Campus Research Computing Consortium (CaRCC)

Data-Facing Track - Nov 2026
2026-11-03 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
1st Tuesday of Each Month 1p ET/ 12p CT/ 11a MT/ 10a PT/ 8a HT
Topic: TBA
Zoom details distributed via email and via the CaRCC Google Calendar. Join CaRCC’s email lists: https://members.carcc.org/

Emerging Centers Track, Oct 2026
2026-10-21 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Topic: TBD
Call Coordinates (Zoom):
If you are not a member of People Network or Track email lists (where we distribute Zoom details), please contact coordinators of the relevant track: https://carcc.org/people-network/ and please include name and affiliation.

CaRCC Newcomer Welcome & Orientation
2026-10-14 15:00 - 15:30, 2026-08-11 15:00 - 15:30, 2026-06-09 15:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York)
Whether you’re new to CaRCC or looking to learn more and get more involved, join us on the first Tuesday of the even-numbered months at 3pm ET/2pm CT/1pm MT/ 12pm PT for a welcome session and overview of CaRCC groups, tracks, events, and volunteer opportunities.
We love meeting our newcomers, and everyone is welcome!
Call coordinates are available through the CaRCC Google calendar and will be sent to the People Network email and Slack lists. Please join the People Network today!

Data-Facing Track - Oct 2026
2026-10-06 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)

Emerging Centers Track, Sep 2026
2026-09-16 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)

Data-Facing Track - Sep 2026
2026-09-01 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)

Emerging Centers Track, Aug 2026
2026-08-19 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Topic: No Monthly Call for August – Enjoy your Summer Vacation!!
Call Coordinates (Zoom):
If you are not a member of People Network or Track email lists (where we distribute Zoom details), please contact coordinators of the relevant track: https://carcc.org/people-network/ and please include name and affiliation.

Data-Facing Track - Aug 2026
2026-08-04 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
1st Tuesday of Each Month 1p ET/ 12p CT/ 11a MT/ 10a PT/ 8a HT
Topic: PEARC Recap!
Call attendees who weren’t at PEARC26 can learn from the shared perspectives of those who were. We’ll gather ideas for discussion at the top of the call, leaning on PEARC26 insights relevant to data-facing work and services. This open discussion will not be recorded.
Zoom details distributed via email and via the CaRCC Google Calendar. Join CaRCC’s email lists: https://members.carcc.org/

PEARC26: Community Connections: Regulated Research Community of Practice (RRCoP)
2026-07-29 17:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | PEARC 26
A representative from RRCoP will be at the Community Connections table (Internet2/CaRCC booth, Exhibit Hall) to provide information and answer questions.

PEARC26: PNL-5: 2026 Campus Research Computing Consortium (CaRCC) Town Hall
2026-07-29 15:35 - 16:45 (America/New_York) | PEARC 26
The Campus Research Computing Consortium (CaRCC) is at a pivotal moment in its evolution. After nearly a decade as a grassroots professional community, CaRCC is formalizing as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and developing a new sustaining membership model – structural changes designed to strengthen our capacity to serve Research Computing and Data (RCD) professionals for years to come. Join us for an interactive session where CaRCC leadership will share significant progress on these fronts and invite the community into an open conversation about how this growing organization can continue to best serve RCD professionals today and into the future.
Authors: Dana Brunson, Robert M Freeman Jr, Daphne McCanse, LaurenMichael, Timothy Middelkoop and Patrick Schmitz
Room: Room 101D & 101E

