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Characterizing the US Research Computing and Data (RCD) Workforce

Authors:

Christina Maimone,

Timothy Middelkoop,

Ashley Stauffer,

Chris ReidyAuthors Info & Claims

PEARC '22: Practice and Experience in Advanced Research Computing 2022: Revolutionary: Computing, Connections, You

Article No.: 27, Pages 1 - 7

https://doi.org/10.1145/3491418.3530289

Published: 08 July 2022 Publication History

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Abstract

A growing share of computationally and data-intensive research, both inside and outside of academia, requires the involvement and support of computing and data professionals. Yet little is known about the composition of the research computing and data (RCD) workforce. This paper presents the results of a survey (N=563) of RCD professionals’ demographic and educational backgrounds, work experience, current positions, job responsibilities, and views of working in the RCD field. We estimate the size of the RCD workforce and discuss how the demographic diversity and distribution of backgrounds of those in the RCD workforce fail to match that of the larger academic and technical workforces. These survey results additionally support the insights of those working in the field concerning the need to recruit a wider variety of professionals into the RCD profession, better define job descriptions and career pathways, and improve institutional recognition for the value of RCD work.

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Cited By

Anne KFreeman RReidy CSmith GSpeyer GYin W(2024)Membership and Participation in our RCD Communities: What is it and how are we doing?Practice and Experience in Advanced Research Computing 2024: Human Powered Computing10.1145/3626203.3670630(1-5)Online publication date: 17-Jul-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3626203.3670630
Middelkoop TMizumoto CStrachan SBalamurugan DDelinger SFosso Tande JMcCaffrey DMyatt James AReddy DSchmitz P(2023)Career Phases in Research Computing and DataPractice and Experience in Advanced Research Computing 2023: Computing for the Common Good10.1145/3569951.3597562(374-377)Online publication date: 23-Jul-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3569951.3597562
Cutcher-Gershenfeld JBattelle TBrunson DCheatham TFosso Tande JJennewein DMa JMichael LMiddelkoop TNeeman HSchmitz P(2023)Professionalization of Research Computing and Data: An Expanded AgendaPractice and Experience in Advanced Research Computing 2023: Computing for the Common Good10.1145/3569951.3593610(129-136)Online publication date: 23-Jul-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3569951.3593610
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Published In

cover image ACM Conferences

PEARC '22: Practice and Experience in Advanced Research Computing 2022: Revolutionary: Computing, Connections, You

July 2022

455 pages

ISBN:9781450391610

DOI:10.1145/3491418

Editors:
Julie Wernert
Indiana University
,
Alan Chalker
Ohio Supercomputer Center
,
Shava Smallen
San Diego Supercomputer Center, University of California, San Diego
,
Tabitha Samuel
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
,
JP Navarro
Argonne National Laboratory

Copyright © 2022 ACM.

Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than the author(s) must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected].

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Published: 08 July 2022

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National Science Foundation

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PEARC '22

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PEARC '22: Practice and Experience in Advanced Research Computing

July 10 - 14, 2022

MA, Boston, USA

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Cited By

Anne KFreeman RReidy CSmith GSpeyer GYin W(2024)Membership and Participation in our RCD Communities: What is it and how are we doing?Practice and Experience in Advanced Research Computing 2024: Human Powered Computing10.1145/3626203.3670630(1-5)Online publication date: 17-Jul-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3626203.3670630
Middelkoop TMizumoto CStrachan SBalamurugan DDelinger SFosso Tande JMcCaffrey DMyatt James AReddy DSchmitz P(2023)Career Phases in Research Computing and DataPractice and Experience in Advanced Research Computing 2023: Computing for the Common Good10.1145/3569951.3597562(374-377)Online publication date: 23-Jul-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3569951.3597562
Cutcher-Gershenfeld JBattelle TBrunson DCheatham TFosso Tande JJennewein DMa JMichael LMiddelkoop TNeeman HSchmitz P(2023)Professionalization of Research Computing and Data: An Expanded AgendaPractice and Experience in Advanced Research Computing 2023: Computing for the Common Good10.1145/3569951.3593610(129-136)Online publication date: 23-Jul-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3569951.3593610
Maimone CBrown CGrash KReidy CStauffer A(2023)Compensation of Academic Research Computing and Data ProfessionalsPractice and Experience in Advanced Research Computing 2023: Computing for the Common Good10.1145/3569951.3593599(145-152)Online publication date: 23-Jul-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3569951.3593599
Hayes CKulkarni CKee K(2023)The situational window for boundary-spanning infrastructure professions: Making sense of cyberinfrastructure emergenceJournal of Professions and Organization10.1093/jpo/joad00710:2(182-198)Online publication date: 1-Jul-2023
https://doi.org/10.1093/jpo/joad007
Chaudhry SPazouki ASchmitz PHillery EKee K(2022)Understanding Factors that Influence Research Computing and Data CareersPractice and Experience in Advanced Research Computing 2022: Revolutionary: Computing, Connections, You10.1145/3491418.3530292(1-9)Online publication date: 8-Jul-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3491418.3530292
Heroux M(2022)Research Software Science: Expanding the Impact of Research Software EngineeringComputing in Science and Engineering10.1109/MCSE.2023.326047524:6(22-27)Online publication date: 1-Nov-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1109/MCSE.2023.3260475

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