Advanced Research Computing (ARC) at the University of Birmingham is seeking to appoint a Research Software Engineer (DevOps and Automation). This is a permanent post in the BEAR Apps team, part of the award-winning ARC team, which delivers the Birmingham Environment for Academic Research (BEAR) and operates the UKRI-funded Baskerville National Capability for Accelerated Research. … Continue reading “We’re recruiting! Permanent Grade 7 Research Software Engineer (DevOps and Automation)”
UoB R User Group: R Project Sprint 2026 Report-Back & Meet-up, 2 September, 15:00 PHTA / 15:30 online
The University of Birmingham R user group (UoB RUG) is excited to host a special event to tie in with R Project Sprint 2026. The sprint brings together contributors of all experience levels to work alongside members of the R Core Team on improvements and contributions to base R. More information can be found on … Continue reading “UoB R User Group: R Project Sprint 2026 Report-Back & Meet-up, 2 September, 15:00 PHTA / 15:30 online”
Summer 2026 BEAR Newsletter
Birmingham Environment for Academic Research (BEAR) Newsletter This month’s Editor: Stephanie Thompson In Advanced Research Computing, we’ve been welcoming lots of new starters this month, some of whom will be supporting the Baskerville National Compute Resource, which was turned on for the first time last week! Find out how to be one of the first … Continue reading “Summer 2026 BEAR Newsletter”
Python to the Rescue: A New Tool for Space Weather Scientists
Oliver is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering, and is part of The SERENE Group at the University of Birmingham, a multidisciplinary space environment and radio engineering team led by Professor Sean Elvidge. They specialize in upper atmosphere modelling, ionospheric science, and space weather forecasting. Ever wondered how scientists … Continue reading “Python to the Rescue: A New Tool for Space Weather Scientists”
Work experience in Advanced Research Computing – 2026 students
Update 29/09/26 Please note – due to popular demand, we have had to close applications for work experience for the 2026-27 school year. We will review availability again in 2027. Over the last few years, Advanced Research Computing (ARC) has hosted more than ten work experience students, ranging from year 10 pupils to undergraduate students. … Continue reading “Work experience in Advanced Research Computing – 2026 students”
Understanding recent BlueBEAR service disruptions – July 2026
Over the past few months, BlueBEAR users may have experienced periods of reduced service availability, planned maintenance, and interruptions to normal operations. We recognise that these disruptions can be frustrating, particularly when research projects depend on reliable access to High Performance Computing (HPC) resources. This blog post explains the factors behind recent outages and outlines … Continue reading “Understanding recent BlueBEAR service disruptions – July 2026”
Beyond the head: tail-aware sperm segmentation using fine-tuned AI computer vision models
In this case study, we hear from Sina Shafiezadeh, a postdoc in the Department of Metabolism and System Sciences, who is working to track and analyse the details of sperm motility from video microscopy. Accurate and informative assessment of sperm motility is essential for diagnosing male infertility and optimising Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF). While Computer-Aided Sperm Analysis … Continue reading “Beyond the head: tail-aware sperm segmentation using fine-tuned AI computer vision models”
Early access: Baskerville National Compute Resource
Baskerville Supercomputing Centre and the Institute for Data and AI (IDAI) are giving University of Birmingham users early access to the Baskerville National Compute Resource (NCR), from October 2026, as alpha and beta testers, before the machine is fully running from April 2027. The service is likely to be interrupted until final testing is complete. The technical specification of … Continue reading “Early access: Baskerville National Compute Resource”
Tracking microplastics transport through saturated porous media
In this case study, we hear from Fuad Alqrinawi, a PhD researcher in the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Birmingham, who used BlueBEAR to simulate how microplastic particles travel through fully saturated porous media. Microplastic Particles (MPs) are now widely detected in soils, riverbeds, and groundwater, where they occur … Continue reading “Tracking microplastics transport through saturated porous media”
Join us for TidyTuesday: The next R User Group meetup — July 21, 15:00, Elm House
On Tuesday 21 July, the R User Group will be hosting its monthly meetup at Elm House — this time featuring an interactive TidyTuesday session focused on practising and improving your skills in the R programming language. We’ll explore a fun, real‑world dataset from TidyTuesday, an international community project designed to help you practise data … Continue reading “Join us for TidyTuesday: The next R User Group meetup — July 21, 15:00, Elm House”