PEARC26: ABS-1-4: Addressing the Challenges Posed by Anaconda’s New Licensing Model
2026-07-29 14:10 - 14:20 (America/New_York) | PEARC 26
When Anaconda Inc. introduced its revised Terms of Service (ToS) in Spring 2024, the changes created immediate uncertainty for academic research computing. For years, Anaconda’s Python distribution and package‑management platform had been freely available for academic use—both on local systems and across HPC clusters—serving as the foundation for scientific workflows in many departments. Institutions that rely on shared local systems and HPC clusters faced concerns about compliance scope, budget exposure, and potential disruption to established collaborative workflows. This work reflects that context while focusing on practical and current paths forward. The conda package manager is free and open-source — it is not going away. The licensing concerns are specifically about packages hosted in Anaconda Inc.’s “defaults” channel and their distribution platform. **For most users, the simplest path forward is to use conda-forge as your package channel (e.g., by installing Miniforge instead of the Anaconda distribution). Conda-forge is a large, community-maintained collection of packages that does not fall under Anaconda’s Terms of Service. You can continue using conda (or mamba) exactly as before — just sourcing packages from conda-forge instead of “defaults.” That said, Anaconda Inc. does provide value beyond just hosting packages. Their curated “defaults” channel undergoes additional vetting, which may matter for institutions with stringent security or reproducibility requirements. Organizations in regulated or high-security environments may find Anaconda’s commercial offerings — including verified package provenance and enterprise support — worth evaluating. For others, conda-forge covers most scientific computing needs at no cost and with no licensing concerns. Anaconda Inc.’s revised Terms of Service, effective July 2025, introduce new compliance obligations for academic institutions. While Anaconda remains free for accredited educational entities under their Academic Policy, institutions must now proactively secure an Eligible Academic Institution (EAI) agreement — renewed annually — and are held responsible for ensuring all users comply with the terms. Key risk areas include restrictions on embedding Anaconda packages in containers, mirroring repositories, and providing access to third parties (e.g., external collaborators), all of which may require a paid license even under the academic exemption. The terms can be modified with as little as 90 days’ notice, and it falls to the institution to monitor for changes. Given this evolving landscape, the working group recommends that institutions evaluate open-source alternatives (such as Miniforge with conda-forge) to reduce compliance exposure, while engaging with peer institutions through CaRCC’s Anaconda Transition Working Group to advocate for clearer, stable academic terms.
Authors: Manasvita Joshi, Geoffrey Lentner, Aldo Romero, Anna Alber, Bryan Raney, Ian Kaufman, Joseph Creech, Lev Gorenstein and Raffaella D D’Auria
Room: Room 101A & 101B

PEARC26: WKF-4-1: Building Workforce Development Opportunities for RCD Professionals and Researchers
2026-07-29 11:00 - 11:30 (America/New_York) | PEARC 26
Author: Michael Weiner What opportunities exist for building the workforce of Research Computing and Data (RCD) professionals? What opportunities need to be created What advanced computing resources enable students and researchers to learn, build skills, and engage new technologies? This talk will reflect on an RCD workforce simultaneously growing and learning in an environment of rapid AI adoption, strengthened by national initiatives to build a strong community of RCD professionals at PEARC and beyond through the Campus Champions and the Campus Research Computing Consortium (CaRCC). It will also address the advanced computing resources Georgia Tech provides to students and researchers for education and training, including the Instructional Cluster Environment and AI Makerspace, how demand for them is rapidly growing and evolving, and how new tools are needed to meet the needs of today’s students.
Room: Auditorium Room 3

PEARC26: BOF-5: Facilitating AI Use Cases on RCD Resources: Community-Informed Professional Development Materials
2026-07-28 13:30 - 14:30 (America/New_York) | PEARC 26
After RCD professionals articulated significant and growing desires for peer engagement and professional development materials around AI Facilitation during the PEARC24-colocated RCD Nexus Day, an AI Facilitation Materials Working Group has been producing such materials in response to those desires. These include a PEARC25-published set of RCD-varying AI use cases across the AI research project lifecycle, a re-usable webinar materials on requesting via the resources via the National AI Research Resource Pilot, and a dynamic online resource that encourages ongoing community contributions to planned phases of content on RCD-specific considerations across AI use cases in the published life cycle. This BOF will briefly review progress to-date and engage PEARC26 attendees in breakout discussion to ensure that in-progress and future materials continue to reflect the evolving professional development desires of the RCD professional community, from student and early-career perspectives to experienced RCD professionals and leaders.
Authors: Lauren Michael, Timothy Middelkoop, Manasvita Joshi, SemirSarajlic, Jeffrey Valdez and Ying Zhang
Room: Room 101I

PEARC26: Internet2 & CaRCC Exhibitor Forum Presentation
2026-07-28 12:30 - 12:45 (America/New_York) | PEARC 26
Exhibitor Forum Stage.

