The fifth edition of the “School of Programming for Scientific Research – EPIC V” addresses the pressing need for advanced computational training among physics and life sciences students in Ecuador and Latin America. While local university curricula often focus on theoretical and experimental science, EPIC V fills the gap with a dynamic and hands-on program that combines intensive training and interdisciplinary collaboration.

The school consists of two main components:

1. Pre-School Online Hackathon (7 May – 15 June 2025)
   Participants will compete in teams of two to tackle computational challenges in physics and life sciences. The 10 winning teams will receive full scholarships to attend the in-person school in Quito.

2. Main School (4–8 August 2025)
   Held in person at Universidad Internacional del Ecuador (UIDE), the five-day program includes:

   • Two days of hands-on workshops on data analysis, computational simulations in physics, and machine learning in biology.

   • A three-day hackathon, “The Dorothy Coding Challenge”, where participants apply their skills to real scientific problems in a mentored, team-based format.

The program is open to undergraduate and early master’s students from Ecuador and Latin America. Selection is based on motivation, academic background, and inclusivity criteria. Scholarships for travel and meals are available, especially for students from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds.

Main Topics:

• Data analysis and simulations in physics

• Astrophysics and computational fluid mechanics

• Machine learning for biological systems

• Modeling of complex biological data

• Scientific programming in Python

Speakers and Coordinators:

• Hernán Andrés Morales-Navarrete (UDLA, Ecuador) – Coordinator

• Paulina Vizcaíno (UIDE, Ecuador) – Local Coordinator

• Wladimir Banda-Barragán (Yachay Tech, Ecuador) – Speaker

• Helga Dénes (Yachay Tech, Ecuador) – Speaker

• Lupe Villegas (CSIC-UAM, Spain) – Overseas Coordinator

• Edison Salazar (Leiden University, Netherlands) – Overseas Coordinator

Organizers and Partners:
EPIC V is organized by Universidad Internacional del Ecuador, Universidad de las Américas, Yachay Tech University, the Latitud Cero research group, and ICTP Physics Without Frontiers. Additional support is provided by UNESCO-Quito and the Latin America Bioimaging (LABI) network.

Application Deadline:
Registration is open from 1 May to 30 June 2025. Applicants must submit a short motivation letter and a recommendation letter. Selected participants will be notified by mid-July.

Registration form: tinyurl.com/PWFECUADOR

Format and Resources:
All course materials, code, and tutorials will be openly shared via GitHub and institutional repositories. Final hackathon projects will be presented on the last day, streamed online, and considered for publication.