Carcc Dev

Featured

Welcome to CaRCC

CaRCC – the Campus Research Computing Consortium – is an organization of dedicated professionals developing, advocating for, and advancing campus research computing and data* and associated professions. Current focus areas include building community among research computing and data professionals (see the People Network), connecting the broader research computing and data ecosystem, professionalization and workforce development, and defining stakeholders and shared value propositions for the community at a time of accelerating change.

More info at https://carcc.org/about/.

* Research computing & data involves people, scholarship, and resources… (more…)

Nexus Day Staff and Student Workforce Development Summary

During the Nexus Day event, held July 10, 2022 in conjunction with the PEARC22 conference, we held an all-day workshop to address student workforce programs and staff onboarding and workforce development practices. Although we intended to spend much of the time addressing both the staff and student workforce issues together, we quickly determined that breakout sessions specific to staff or student development efforts would be more effective and provide an excellent forum to discuss common themes and exchange ideas.

There was a general recognition that common problems and challenges span the two efforts, and there is a desire to address them collectively through shared tools and methodologies and by developing a common framework. Specifically, there was an aspiration to develop a set of learning paths, starting as early as undergraduate RCD staff and continuing through senior-level RCD professionals, to identify existing gaps in training and development. However, it was also recognized that specifics would differ between staff and student development – even though many of the tools, documentation, and basic framework may be the same. Interesting outcomes included a shared desire to develop basic materials, such as a five-minute video on “What is a Research Computing and Data Professional?”, as well as a collective agreement on the need for and value of project management skills and training for those working in research computing and data (RCD).

Student Workforce Development

The student workforce development breakout sessions at Nexus Day 2022 allowed participants from institutions looking to start a student workforce program to interact with those from institutions with established programs. After an opening discussion, session participants spent time brainstorming a set of information that would be valuable for groups looking to start a new student program.

Based on this input and the subsequent discussions, three top priorities were identified:

Obtaining information about successful student programs
Learning about resources for mentor development
Gathering ideas for establishing funding sustainability

In the afternoon, workshop attendees tackled the first of these priorities by developing a specific set of questions to ask those with established student programs in order to yield useful information for those just starting a program. At the end of the workshop, we had the first draft of a survey of student programs – with special thanks to Scott Coughlin from Northwestern University for creating the document.

We left the workshop excited to move forward with the growth of the CaRCC Student Workforce Development interest group.

Staff Workforce Development

The staff workforce development breakout identified four areas that were discussed independently: mentoring; tools and documentation; training; and measuring value (KPI, ROI, value proposition). After the resulting discussions were compared with those from the Student workforce track, career advancement was identified as another important topic for both the staff and student development efforts. The combined topics were then ranked by the participants, generating the following top topics of interest:

Tools and documentation
Mentoring
Measuring value.

Participants in the RCD staff and student workforce workshop were in agreement that new resources are needed for RCD staff and student workforce development. However, it was also recognized that there are a number of good resources already available that should be curated and documented. Developing these resources is a main goal of the RCD Nexus portal and Nexus Day laid the groundwork to begin forming working groups to address these gaps. These resources can provide the needed visibility for such tools, example programs, and leading practices.

People Network Calls to Ring in the New Year!

Mark your calendars for the below People Network Calls in January (Zoom details at the end). For handy calendar entries, please try the CaRCC Events Calendar. We’d also like to highlight other calls from our RCD Ecosystem partners and collaborators, as these events touch many, if not all, in our community.

Additionally, note that we are repeating the CaRCC Parade this year, an opportunity to learn about CaRCC and to hear directly from group coordinators on updates and advances over the past year.

CaRCC/People Network End-of-Year Party

A reminder to join us for the CaRCC End-of-Year Party on Thursday, December 9, from 1-2:30pm ET, in lieu of People Network track calls this month. You’ll have the opportunity to participate in two breakout room sessions (switching half-way through the call) with activities organized around the following:

November Line-Up of People Network & RCD Community Calls

Greetings to all members of the Campus Research Computing Consortium (CaRCC) People Network!

Mark your calendars for these upcoming People Network Calls. For handy calendar entries, please try the CaRCC Events Calendar. We’d also like to highlight other calls from our RCD Ecosystem partners and collaborators, as these events touch many, if not all, in our community.