Emerging Centers Track, Jul 2026
2026-07-28 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago)
Topic: In-Person Meetup at PEARC26
Call Coordinates (Zoom):
If you are not a member of People Network or Track email lists (where we distribute Zoom details), please contact coordinators of the relevant track: https://carcc.org/people-network/ and please include name and affiliation.

PEARC26: WKF-1-2: Understanding RCD Work: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Activities, Complexities, and the Compensation of RCD Professionals in the US and Canada
2026-07-28 11:30 - 11:45 (America/New_York) | PEARC 26
This paper presents initial mixed-methods results from a survey (N=818) of RCD Professionals’ demographics, compensation, and the complexities and challenges associated with RCD responsibilities and RCD facilitation. This work builds on the 2021 RCD Census by analyzing the 2025 RCD Workforce Survey results. Compared with the 2021 RCD Census Survey, we increased the sample size by 45% (818 vs 563 valid responses) and improved measurement precision by capturing annual gross compensation as a continuous numeric variable. Results provide contextualization of RCD professional roles, including the proportion of time spent on RCD activities and the percentage of time on each of the CaRCC Five Facings. The majority of professionals (60%)contribute directly to scholarly work or research projects. The median compensation for mid-career professionals was $86,000 USD.
Authors: Ashley Stauffer, Levi Dolan, Ritika Giri, Paula Valencia,Kimberly Grasch, Nandan Tandon, Chris Reidy, Kirk Anne andSemir Sarajlic
Room: Auditorium Room 3

PEARC26: Coffee with CaRCC — Celebrating 10 Years!
2026-07-28 10:15 - 11:00 (America/New_York) | PEARC 26
Ten years of community, and we’re just getting started. Stop by the Internet2/CaRCC booth in the Exhibit Hall during the morning coffee break to help mark the occasion and kick off CaRCC’s 10th anniversary year. Free donuts, exclusive anniversary stickers, and great people. Near the Internet2/CaRCC booth.

PEARC26: CaRCC T-Shirt Day
2026-07-28 00:00 - 23:59 (America/New_York) | PEARC 26
Wear your CaRCC t-shirt — CaRCC’s 10th anniversary year at PEARC26.

PEARC26: RCD Nexus Day
2026-07-26 08:00 - 18:30 (America/New_York) | PEARC 26
Register Now for Fifth Annual RCD Nexus Day!

Data-Facing Track - July 2026
2026-07-07 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
1st Tuesday of Each Month 1p ET/ 12p CT/ 11a MT/ 10a PT/ 8a HT
Topic: Intro to Information Science
Zoom details distributed via email and via the CaRCC Google Calendar. Join CaRCC’s email lists: https://members.carcc.org/

Systems-Facing Track – June 2026
2026-06-18 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Vancouver)
Myth vs Mythos: The Reality of CVEs and Research Computing
The number of CVEs affecting HPC and research computing systems has recently spiked, and fears about the risks that AI poses to internet security have risen enough to garner media coverage. These two factors have resulted in HPC and research computing practitioners dealing with both significant patching activity and increased expectations to implement mitigations quickly. Does the current landscape warrant a change in how cybersecurity is approached, is a tightening of existing practices sufficient, or is there really a rise in vulnerabilities? This session will explore how institutions, labs, and research centers are dealing with the situation and offer perspectives on the current research cybersecurity landscape.

