Welcome to all our new members who joined the Campus Research Computing Consortium (CaRCC) at PEARC25 in Columbus! Whether you connected with us at the CaRCC Town Hall, Coffee with CaRCC, RCD Nexus Day, or simply discovered our community during the conference, we’re thrilled you’re here.
The energy and collaboration at PEARC25 embodied everything CaRCC stands for – building an inclusive community of research computing and data (RCD) professionals who support each other’s growth and advance the frontiers of research together. Now that you’re part of our community, let’s explore the many ways you can engage, learn, and contribute.
Your First Steps in CaRCC
1. Complete Your Membership Profile
If you haven’t already, visit our membership portal to create or update your profile. This free membership connects you to our entire ecosystem of resources, communications, and fellow RCD professionals. You can select which People Network tracks interest you and customize your engagement based on your role and interests.
2. Join the Conversation
- Slack Workspace: Our vibrant Slack community is where daily conversations happen. You’ll find channels for each People Network track, working groups, and general discussions.
- Email Lists: Each track and group maintains focused email lists for announcements, discussions, and resource sharing.
- Monthly Calls: Subscribe to our calendar for the monthly community calls – these are the heartbeat of our community where we share experiences, tackle challenges, and learn together.
3. Attend a CaRCC Monthly Welcome
Join us for this monthly info session on CaRCC groups, activities, and resources. We love to meet all our newcomers and help everyone get the most out of involvement with CaRCC. Upcoming monthly welcomes will take place at the following times. Connection details will be shared in advance via the People network email and Slack lists:
- Tuesday, August 5, 2025 2pm ET/1pm CT/12pm MT/11am PT
- Thursday, September 4, 2025 2pm ET/1pm CT/12pm MT/11am PT
The People Network: Find Your Community
At the heart of CaRCC is our People Network – organized tracks that bring together professionals with similar roles or interests. You’re not limited to one track; many members participate in multiple areas that align with their work:
Core Tracks or “Facings”
Familiarize yourself with the CaRCC Facings concept! (Note: CaRCC encourages Software-Facing professionals to become involved with US-RSE.)
- Monthly calls: Second Thursday at 1 PM ET
- Perfect for: Facilitators, consultants, and anyone who directly supports researchers
- Topics: Best practices in facilitation, outreach strategies, training approaches
- Monthly calls: Third Thursday at 1 PM ET
- Perfect for: System administrators, HPC engineers, infrastructure specialists
- Topics: Technical challenges, system management, emerging technologies
- Monthly calls: Check current schedule
- Perfect for: Data managers, data scientists, visualization specialists
- Topics: Data workflows, management strategies, tools and technologies
Strategy & Policy-Facing Track
- Perfect for: Directors, managers, and strategic planners
- Topics: Institutional planning, funding strategies, policy development
- Perfect for: Smaller or developing RCD programs
- Topics: Building programs, resource optimization, growth strategies
Working Groups: Make an Impact
Ready to dive deeper? Our working groups tackle specific challenges and create resources that benefit the entire community:
Active Working Groups
AI Facilitation Materials Developing tools and resources to help RCD professionals support researchers implementing AI on their systems – a particularly timely topic given AI’s prominence at PEARC25.
RCD Capabilities Model Creating assessment tools that help institutions evaluate their RCD support and identify areas for improvement. Your fresh perspective could be valuable here!
RCD Professionalization Working Group Developing and disseminating resources, products, and approaches that describe the RCD profession, the workforce, and the complexity of their roles.
Mentoring Working Group Investigating and coordinating mentoring opportunities across the RCD community. Whether you’re seeking mentorship or ready to mentor others, this group needs you.
Anaconda Transition Sharing best practices for navigating licensing changes – a practical group addressing immediate community needs.
Forming Now: RCD Communications and Outreach Working Group Developing communications guides and templates to support the RCD community. Contact Daphne McCanse if you are a communications professional interested in helping. (daphne@carcc.org).
Interest Groups: Explore Emerging Topics
Interest groups form around pressing issues and may evolve into working groups:
- AI Facilitation Interest Group: Community of practice for RCD professionals working to effectively facilitate the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning software
- Research Cybersecurity: Bridging RCD and security professionals
- HIPAA Challenges: Tackling the complexities of supporting HIPAA-compliant research
- Staff and Student Workforce Development: Building the next generation of RCD professionals
- EPSoR CI Council: A forum of exchange for emerging and ongoing best practices for EPSCoR jurisdictions
Special Opportunities for Engagement
Volunteer Leadership
Many of our tracks and groups need coordinators and steering committee members. This is a fantastic way to shape the community while building your professional network.
Share Your Expertise
- Join the discussion at monthly track calls. (Or even offer to present! Talk to the track chairs.)
- Contribute to working groups developing best practices
- Be interviewed for this newsletter! We would love to highlight your institution or program, or to share your unique professional story. (Contact Daphne McCanse daphne@carcc.org.)
Watch for and Attend our Annual Events
- CaRCC Parade (Each January): Our annual kick-off event introducing the year ahead
- RCD Nexus Day at PEARC: An official PEARC co-located preconference event for RCD professionals
- Coffee with CaRCC at Supercomputing and PEARC conferences. Meet other CaRCC members and help welcome future newcomers.
Resources at Your Fingertips
CaRCC Products and Resources
Our comprehensive portal housing professional resources, career guides, and the RCD Capabilities Model tools. Learn from other institutions with our RCD Program Stories.
CaRCC YouTube Channel
Missed a monthly call? Most are recorded and available on our YouTube channel – a goldmine of community knowledge.
Community Calendar
Stay connected with all CaRCC events, deadlines, and important dates through our shared calendar.
Why Your Voice Matters
As someone new to CaRCC, you bring fresh perspectives that are invaluable to our community. Whether you’re from an emerging center, transitioning into RCD from another field, or bringing expertise from a different sector, your experiences enrich our collective knowledge.
Don’t wait to get involved – jump into a Slack conversation, attend your first monthly call, or reach out to a working group that interests you. The CaRCC community grows stronger with each new member who actively participates.
Stay Connected
- Questions? Email help@carcc.org
- Ideas? Share them on Slack or during monthly calls or email help@carcc.org
- Ready to lead? Express interest to any track coordinator or working group chair
A Personal Invitation
The connections you made at PEARC25 are just the beginning. CaRCC is more than a professional organization – it’s a community that celebrates successes, troubleshoots challenges together, and advocates for the critical work we all do in advancing research.
Whether you’re building your institution’s first HPC cluster, implementing new data management strategies, or leading an established RCD center, you belong here. Your journey in research computing and data is our shared journey.
Welcome to CaRCC – we can’t wait to see how you’ll help shape the future of research computing and data!