R Workshops @ UQ

We have been conducting several R Workshops each year since 2012. We are all mathematical ecologists and have learnt data analysis and data science through application to real-world problems in R. We initiated these workshops because we enjoy using R, we find it invaluable in our research, and we wanted to pass on what we had learnt. In particular, because we are self-taught, we want to help others avoid some of the mistakes we made when we were setting out to learn and use R. We have now taught >1,500 students at these workshops, and we look forward to helping the next generation of R programmers and applied statisticians learn the skills they need to meet the demands of the modern research environment.

The hex sticker feature wall from the useR! 2018 conference (O’Hara-Wild, Mitchell. 2018. “useR! 2018 Feature Wall.” July 11, 2018.)

The hex sticker feature wall from the useR! 2018 conference (O’Hara-Wild, Mitchell. 2018. “useR! 2018 Feature Wall.” July 11, 2018.)
NoteWhy learn to code in the age of AI?

AI can generate code in seconds, but it cannot tell you whether the analysis is appropriate, the assumptions are valid, or the conclusions are scientifically defensible. Learning R gives you the skills to critically evaluate code, identify errors, and adapt analyses to your own research questions. Learning the fundamentals ensures you remain the expert in the AI loop.

What will you get from our workshops?

Our workshops are interactive, informative, and fun. We provide all the code, datasets and notes — the notes provide an invaluable reference guide for you in the future.

We have workshops that cater to all experience levels, from Introductory to Advanced. During each workshop, we have several tutors to ensure you have support to help debug your code if you encounter any problems. And we try to work at a pace that allows participants to follow along — acknowledging that there is a diversity of experience in every room.


“Thank you for organizing the R workshop! It was incredibly informative and well-structured.”       “The instructor’s expertise and clear explanations made learning R enjoyable and accessible.”       “a brilliant experience and I have already recommended it to others”      ”They have been really influential in my coding/learning process.”       “these workshops are outstanding”       “I always leave with knowledge gaps filled”      


If you’d like to see more of what previous attendees have said about us please have a look at the Testimonials page.

In each workshop, we usually have a mix of postgraduate students and researchers from:

  • Universities (including UQ, UniSC, Griffith, SCU, CSU)
  • Government Departments (including QLD Dept of Environment, QLD Dept of Agriculture and Fisheries, NSW Dept of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, and NSW Dept of Primary Industries and Regional Development)
  • CSIRO and AIMS
  • Private industry (Educators, Consultants, Scientists, Engineers)

:::{.callout-note title=“More information coming soon”} –> More details of the 2027 Summer R Workshops, including registration information, will be made available shortly. If you want to be notified of updates you can join our mailing list here. :::

Summer 2027: Introduction to R and Statistical Modelling

We have updated our website. Click here to go to the Summer Workshops tab, or select it from the Navbar above.

Winter 2027: Building your Data Science Skills in R

We have updated our website. Click here to go to the Winter Workshops tab, or select it from the Navbar above.