SupeR!: an R course for Marine Sciences
Overview
Umeå Marine Sciences Centre (also called UMF) offers a one-week international advanced course on the use of the statistical programme R in marine biology, ecology and biogeochemistry, with a focus on examples from the Arctic, sub-Arctic and extreme environments. This advanced course will review the base R functions and data manipulation, before introducing you to statistical analyses (basic statistics, multivariate, linear and nonlinear modelling) for marine biology, ecology and biogeochemistry. This advanced course is suitable for postgraduate students, postdoctoral scholars and career professionals seeking to strengthen their overall statistical abilities using R, RStudio and associated packages.
Why come to Umeå Marine Sciences Centre?
We offer the unique experience for a marine scientist to experience sea ice and the polar winter - something few other marine stations can offer within easy reach of central Europe! And of course, you will get the opportunity to directly interact with our highly experienced instructors who between them have worked in marine environments from the equator to the poles! This exciting advanced course will include data examples from the Arctic to the tropics including polar phytoplankton, Baltic zooplankton and tropical corals.
Find out more about Umeå Marine Sciences Centre here: UMF website, including how our research answers cutting-edge environmental grand challenges: UMF research
Course Dates and location
The course will be held in-person (residential) at Umeå Marine Sciences Centre, Umeå University, between the 8-13 February 2026. Umeå Marine Sciences Centre is in the picturesque Swedish village of Norrbyn just 30 minutes south of Umeå.
Course pre-requisites
Pre-requisites for the course are:
- The language of the course is English. If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence that you have either completed an undergraduate degree in English or meet the Umeå University English proficiency requirements detailed here: English requirements
- Have undertaken an undergraduate degree in biology, chemistry, environmental science, or equivalent
- Experience of statistical analysis. This could, for example, be evidenced by having undertaken an undergraduate level statistical analysis course, or the inclusion of statistical analysis in a project thesis. You will need to provide evidence of this.
Detailed Course Content
Each day is divided into two sessions and includes a one-hour theoretical lecture, direct coding and then and an exercise using real-world data. Over 40 contact hours are provided during the week. In addition to in-person support, you will also receive support via Slack for 6 months after the course.
- Saturday/Sunday: Arrival. Welcome and team activities on Sunday afternoon are weather dependent, but might include sea ice-associated activities such as cross country skiing, sledging, sauna or similar
- Monday (08:00 – 17:00): Introduction to the course, using variables in R, reading a file, basic functions and statistics, plotting data
- Tuesday (08:00 – 17:00): Probability with R, linear regression, multivariate analysis
- Wednesday (08:00 – 17:00): using loops and conditions in R, automatization of functions with example applications. Some useful libraries and using agile R coding
- Thursday (08:00 – 17:00): Non-linear modelling including polynomial regression and GAMs
- Friday (08:00 – 12:00): BYOD (Bring your own data) or use a provided dataset, plus the opportunity for supported data analysis with course instructors. Review of skills learned during the course
- Friday (12:00 to late): Departure
- Saturday: Additional departure if needed for travel schedules
Number of students
15 student limit, ensuring a high instructor to student ratio
Primary instructors
The primary instructors on the course are Dr Léon Serre-Fredj and Prof. Nick Kamenos. Léon is a Staff Scientist in Numerical Ecology and has extensive experience using R in time series analysis. Léon is currently asking questions about phytoplankton and fish population dynamics in the northern Baltic over the last 30 years. Nick is a Professor of Marine Ecosystem Science and Director of Umeå Marine Sciences Centre. Nick has used R extensively over the last 15 years including non-linear modelling of Arctic, temperate and tropical marine ecosystems. He has taught environmental statistics and R for 10 years, at the University of Glasgow (UK) and now at Umeå University.
Course fee and details:
The course fee is 8500 Swedish Kronor (SEK) (ca. 760 Euro; for up-to-date exchange rates, see here: currency rate) The course fee includes the following:
- All taught components
- Shuttle from and back to Umeå airport or train station
- Introductory welcome activities
- Accommodation at the UMF hostel in Norrbyn. See more information about the hostel here
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner (from Saturday dinner to Saturday breakfast)
- Access to the local gym and Umeå Marine Sciences Centre bastu / sauna
Note: the fee does not include travel to/from Umeå and personal expenditure during the week.
Bursaries
Umeå Marine Sciences Centre is pleased to offer two accommodation & food bursaries which will reduce the cost fee to 4500 SEK (ca. 400 Euros). If you would like to be considered for a bursary, please indicate this in your application. Priority will be given to applicants from Lower and Lower-Middle Income Countries, as defined by the World Bank: Countries list
Learning Outcome
Upon completing the course, the student should be able to read, arrange and study their own data set, and perform different types of statistical analysis tailoerd for marine datasets.
Accommodation
You will be housed in the Umeå Marine Sciences Centre Hostel, which is just around the bay from Umeå Marine Sciences Centre. More details about the hostel can be found here: UMF hostel
Visa information
Many countries do not require a visa for a short visit to Sweden. However, please check requirements here: Immigration website
Terms and conditions
Advanced courses at Umeå Marine Sciences Centre are governed by the terms and conditions of Umeå University courses: UMF rule for tuitions fees
Note: We follow the Umeå University cancellation policy. For this course, if the minimum participation level of 5 students has not been reached by the standard application deadline then the course will be cancelled.
Course contact
The contact for this course is Dr Léon Serre-Fredj.
Léon’s contact details are here: Léon’s page
Application deadline
The deadline for applying for this advanced course is 17:00 on the 15th September 2025.
How to apply
Please send the following documents as a single PDF with the title format: “surname_forename_R2026”:
- A CV (up to 2 pages)
- A one-page personal statement including: 1) why you want to attend the course, 2) how the course will contribute to your professional development, and 3) why you think an in-person over an online course is more suited to your needs. Please indicate if you would like to be considered for a course bursary
- Proof of English proficiency (see details above)
- Proof of statistical analysis (see details above)
- Bachelors, Masters & PhD certificates and transcripts, as completed
Send the single PDF document to: umf@umu.se