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We’re excited to share updates for the upcoming [2025 MDAnalysis User Group Meeting (UGM)](https://www.mdanalysis.org/pages/ugm2025/), taking place **November 9–11, 2025** at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona (USA). This in-person event unites a global community of users, developers, and researchers to discuss advancements in molecular dynamics analysis and to foster collaborations across disciplines. This year's UGM will feature not only contributed talks from the community, but also insightful talks from our two keynote speakers, Drs. [Lillian Chong](#dr-lillian-chong) and [Matthias Heyden](#dr-matthias-heyden) and hands-on workshops/tutorials. To accommodate continued demand from the community, we are now accepting registrations on a rolling basis.
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## Meet the Keynote Speakers
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### Dr. Lillian Chong
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<imgsrc="/public/images/UGM 2025 Speaker Announcement Cards - Chong.png"alt="Dr. Lillian Chong, Professor, University of Pittsburgh. Prof. Chong's research focuses on developing and applying advanced simulation methods to investigate rare but biologically important events, with an emphasis on capturing rigorous kinetics. Her group leads the development of the open-source WESTPA software, which implements weighted ensemble path sampling strategies for efficient simulation of rare events. She also works on the development of implicitly polarized force fields and rational design of protein conformational switches."style="float:left; " />
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Dr. Lillian Chong, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh, leads the [Chong Lab](https://chonglab-pitt.github.io), where her team develops cutting-edge tools at the interface of chemistry, physics, and biology to investicate biomolecular dynamics and function. Her research group pioneered using weighted ensemble (WE) simulation techniques to study rare events, such as large-scale conformational changes and protein-protein binding, and for creating implicitly polarized AMBER force fields. Her work garned the [2020 Gordon Bell Special Prize](https://chonglab-pitt.github.io/gordon_bell_prize/) for high-performance computing in COVID-19 research leveraging analyses that would otherwise take years but were achieved in weeks using WE and [WESTPA](https://westpa.github.io/westpa/), an open-source software for weighted ensemble path sampling.
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### Dr. Matthias Heyden
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<imgsrc="/public/images/UGM 2025 Speaker Announcement Cards - Heyden.png"alt="Dr. Matthias Heyden, Associate Professor, Arizona State University. Prof. Heyden's research group studies the dynamics and function of biomolecules with molecular simulations and Monte Carlo simulations. A special interest of his is anharmonic low-frequency vibrations, which are easily excitable by molecular collisions and can exhibit large deviations from harmonic approximations."style="float:left; " />
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The second keynote, [Dr. Matthias Heyden](https://www.compmolsci.com/) from Arizona State University's School of Molecular Sciences, brings expertise in modeling solvation dynamics and vibrational energy transport in crowded biomolecular environments. His research integrates realistic atomistic simulations to illuminate solute-solvent interactions and energy transfer. His group has contributed to the development of interactive molecular dynamics (IMD) workflows through tools like [IMDClient](https://imdclient.readthedocs.io/en/latest/), enabling real-time streaming and manipulation of molecular trajectories. These capabilities, also showcased in the [MDAnalysis IMD workshop materials](https://github.com/MDAnalysis/imd-workshop-2024), open new avenues for exploring simulations dynamically and interactively. This work enhances our understanding of biochemical processes in realistic settings, informing both simulation methodology and experimental interpretation.
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## Contributed Workshops
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Alongside invited presentations, the 2025 UGM will feature **community-led workshops** that cover a range of tools and methods relevant to the MDAnalysis user base. Confirmed contributed workshops will include sessions from:
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-[MDAnalysis core development team]({{ site.baseurl }}/pages/governance/#mdanalysis-core-developers)
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-[OpenADMET](https://openadmet.org/)
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-[Open Force Field Initiative](https://openforcefield.org/)
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-[Open Free Energy](https://openfree.energy/)
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These workshops are a great opportunity to learn new skills and connect with fellow developers and researchers in the field.
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## Registration and Bursary Applications Now Rolling
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We encourage all users, from first-time analysts to veteran contributors, to join us this November in-person in Arizona or to follow along with the online recordings. There are limited travel bursaries available. **Registration is now accepted on a rolling basis**, until participation limits are met. If you’re interested in attending or applying for support, we encourage you to submit as early as possible to maximize your chances of receiving a bursary and securing a spot. Visit the [UGM 2025 page](https://www.mdanalysis.org/pages/ugm2025/) for full details and links to the application forms.
