibilities for collaborations were discussed.

To ensure and establish a good sense of community, as well as to foster a positive, open, and safe environment for all fellows within the Academy, guidelines of behavior and communication were identified. In various discussion rounds, the fellows expressed their ideas, expectations, and possible goals for the Academy. The content of courses and schools within the NFDI4Earth Academy program was a special focus of the discussions. Data Analysis, Machine/Deep Learning and Research Data Management have been identified as the three core areas of interest. Therefore, it was decided that the first school, which took place in June 2023, would address the topic of Machine Learning.

In the evenings, a night walk around the castle and a gathering around a fire bowl fostered further discussions and personal interactions. We would like to thank all attending fellows for their valuable inputs and are looking forward to an exciting Academy program and a fruitful professional and personal exchange.