[bip] summer of code

[Bruce Southey]

Giovanni Marco Dall'Olio wrote:
> Hi!
> ehm - on the bioperl mailing list, they just have sent an email
> explaining that they have been included in the google-summer of code
> program.
>
> Is biopython also included in the same program? Why don't we propose
> some project for the next year?
>
> Some ideas that could be proposed: the population genetics modules, or
> the collection of use cases in bioinformatics.
>
>
>   
Hi,
See also Hilmar Lapp's email (copied below) to the biopython list:

http://lists.open-bio.org/pipermail/biopython/2009-February/004929.html

Bruce

Hilmar Lapp wrote:
Google is committed to run the Summer of Code program [1] again this 
year. It will be for the 5th time.

In broad strokes, the program funds what you might call remote summer 
internships for students to contribute to an open-source software 
project. Participating projects (or umbrella organizations) provide 
project ideas and supply mentors that guide the work on those. Students 
apply to a project within the program with specific project ideas, based 
on those suggested or based on their own idea, get ranked by the mentors 
of the project, and those accepted into the program get paired up with 
mentors. Projects are chiefly about programming, the coding period is 3 
months (Jun-Aug), and there is no travel required by either student or 
mentor. The program is global; other than the US trade restrictions that 
Google is under, there are no restrictions as to where student or mentor 
reside. The main motivations behind the program are to recruit new 
contributors to open-source projects, and to produce more open-source 
code. See the program FAQs [2] for more information.

I've had the honor of being part of the program for the last two years, 
administering NESCent's participation as an organization [3] and in 2007 
mentoring a student. I have to say I find it the most awesome 
open-source program since sliced bread (or the invention of BLAST if 
that means more to you). Despite that and sadly enough, there has been a 
dearth of participating bioinformatics projects (though some notable 
ones, such as CytoScape have participated).

There have been two Bio* Summer of Code projects under the NESCent 
umbrella, one in 2007 [4] and one in 2008 [5]. I would be willing to 
volunteer to take the lead on and administer a full-blown participation 
of O|B|F as a Bio* umbrella organization, provided 1) at least one Bio* 
person volunteers to serve as backup administrator, and 2) enough Bio* 
contributors volunteer to serve as prospective mentors.

Mentoring involves participating in creating the page of project ideas 
(I'd provide template and guidance), corresponding with applicants who 
have questions, participating in student application ranking, and for 
primary mentors (those directly assigned to a student) based on 
empirical evidence at least 5hrs/week of time spent with the student to 
help him/her get over obstacles or avoid wrong paths.

I think almost all mentors would concur that the experience was very 
gratifying, but as a mentor you will be spending a non-negligible amount 
of time with the student. I think it is the student-mentor pairing and 
interaction, not the stipend, that in the end makes the participation 
for students uniquely productive in terms of learning, and different 
from simply contributing to the project of choice (which they could 
always do).

For a personal impression for how the program is from a mentor 
perspective, I'll let Chris Fields speak who was the mentor for the 2008 
phyloXML in BioPerl project. From a student's perspective, I'll leave it 
to the 2007 Biojava student Bohyun Lee (blee34-at-mail.gatech.edu) and 
the 2008 BioPerl student Mira Han (mirhan-at-indiana.edu) to comment (if 
they are still on the list).

So if you think this is a good idea for Bio* to be part of, if you would 
like to help in some way, if you can see yourself as a mentor, or if you 
are a lurking would-be student, please let yourself be heard. Email 
either to the list or to me.

Cheers,

    -hilmar

[1] http://code.google.com/soc/2008

[2] http://code.google.com/opensource/gsoc/2009/faqs.html

[3] http://hackathon.nescent.org/Phyloinformatics_Summer_of_Code_2007
http://hackathon.nescent.org/Phyloinformatics_Summer_of_Code_2008

[4] http://biojava.org/wiki/BioJava:PhyloSOC07

[5] http://bioperl.org/wiki/PhyloXML_support_in_BioPerl
-- 
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: Hilmar Lapp  -:-  Durham, NC  -:-  hlapp at gmx dot net :
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