The MDAnalysis *Code of Conduct* sets the rules for the behavior of
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every member in the MDAnalysis community so that everyone can
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experience a welcoming, supportive, and productive environment that is
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free from harassment.
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free from harassment. As a [NumFOCUS][NF] sponsored
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project, MDAnalysis follows the [NumFOCUS Code of Conduct][NF-conduct].
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**Table of Contents**
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-[MDAnalysis Code of Conduct and Community Guidelines](#mdanalysis-code-of-conduct-and-community-guidelines)
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-[MDAnalysis Code of Conduct](#numfocus-code-of-conduct)
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-[How to Report](#how-to-report)
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-[Who Will Receive Your Report](#who-will-receive-your-report)
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-[Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement](#diversity-equity-and-inclusion-statement)
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-[Reporting](#reporting)
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*[Reporting at MDAnalysis Events and Meetups](#reporting-at-mdanalysis-events-and-meetups)
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-[Enforcement](#enforcement)
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-[Acknowledgment](#acknowledgment)
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## MDAnalysis Code of Conduct and Community Guidelines
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MDAnalysis is an engaged and respectful community made up of people from all
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over the world. Your involvement helps us to further our mission and to create
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an open platform that serves a broad range of communities, from research and
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education to industry and beyond. This diversity is one of our biggest
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strengths, but it can also lead to communication issues and conflicts.
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Therefore, we have a few ground rules we ask that our community members adhere
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to.
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Fundamentally, we are committed to providing a productive,
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harassment-free environment for everyone. Rather than considering this
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code an exhaustive list of things that you can’t do, take it in the
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spirit it is intended - a guide to make it easier to enrich all of us
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and the communities in which we participate.
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Importantly: as a member of our community, you are also a steward of these
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values. Not all problems need to be resolved via formal processes, and often a
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quick, friendly but clear word on an online forum or in person can help resolve
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a misunderstanding and de-escalate things.
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However, sometimes these informal processes may be inadequate: they fail to
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work, there is urgency or risk to someone, nobody is intervening publicly and
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you don't feel comfortable speaking in public, etc. For these or other reasons,
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structured follow-up may be necessary and here we provide the means for that: [we
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welcome reports](#reporting) by filling out [*this form*][conduct-form].
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This code applies equally to founders, developers, mentors and new
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community members, in all spaces managed by MDAnalysis. This
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includes GitHub Discussions, our GitHub organizations, our chat rooms,
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in-person events, and any other forums created by the project team. In
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addition, violations of this code outside these spaces may affect a
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person's ability to participate within them.
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By embracing the following principles, guidelines and actions to follow or
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avoid, you will help us make MDAnalysis a welcoming and productive community. If
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that doesn't answer your questions, feel free to contact us
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via [GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/MDAnalysis/mdanalysis/discussions).
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1.**Be friendly and patient**.
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2.**Be welcoming**. We strive to be a community that welcomes and supports
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people of all backgrounds and identities. This includes, but is not limited
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to, members of any race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, color,
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immigration status, social and economic class, educational level, sex, sexual
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orientation, gender identity and expression, age, physical appearance, family
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status, political belief, technological or professional choices, academic
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discipline, religion, mental ability, and physical ability.
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3.**Be considerate**. Your work will be used by other people, and you in turn
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will depend on the work of others. Any decision you take will affect users
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and colleagues, and you should take those consequences into account when
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making decisions. Remember that we're a world-wide community. You may be
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communicating with someone with a different primary language or cultural
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background.
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4.**Be respectful**. Not all of us will agree all the time, but disagreement is
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no excuse for poor behavior or poor manners. We might all experience some
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frustration now and then, but we cannot allow that frustration to turn into a
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personal attack. It’s important to remember that a community where people
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feel uncomfortable or threatened is not a productive one.
