The Research Computing and Data (RCD) Capabilities Model allows institutions to assess their support for computationally- and data-intensive research, to identify potential areas for improvement, and to understand how the broader community views Research Computing and Data support. The Capabilities Model was developed by a diverse group of institutions with a range of support models, in a collaboration among Internet2, CaRCC, and EDUCAUSE with support from the National Science Foundation. This Assessment Tool is designed for use by a range of roles at each institution, from front-line support through campus leadership, and is intended to be inclusive across small and large, and public and private institutions.
Want a quick summary and intro for your team? See our 1-page overview.
New online assessment tool now available! New data exploration and benchmarking portal coming soon.
We are excited to announce that our new online assessment tool is now available, streamlining the submission process.This new web-based version of the assessment tool offers a much better user experience and is backed by a database that provides a more robust platform for data analysis.
We are no longer accepting submissions through the former process, and encourage you to use the new tool to submit your 2023 assessments before December 31, 2023 in order to be counted in this year’s data. However, the new assessment tool will accept submissions any time of year.
A new online data exploration and benchmarking portal will be available early in 2024.
How will my institution benefit?
The Capabilities Model can help you answer these questions:
- How well is my institution supporting computationally- and data-intensive research, and how can we get a comprehensive view of our support?
- What is my institution not thinking about or missing that the community has identified as significant?
- How can my institution (and my group) identify potential areas for improvement?
Some common uses for the Capabilities Model include:
- To identify and understand areas of strength and weakness in an institution’s support to aid in strategic planning and prioritization.
- To benchmark your institution’s support against peers – often when making an argument for increased funding to remain competitive on faculty recruitment and retention. (See the list of contributors).
- To compare local institutional approaches to a common community model (i.e., a shared vocabulary), to facilitate communications and collaboration.
Need help or have questions?
- Email capsmodel-help@carcc.org with questions or to request engagement from one of our trained facilitators.
- Subscribe to the capsmodel-discuss@carcc.org discussion list (click here to join). Hear how other institutions are completing their assessment and using it as part of strategic planning.
- Join our RCD CM Office Hours on the second Tuesdays of the month at 1pm ET
- Check out slides and recordings from our previous webinars, workshops, etc.
- See also Previous RCD CM Events and Materials for recordings and slides of webinars, workshops, etc.
Just getting started with research computing and data (RCD) and looking for a simpler approach?
You’re not alone, and we’ve started a new Focused Tools effort to create tools that are geared at smaller and emerging programs. Check out that work here!
Want to get involved?
Join the working group and help shape the future enhancements of the tools, or contribute to the analysis of the community dataset! If you’re interested, write to us at: capsmodel-help@carcc.org or contact the chairs: Patrick Schmitz (Semper Cogito) and Dana Brunson (Internet2).
2021 Capabilities Model Community Data report now available
The second Research Computing and Data (RCD) Capabilities Model Community Dataset report is now available through CaRCC’s RCD Nexus as part of a project funded by the National Science Foundation. The report aggregates assessments contributed by 51 higher education institutions, providing insight into the current state of support for RCD. See also the related post.
2020 Capabilities Model Community Dataset report
The report describes the first Research Computing and Data (RCD) Capabilities Model Community Dataset, aggregating the assessments of 41 Higher Education Institutions. Read more about the Community Dataset.
Thank you to our contributing institutions!
These institutions contributed assessment data in 2020, 2021, and/or 2022 (a number have completed and contributed updated assessments)*.
| Arizona State University | Rutgers University | University of Guam |
| Boston University | Southern Methodist University | University of Hawaii at Hilo |
| Carleton College | Tennessee Tech University | University of Hawaii System |
| Chaminade University of Honolulu | Texas A & M University | University of Hawaii West Oahu |
| Cornell University | The Jackson Laboratory | University of Kentucky |
| George Mason University | The Ohio State University | University of Maryland, College Park |
| Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences | University of Alberta | University of Massachusetts Boston |
| Kennesaw State University | University of Arkansas | University of Nevada Reno |
| Louisiana State University | University of British Columbia | University of New Mexico |
| Michigan State University | University of California Berkeley | University of Rhode Island |
| Montana State University | University of California Los Angeles | University of South Carolina |
| North Carolina State University | University of California Merced | University of South Dakota |
| Northwestern University | University of California San Diego | University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio |
| Pennsylvania State University | University of California Santa Barbara | University of Utah |
| Princeton University | University of Cincinnati | University of Washington |
| Purdue University | University of Delaware | Yale University |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | University of Florida |
Read More about the Capabilities Model
This work has been supported in part by an RCN grant from the National Science Foundation (OAC-1620695, PI: Alex Feltus, “RCN: Advancing Research and Education through a national network of campus research computing infrastructures – The CaRC Consortium”), and by an NSF Cyberinfrastructure Centers of Excellence (CI CoE) pilot award (OAC-2100003, PI Dana Brunson, “Advancing Research Computing and Data: Strategic Tools, Practices, and Professional Development”).
Related posts:
- New! Engagement Facilitation Guide for Smaller and Emerging RCD Programs
- New Release: RCD Nexus Capabilities Model Visualization Portal
- People Network and Other Community Calls for This Month!
- Capabilities Model Assessment Tool Upgraded to Version 2.1
- Read the report: RCD Nexus Day 2023
Supported by the National Science Foundation
This work has been supported in part by an RCN grant from the National Science Foundation (OAC-1620695, PI: Alex Feltus, “RCN: Advancing Research and Education through a national network of campus research computing infrastructures – The CaRC Consortium”), and by an NSF Cyberinfrastructure Centers of Excellence (CI CoE) pilot award (OAC-2100003, PI Dana Brunson, “Advancing Research Computing and Data: Strategic Tools, Practices, and Professional Development”).