We must also be concerned about the people in our domain. The demand for researchers and staff in bioinformatics is high, exceeding available resources. More people need to be trained, and those in the field must be encouraged to stay, and enabled to be productive. There is a lack of training opportunities the shortage is both in programs and teachers, as well as in available and adequately prepared trainees. Being in multi-disciplinary field is scary.
Faculty worries about tenure when they bridge existing departments.
Students may be required to satisfy fundamental requirements of multiple departments as well. Traditional engineering accreditation needs updating to allow graduates of engineering departments to specialize into bioinformatics relevant fields. Combining departments requires resolving salary and growth differentials in biology and Computer Science. Some leading institutions are moving aggressively, and should become the models for a broader range of institutions. The workshop covered the generation and integration of biologic databases, their interoperation, and integrity maintenance.