Emerging Centers track seeks Steering Committee members

The Emerging Centers track of the CaRCC People Network is seeking individuals who could meet monthly to help the co-coordinators, Jane Combs and Rich Knepper, identify topics, coordinate with speakers, and expand our reach to more institutions.

Do you have a couple of extra hours in your month to give back to your RCD community, build your professional network, strengthen your NSF Biosketch Synergistic Activities section, and have some fun with new colleagues?

If you are interested in becoming a founding member of the Emerging Centers track Steering Committee, please contact us at combsje@uc.edu, Rich.Knepper@cornell.edu or ec-coordinators@carcc.org

Note: you do not need to be a current member of the Emerging Centers track community. We are hoping to assemble a diverse group of representatives from small and large centers/institutions, newly established centers, institutions without centers, and highly established centers. All ideas (and people!) are welcome.

October Line-Up of People Network & RCD Community Calls

Greetings to all members of the Campus Research Computing Consortium (CaRCC) People Network!

Before you mark your calendars (and usher in October), we’d like to remind everyone that today, 9/30, the RCD Workforce Survey will close. Please take this important survey if you haven’t already, and please pass along to your colleagues — a wide range of research-supporting positions are among those whom we’d like to hear from. See the RCD Workforce Survey webpage to start or for more information.

Now, mark your calendars for these upcoming People Network Calls (Zoom details at the end). For handy calendar entries, please try the CaRCC Events Calendar. We’d also like to highlight other calls from our RCD Ecosystem partners and collaborators, as these events touch many, if not all, in our community.

September People Network & RCD Community Calls

Greetings to all members of the Campus Research Computing Consortium (CaRCC) People Network! We hope you and yours are safe and well during these stormy days! Please mark your calendars for these upcoming People Network Calls (Zoom details at the end). For handy calendar entries, please try the CaRCC Events Calendar.

We’d also like to highlight other calls from our RCD Ecosystem partners and collaborators, as these events touch many, if not all, in our community.

Finally, we have brief information about CaRCC and the People Network. If you’re not on our mailing lists, please fill out our Join the People Network form and join our Slack channels.

RCD Capabilities Model 2021 Community Dataset Deadline Approaching

The Research Computing and Data (RCD) Capabilities Model working group has set the deadline for contributions to the 2021 Community Dataset. Institutions must complete and submit their assessments by September 30, 2021. There’s still plenty of time to request your copy of the assessment tool, complete the assessment, and submit it using the new submission form.

August People Network & RCD Community Calls

Greetings to all members of the Campus Research Computing Consortium (CaRCC) People Network! Mark your calendars for these upcoming People Network Calls (Zoom details included in associated emails). For handy calendar entries, please try the CaRCC Events Calendar.

We’d also like to highlight other calls from our RCD Ecosystem partners and collaborators, as these events touch many, if not all, in our community.

Finally, we have brief information about CaRCC and the People Network. If you’re not on our mailing lists, please fill out our Join the People Network form; or join our Slack channels.

Join the EPSCoR CI Working Group exploring CI/RCD access for emerging and under-funded institutions!

Greetings, CaRCC members, from all of us in the newly formed EPSCoR CI Working Group (WG)! Our work centers around recognition that increased access to cyberinfrastructure (CI) and associated best practices is the next challenge for emerging and under-resourced institutions.

The National Science Foundation recently funded an effort (award #2033483) designed to boost awareness, communication, and partnerships using CaRCC-driven assessment and planning tools. Led by the University of Hawai’i, in collaboration with institutional partners from Alaska, Mississippi, Montana, and Nevada, the project advocates for broad use of the Research Computing and Data Capabilities Model (RCD CM) assessment tool across the nation’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) jurisdictions and other emerging or under-resourced institutions (interested? Contact us).

Assessment data will be used by participating institutions in training efforts centered on CI strategic planning and partnership development. Assessment and training activities will culminate in a workshop to be held in conjunction with the NSF EPSCoR National Conference in Portland, Maine, May 22–25, 2022. An open access report, publication and related outreach activities will be made available to share findings and planning and partnership initiatives and opportunities. Check back on the working group site to keep up with our work.