---------- #### The Center for Open Science has partnered with the Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Statistical Analysis (LISA) at Virginia Tech to enhance the quality and impact of research conducted in Africa by training researchers from Africa to become collaborative statisticians with greater global influence through transparent and reproducible research practices. ---------- **Plan**: COS and LISA will train visiting research fellows from African institutions on: **statistical skills, best practices in creating and sustaining statistical collaboration laboratories,** and **transparent, reproducible research practices.** Research fellows will also learn how to use the Open Science Framework to support a cohesive, collaborative research workflow that can provide greater visibility and impact of their research outputs. [Read more about LISA Fellow training][1] that took place from November 30 - December 3, 2015. <br> <br> Other possible routes of collaboration: 1. Funding future LISA fellows travel and training 2. Large-scale LISA 2020 Workshop/Symposium with the goal being to establish an annual workshop at a LISA statistical laboratory in Africa 3. Smaller-scale LISA 2020 Workshop/Symposium **Goals of Workshop**: Provide training in the following topics – – Best practices in creating and sustaining statistical collaboration laboratories – Reproducible and transparent research practices – A refresher on stats technical skills (i.e. running R) – Use of the Open Science Framework to support an open research workflow – How to communicate and collaborate w/ others/non-tech skills – Proper managerial skills (i.e. how to approach a dean or head of department) ---------- **About the Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Statistical Analysis** LISA, the Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Statistical Analysis at Virginia Tech, was originally created in 1948 and then reorganized in 2008 to train statisticians to become interdisciplinary collaborators, provide research infrastructure to enable and accelerate high impact research, and engage with the community in outreach activities to improve statistical skills and literacy. LISA statistical collaborators are trained to help researchers design experiments; collect, analyze, and plot data; run statistical software; interpret results; and communicate statistical concepts. In the 2014-15 academic year, LISA collaborated on 374 projects from 65 departments at Virginia Tech, answered questions for 520 researchers in walk-in consulting, and taught 443 attendees at educational short courses. Learn more at [www.lisa.stat.vt.edu][2]. The [LISA 2020 Program][3] trains statisticians and data scientists from developing countries to become effective collaborative statisticians who create statistical collaboration laboratories to propagate this training to more statisticians and data scientists, collaborate with researchers to solve problems and make decisions, and engage in statistical outreach to improve the statistical skills and literacy of their community. [1]: https://osf.io/7r9h2/ [2]: http://www.lisa.stat.vt.edu [3]: http://www.lisa.stat.vt.edu/LISA2020/