FAQ

Connecting Science has always been part of the same legal entity as Wellcome Sanger Institute, but a recent organisational change has enabled us to move our learning and training activities into the Institute’s new Innovation and Impact Department. This aligns our conferences and training with the distinctive science led by Sanger.

This change enables us to create new opportunities to connect scientists, build skills, and foster global knowledge exchange. We will do this through closer collaboration with our Sanger colleagues, who are working at the forefront of discovery research and genomics applications. 

The new name and logo are designed to be clearer and better aligned with our future direction.

Our name and visual identity are changing across our website, social media channels, learning suites, registration system, and everywhere you interact with us online and offline. This will become more obvious in September 2026, when you will start to receive emails from Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Training and Events, rather than Connecting Science Learning and Training. Our social media communications will also be posted under our new name. 

We are also refreshing the way we talk about our learning and training to make our activities clearer to our communities and more relevant to the Sanger science we amplify. 

Changes to our current website and registration system will also begin, and we are carefully managing this transition to ensure a seamless experience. From October 2026, all our campaigns will link through to our new Sanger Institute-branded website. In the meantime, all our existing website links will continue to direct you through to our event webpages.

We are working to ensure that existing links to courses, conferences and event information continue to direct you to the most relevant information during and after the transition. If you experience any issues, please contact our team at events@sanger.ac.uk 

We will continue to offer training courses, conferences, and online courses. Over time, you will see our events programme evolve to reflect the world-leading science taking place at the Sanger Institute.  

We are committed to building on the valuable learning experiences we have consistently delivered, and we are excited about future improvements that will bring you new opportunities for career development.

While our name and look are changing, our new events programme will continue to be underpinned by the same education development approaches that make our existing learning and training valuable.

Our commitment to the communities we serve remains unchanged. You will continue to hear from and work with the same dedicated events team you know. 

You may begin to notice minor changes to the colours and language used on our website throughout August 2026.

Our new name and visual brand will officially launch at the beginning of September 2026. From this date, you will begin to see our new identity across our website, social media, event communications, registration system, learning management system, conference portal, and anywhere else you interact with us online or offline. 

Some of our materials may continue to show our previous Connecting Science branding for a short period while we complete the transition. 

Our website domain will change to training-events.sanger.ac.uk from October 2026. At this point, all our campaigns and communications will link through to our new Sanger Institute branded website. We are working to ensure that existing links to courses, conferences and event information continue to direct visitors to the most relevant information during and after the transition.

We encourage you to bookmark the new Sanger webpage links.

We expect the majority of our changes will be completed by November 2026.

No. Your existing accounts and event bookings will continue as normal. 

If you are receiving correspondence from us for a specific event, be aware that from September you will receive emails and updates from Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Training and Events.

Emails will come from events@sanger.ac.uk 

If you don’t receive an email you think you are expecting, we recommend you check your junk and spam folders before contacting us at events@sanger.ac.uk. 

We will continue to use our established communications channels.

During our transition, you will receive communications featuring our new name and branding from @sanger.ac.uk email addresses. 

If you are unsure whether an email is genuine, please contact us events@sanger.ac.uk before opening anything you believe to be suspicious.

No. This is a rebrand of our learning and training activities. Connecting Science has always been part of the same legal entity as the Sanger Institute. 

A recent organisational change has enabled us to move our activities into a new department. 

Our legal entity and company registration details remain unchanged. 

Nothing has changed. Your personal data is not being shared or transferred to any new third party as Connecting Science was already part of the same legal entity as the Wellcome Sanger Institute. As a result of a recent organisational change, we are moving our learning and training activities into Sanger’s Impact and Innovation department.

The terms of your current email preferences will also remain and continue unless you choose to change them or unsubscribe. 

No. Our flagship home will remain on the Wellcome Genome Campus, UK. We already reside in the same location at the Sanger Institute. 

We will continue to work with partner institutions across the globe to deliver training in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Our commitment to removing financial barriers to participation in our events remains unchanged. We will continue to offer non-repayable bursaries and carers’ grants to eligible candidates. Details can be found on each of our event webpages. 

For scientists based in Africa, Asia and Latin America, 100% bursaries and contributions towards travel and accommodation remain available for events held in those regions.  

If you cannot find the answer to your question in this FAQ section, please contact our events team at events@sanger.ac.uk

Registrations and applications must be made through our online registration system.

Yes, you must create a separate account for each event you wish to attend. You can log back into the registration system and edit your details up until the event application or registration deadline – these are listed on each event page on our website.

No. Registering or applying for an event requires agreeing to our terms and conditions, and this must be done by the attendees themselves and not a third-party.