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5.**Be careful in the words that you choose**. Be kind to others. Do not insult
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or put down other community members. Harassment and other exclusionary
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behavior are not acceptable. This includes, but is not limited to:
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* threats or violent language directed against another person
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* discriminatory jokes and language
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* posting sexually explicit or violent material
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* posting (or threatening to post) other people's personally identifying
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information ("doxing")
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* personal insults, especially those using racist or sexist terms
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* unwelcome sexual attention
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* advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior
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* repeated harassment of others. In general, if someone asks you to stop,
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then stop
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6.**Moderate your expectations**. Many in our community volunteer their time.
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They are probably not purposefully ignoring issues, refusing to engage in
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discussion, avoiding features, etc. but often just unavailable.
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7.**When we disagree, try to understand why**. Disagreements, both social and
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technical, happen all the time and MDAnalysis is no exception. It is important
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that we resolve disagreements and differing views constructively. Remember
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that we’re different. The strength of MDAnalysis comes from its varied community
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that includes people from a wide range of backgrounds. Different people have
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different perspectives on issues. Being unable to understand why someone
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holds a viewpoint doesn’t mean they’re wrong. Don’t forget that it is human
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to err and blaming each other doesn’t get us anywhere. Instead, focus on
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helping to resolve issues and learning from mistakes.
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8.**A simple apology can go a long way**. It can often de-escalate a situation,
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and telling someone that you are sorry is act of empathy that doesn’t
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automatically imply an admission of guilt.
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## Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement
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MDAnalysis strives to ensure a welcoming, inclusive space for all. As a [*NumFOCUS*](https://numfocus.org/) sponsored project, we fully support their [*Diversity & Inclusion in Scientific Computing*](https://numfocus.org/programs/diversity-inclusion) (DISC) mission and abide by their Diversity Statement:
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> *"NumFOCUS welcomes and encourages participation in our community by people of all backgrounds and identities. We are committed to promoting and sustaining a culture that values mutual respect, tolerance, and learning, and we work together as a community to help each other live out these values."*
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## Reporting
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If someone makes you or any other contributor feel unsafe or unwelcome, please
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report this in a timely manner. Code of conduct (CoC) violations reduce the value of
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the community for everyone and we take them seriously. All complaints will be
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reviewed and investigated and will result in a response that is deemed necessary
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and appropriate to the circumstances.
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You can file a report by filling out [this form][conduct-form]. The CoC Committee is obligated to maintain
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confidentiality with regard to the reporter of an incident.
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The online form gives you the option to keep your report anonymous or request
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that we follow up with you directly. While we cannot follow up on an anonymous
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report, we will take appropriate action.
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You may also follow [NumFOCUS’s Code of Conduct violation reporting][NF-conduct]
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guidelines if you would like to contact a third-party outside of the MDAnalysis
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community.
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### Reporting at MDAnalysis Events and Meetups
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If you are attending an MDAnalysis event or meetup and wish to [make a report](#reporting), you may contact the ombudspersons (who will identify themselves at the event) or other event staff/meetup organizers so that they can take any appropriate immediate response. If you would prefer not to do that, please [submit a report][conduct-form] to MDAnalysis.
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Ombudspeople and event staff/meetup organizers will be happy to help participants contact venue security or local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the event/meetup.
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## Enforcement
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All reports of breaches of the code of conduct will be investigated and handled by the **MDAnalysis Code of Conduct Committee**. The current MDAnalysis Code of Conduct Committee consists of:
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- Jenna Swarthout Goddard (@jennaswa)
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- Micaela Matta (@micaela-matta)
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- Yuxuan Zhuang (@yuxuanzhuang)
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In the event of any conflict of interest, the affected committee member will immediately notify the rest of the committee and recuse themselves.
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When a report is filed, the CoC Committee will reply as soon as possible to confirm receipt;
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we strive to answer in less than 24 hours. The CoC Committee will review the incident and
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determine, to the best of its ability
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- what happened
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- whether this event constitutes a code of conduct violation
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- who, if anyone, was at fault
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- whether this is an ongoing situation
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This information will be collected in writing. We strive to reach a resolution
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within a week of confirmation. Once a resolution has been agreed upon, but before it is
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enacted, the CoC Committee will contact the original reporter and any other affected parties
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and explain the proposed resolution. We will ask if this resolution is
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acceptable and note feedback for the record. We are, however, not required to act
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on this feedback.
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## Acknowledgment
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Original text courtesy of [*NumFOCUS*](https://numfocus.org/code-of-conduct) and the
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