Research Computing and Data is changing at an accelerating rate, while the range of fields and disciplines depending on the cyberinfrastructure is expanding and becoming increasingly diverse. This poses significant challenges to academic institutions as they try to effectively assess and plan for the necessary support infrastructure to keep pace with the needs of researchers. We present a Research Computing and Data Capabilities Model that identifies the range of relevant approaches to fully support and enable research computing and data on campuses. This model allows institutions to assess their current capabilities, and provides structured input into strategic decision making, using a shared community vocabulary. We describe the background of the Model, key concepts and features of the Model and an associated assessment tool, initial experience in the community and lessons learned, and a roadmap for further development.CCS Concepts: • General and reference → Computing standards, RFCs and guidelines; Evaluation; • Social and professional topics → System management.
Research is increasingly dependent upon research computing and data (RCD) infrastructure, services, and most importantly, skilled professionals who can help facilitate researchers' use of technical resources. RCD professionals regularly co-learn research problems and co-create technical solutions alongside researchers, which is essential in domains new to compute/data-intensive methods. However, the roles of RCD professionals are poorly understood (e.g., relative to traditional/ enterprise IT), and recruitment and retention of RCD professionals is challenging, in part due to a lack of clear career paths. Organizations such as the Campus Research Computing Consortium and Campus Champions (among others) have recognized these needs, and are creating products and services that are addressing these challenges. We describe the challenges, some of the progress made to date, and initiatives underway to support the development of a professional RCD workforce and to advance the state of RCD support.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.