Yes, you will need to complete your registration or application in one sitting. You may revisit the registration or application once the original has been submitted.

Should you need any support to make changes or edits to your registration or application, please contact our team at Events@sanger.ac.uk

Click ‘forgotten password’ on the sign in page. You should then receive an email reset password.

If you don’t receive this email, please check your junk folder first, and then contact us at Events@sanger.ac.uk

Note: The password reset link only works if your account has been saved by submitting your registration or application.

We advise to check you junk or spam folder.

Our emails are sent from @Sanger.ac.uk

If the issue remain unresolved, contact us at Events@sanger.ac.uk

For conference, please contact us at Events@sanger.ac.uk to see if a late registration is possible.

For courses, late applications cannot be accepted.

For conferences, we are able to transfer a registration to another person at no extra cost.

For courses, whether held in the UK or at one of our global training hubs, we are unable to transfer the place, as selection has been made based on the original applicants details.

Yes, provided you have registered and paid for a conference, or are accepted onto a course and completed the final acceptance form.

For UK-based courses and conferences, visa letters are system generated and sent automatically if you selected that option during the registration or application process.

For courses held outside the UK, visa letters are issued by the host institution.

If you didn’t select to receive a visa support letter during registration, or require additional details to be added to the letter issued to you, please contact us at Events@sanger.ac.uk for assistance.

All event deadlines close at 11:59pm (UK time)

Please note: Our offices close at 5pm (UK time). We cannot respond to your queries sent after this time, so please allow enough time to complete your registration or application.

Yes, however guests are not permitted in conference or training rooms.

You will need to arrange for guest accommodation and meal provisions separately by contacting us at Conferencereception@sanger.ac.uk  

For accompanying children, carers or dependants, please click here to see our Guidance for Parents and Carers policy on our website.  

No, eligibility is based on country of residence, not citizenship.

Yes, refunds are available if we are notified at least 30 days before the event.

Priority for short talks is given to in-person attendees. In some instances, we may open this up to virtual attendees.

Virtual abstract submission will primarily be considered for poster presentations.

A poster pitch are offered to give you an opportunity to present a taster of the research described on your poster. They are typically 1-2 minutes in length.

These pitches are optional, but highly recommended as an effective way to draw attention to your poster and build your professional profile.

No, it’s not possible to download posters from the portal or Event app.

A0 (118cm high x 84cm wide) in portrait orientation.

No, group discounts are not available.

No, we do not offer day rates – full registration is always required.

The portal does not have a translation programme.  However, the web browser Chrome provides a ‘live caption’ service

Details on how to add this to your browser settings are below:

1. On your computer, open Chrome
2. At the top right, click ‘More settings’
3. At the bottom of the settings page, click advanced’
4. Under ‘accessibility’, turn on ‘Live Caption’

No, we cannot extend the on-demand service.

Keynote talks are made available on our YouTube Channel.

We encourage all participants to stay on site due to the intensity and length of learning days, and to aid networking. However, if you choose to stay off site please contact us at Events@sanger.ac.uk to make us aware.

We are unable to offer any assistance when selecting your visa. Please contact your Embassy for advice.

For conferences, payments must be made by the relevant registration deadline.

For courses, payment must be made by the deadline stated in your acceptance email.

There is no ‘pay later option’.

We accept Visa and Mastercard only, via our online registration system.

If you require assistance, please contact us at Events@sanger.ac.uk

All our event fees are tax exempt.

No, financial documents are legally binding and cannot be changed once issued.

Please check your institution’s expense policy before registering.

Please check the following:

• Your card supports 3D Secure
• Your addresses are manually entered (not auto filled), written in full and in Latin characters using the dropdown menus where available
• You’ve cleared your cache on your browser

If you have checked all the above and still experience issues, please contact us at Events@sanger.ac.uk.

Exchange rates and bank fees may apply if paying in a different currency. Please contact your bank for confirmation of charges applied.

You will receive your invoice automatically by email after payment.

If you do not receive it, contact us at Events@sanger.ac.uk.

Yes, please enter this number during the registration process. It cannot be added after payment.

Yes, you can apply for a bursary for both conferences and courses within the application or registration form.

For further information on financial assistance, click here to visit our support information page. 

Please click here to visit our travel page for full details on all the options.

If you are travelling by car, please contact us at Events@sanger.ac.uk to request a Campus parking permit.

• Contact us at Events@sanger.ac.uk, as we may be able to add you to a accommodation wait list
• Red Lion, Hinxton Village (5 min walk).
• Holiday Inn Express, Whittlesford (5 minute drive).

Yes, contact conference.reception@sanger.ac.uk to arrange and pay for additional accommodation and catering.