Skip to main content
IT Service Status
IT Service Status

Hands-on Learning for Researchers Across Various Disciplines

Workshops and Learning Resources

Are you looking to learn new data or computational skills? We offer regular workshops, online learning resources, and guides to help you acquire new skills and use our services effectively.

Enhance your abilities, expand your expertise, and discover how to optimize your research at the following Research Computing and Data Services (RCDS) sessions.

Artificial Intelligence for Research

This workshop series provides practical advice and examples on how to effectively and securely utilize AI in your research. From writing code to training large language models (LLMs), our Data Scientists will walk you through the tools and tips you'll need.

AI for research workshops
Workshop Date Time Location
A Practical Introduction to Using Generative AI July 23 1-4 p.m. Chicago

Save the date: Additional workshops will be held in September.  Registration for the workshops below will open in early August.

AI for research workshops coming soon
Workshop Date Time Location
A Practical Introduction to Using Generative AI September 14 1-4 p.m. Chicago
Coding with AI Assistance September 15 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Chicago
Get Started Safely with AI Coding Agents September 16 9:30 a.m. - Noon Chicago
Linking VS Code to LLMs September 16 1-4 p.m. Chicago
AI for Data Visualization September 17 10 a.m. - Noon Chicago
Workflow Strategies for AI Agents September 17 1-4 p.m. Chicago
Using LLM APIs through Azure September 18 TBD Chicago
Using LLMs on Quest September 18 TBD Chicago

Data Science, Statistics, and Visualization

Learn statistical analysis methods, data visualization techniques, best practices for coding, and more.

Data science, statistics, and visualization workshops
Workshop Date Time Location
R Fundamentals July 7-10 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Chicago
R: Data Manipulation with Tidyverse July 13 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Chicago
R: Intermediate Data Manipulation with Tidyverse July 14 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Chicago
R: Statistics July 15 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Chicago
R: Data Visualization and Tables July 16 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Chicago
R: Programming Basics July 17 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Chicago
Python Fundamentals  August 3-6 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Chicago
Intermediate Python August 10-12 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Chicago
Introduction to Machine Learning in Python September 10-11  9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Chicago

Quest Orientation

Northwestern University provides a high-performance computing cluster, Quest, for its researchers. The cluster is designed to meet compute- and data-intensive research needs. These orientations are designed to introduce new users to available Quest services, review basic practices, and address questions about first-time use. The sessions are focused on users who have just requested a new allocation, but any existing users or interested parties are welcome to attend.

Quest orientation workshops
Workshop Date Time Location
Quest Orientation June 1 10-11 a.m. Virtual
Quest Orientation June 29 10-11 a.m. Virtual
Quest Orientation July 15 1-2 p.m. Virtual
Quest Orientation July 27 10-11 a.m. Virtual
Quest Orientation August 12 1-2 p.m. Virtual
Quest Orientation August 24 10-11 a.m. Virtual

Genomics Compute Cluster Orientation

Genomics Compute Cluster (GCC) Orientations onboard new users to the GCC and provide best-practice guidance for using this resource.

Genomics compute cluster workshops
Workshop Date Time Location
GCC Orientation
June 10
2-3 p.m. Chicago
GCC Orientation July 8 2-3 p.m. Virtual
GCC Orientation July 22 2-3 p.m. Chicago
GCC Orientation August 5 2-3 p.m. Virtual
GCC Orientation August 19 2-3 p.m. Chicago
GCC Orientation September 2 2-3 p.m. Virtual

Additional Series

RCDS also regularly offers workshops as a part of the following series:

  • Topics in Computational Genomics
  • Data Management
  • Next Steps in R
  • Next Steps in Python

Contact Us

Request customized workshops or training for your group.

Subscribe to the NUIT-RESEARCH listserv to receive announcements about upcoming workshops.

Learning Resources

Student working on laptop

Learning Resources

  • User Guides and Documentation: Learn how to use services and resources supported by Research Computing and Data Services, including Quest, Research Data Storage Service, Globus, and more.
  • Resource Guides: Research Computing and Data Services team members have curated lists of free books, videos, online courses, tutorials and other materials to help you learn R, Python, SQL, git, and more.
  • O’Reilly Online Learning: Northwestern University Libraries provides online access to many popular books and other resources covering programming, software development, data visualization, machine learning, and other technology topics. Register for an account. with a Northwestern email address by clicking “Institution not listed?”; once you have an account, you can log in directly.
  • LinkedIn Learning: Northwestern Human Resources provides access to courses on a wide range of technology topics, including databases, programming, and data analysis.