Emerging Centers Track, Jun 2026
2026-06-17 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Topic: How are you getting through these times of existential dread?
Community Discussion

Call Coordinates (Zoom):
If you are not a member of People Network or Track email lists (where we distribute Zoom details), please contact coordinators of the relevant track: https://carcc.org/people-network/ and please include name and affiliation.

Researcher-facing Track - June 2026
2026-06-11 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
2nd Thursdays of Each Month
1p ET/ 12p CT/ 11a MT/ 10a PT/ 8a HT
Should Your Institution Host an Open Source LLM?
Speakers:
Coltran Hophan-Nichols, Director of Systems and Research Computing, Montana State University
Johnathan Lee, Sr Systems Architect, Research Technology Office, Arizona State University
As interest in generative AI grows, many institutions are exploring how to support large language models in ways that align with privacy, security, research, and campus needs. This session will focus on local and institutionally managed open source LLMs as an alternative to closed, commercial, or provider-hosted services. We will discuss how institutions are aggregating demand, designing sustainable services, selecting infrastructure models, and balancing usability, cost, governance, security, and support expectations. Drawing on emerging peer examples and broader federal interest in open-source AI, participants will compare self-hosted hardware, cloud-based managed infrastructure, and hybrid approaches while considering the practical benefits, challenges, and tradeoffs of hosting open source LLMs on campus.

Emerging Centers Track, May 2026
2026-05-20 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Topic: Digital Accessibility Month: Making Technology Accessible
Call Coordinates (Zoom):
If you are not a member of People Network or Track email lists (where we distribute Zoom details), please contact coordinators of the relevant track: https://carcc.org/people-network/ and please include name and affiliation.

Researcher-facing Track - May 2026
2026-05-14 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
2nd Thursdays of Each Month
1p ET/ 12p CT/ 11a MT/ 10a PT/ 8a HT
Supporting Research Core Facilities
Panel Discussion:
Dave Carlson, PhD, Senior Computational Scientist – Stony Brook University
Colin Odden, Deputy Chief Research Information Officer, College of Medicine Research Information Technology – Ohio State University
Jacob Fosso Tande, PhD, Research Computing Architect & Solutions Developer – North Carolina State University
David Nix, Director of Bioinformatics Shared Resource at the Huntsman Cancer Institute – University of Utah
additional panelists TBD
Supporting research core facilities and centers can be challenging for research computing and data (RCD) professionals. This May panel will explore why cores often fall outside standard IT/RCD support models and how to reduce cybersecurity risk when legacy systems are required. Panelists will share service models and maturity levels, and discuss common issues such as data management, fragmented environments, lab safety, network security, and unclear support lines. Join us to learn, ask questions, and share experiences.

Strategy and Policy Facing Track – May 2026
2026-05-06 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Strategic planning for Quantum Computing
TBD

Data-Facing Track – May 2026
2026-05-05 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
1st Tuesday of Each Month 1p ET/ 12p CT/ 11a MT/ 10a PT/ 8a HT

Topic: RDAP Recap

Systems-Facing Track - April 2026
2026-04-16 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Floating Point Precision in Modern GPU Infrastructure: Practical Considerations for HPC Architecture and Procurement
With the emergence of new GPU architectures, those building or refreshing HPC systems are facing additional decision-making around platform selection. Previous assumptions that the latest hardware will always be the best choice are being challenged by floating point precision, with some newer GPU models performing more poorly than older ones for certain workloads. This talk will offer a practical overview of precision across modern accelerator environments and how these factors affect both system architecture and procurement strategy. This presentation will draw on Georgia Tech’s experience both experimenting with emerging architectures and deploying reliable, highly scalable HPC systems for its research community.
Speakers: Aaron Jezghani, PhD, Associate Director, Platform & Architecture and Scheduler Architect, PACE, Georgia Tech; Will Powell, Research Technologist, College of Computing, Georgia Tech
