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ARCHER2 Weekly Newsletter

By ARCHER2 Service on January 21, 2026

Tags: newsletters 

Refresh of Centrally Supported Software

The CSE team has completed a review of the centrally supported software and will make changes during January 2026, deploying current versions of software and refreshing the list of application based on user demand.

The full list of changes is available on the ARCHER2 User Documentation.

Significant changes are, as follows:

  • ORCA will be added to the list of supported software to replace NWChem, which is being removed.
  • Code Saturne Version 9.0 will be installed.
  • QuantumEspresso Versions 7.5 and Version 7.4.1 will be installed.
  • VASP Version 6.5.1 will be installed (and made the default). A version with VTST will also be installed.
  • Blender will be updated to Version 5.0.
  • Climate Data Operators (CDO) will be updated to Version 2.5.4.
  • Paraview will be updated to Version 6.0.1.

During the update, CSE identified several issues which have resulted in minor changes to the details of the refresh plan:

  • The Horovod deep-learning framework is no longer maintained and is incompatible with current versions of Python. As a result, the newest version of Pytorch, Version 2.9.1a0, does not have support for Horovod. However, one can still use Pytorch for multi-node workflows via the torch.distributed module
  • The new, default version of GROMACS was incorrectly advertised as Version 24.7, whereas it is actually Version 24.6.

Data Carpentry

Cardiff, 22nd - 23rd January 2026 09:30 - 17:00

Data Carpentry workshops will focus on introductory computational skills needed for data management and analysis in all domains of research. It is ideal training for researchers wishing to learn how to use open source tools to make their research open and reproducible. you do not need to have any previous knowledge of the tools that will be presented at the workshop. Participants will be encouraged to help one another and to apply what they have learned to their own research problems.

This is a 2-day workshop, you need to available on both days in order to get a place.

Aims and objectives

Data Carpentry workshops will focus on introductory computational skills needed for data management and analysis in all domains of research. It is ideal training for researchers wishing to learn how to use open source tools to make their research open and reproducible. you do not need to have any previous knowledge of the tools that will be presented at the workshop. Participants will be encouraged to help one another and to apply what they have learned to their own research problems.

This two-day workshop will cover:

  • Data Organization in Spreadsheets
  • Data Cleaning with OpenRefine
  • Data Analysis and Visualization in R
  • Data Management with SQL

Full details and registration

Championing Green Digital Research Workshop - Day 0 of ARCHER2 Celebration of Science 2026

We are pleased to let you know the Championing Green Digital Research Workshop will take place at Sydney Smith - Doorway 1, Medical School, Teviot Place, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9AG, on Wednesday 18 March 2026, as the Day 0 of the ARCHER2 Celebration of Science 2026.

The majority of people involved in research using digital research infrastructure (DRI) want to understand and reduce the emissions associated with their research activities to have a positive impact on the path to net zero emissions from research. The term DRI includes a very broad range of infrastructure from personal devices (smartphones, laptops, etc.), through high end servers (HPC and HTC systems) to commercial cloud computing resources. Although most people want to take action, they are hampered by a lack of understanding of the scale and source of DRI emissions, uncertain on what they can do in their day-to-day work, and find it difficult when challenged by colleagues or acquaintances who may be sceptical about taking action. This workshop will provide insight into and expand on recent efforts to understand what skills are needed to empower researchers and other digital research technical professionals to make and advocate for positive impact in using DRI for research.

Registration is open now. Travel support application is due by 5 February 2026.

Further details

ARCHER2 Celebration of Science 2026

Poster abstract submission due 5 Feb 2026

We are pleased to announce that ARCHER2 Celebration of Science 2026 will take place on the 19th - 20th March 2026 in Edinburgh at South Hall, The University of Edinburgh.

Please register here to participate. The event is in-person and there is no registration fee.

What to expect at ARCHER2 Celebration of Science

ARCHER2 Celebration of Science is annual event that brings together the ARCHER2 user community to celebrate their scientific achievements on ARCHER2. You can explore the highlights of previous events here and view the science showcased in the previous years.

The two-day programme of ARCHER2 Celebration of Science 2026 will include:

  • Invited talks: a variety of talks from the invited speakers highlighting their impactful research using ARCHER2.
  • Poster programme: a platform for the ARCHER2 community to present and discuss their successes delivered on ARCHER2 through the lightning talks and the poster session. A Best Poster Prize will be awarded. - Call for Posters is now open!
  • Keynote: the keynote will be given by Professor Mark Parsons, Director of EPCC.
  • Panel Session: focuses on key topics for the ARCHER2 and UK research community.
  • ARCHER2 User Forum: learn about the latest service updates and engage directly with the ARCHER2 team.
  • Diversity Session: an interactive session to discuss the equality, diversity and inclusion challenges related to the delivery of HPC services.

Registration, and Call for posters is now open and poster abstract submission will be due by 5 February 2026. Full details here

Destination Earth: The Climate Change Adaptation Digital Twin - CONTINENTS webinar 28th January 15:00

The International Collaboration Towards Net Zero Computational Modelling and Simulation (CONTINENTS), is hosting its next webinar on Wednesday the 28th of January at 15h00 UK time, and will be delivered by Ioan Hadade and Sebastian Milinski from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, with the title “Destination Earth: The Climate Change Adaptation Digital Twin”.

The abstract and calendar invite can be found on our website

There is no registration needed, please re-share this event with your contacts.

Call for applications for the International HPC Summer School

Applications are now open for the International HPC Summer School 2026, which will take place July 12-17, 2026 in Perth, Australia, hosted by Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre. Entering its 16th edition, the program remains one of the premier global training initiatives for graduate students and early-career researchers working in high-performance computing, computational science and data-intensive research. Supported by partner organizations in Australia, Canada, Europe, Japan, South Africa and the United States, the school provides an intensive week of technical instruction in MPI, OpenMP, GPU programming, performance engineering, scientific software development, Big Data analytics, complemented by electronic poster sessions, panel discussions, networking activities and a structured mentoring program.

MSc and PhD students studying at the UK institutions are invited to apply

The application deadline is 23:59 AOE (Anywhere On Earth), January 31, 2026.

NFCS Network Plus project, UKRI research data landscape survey

The National Federation of Compute Services (NFCS) is exploring the benefits that establishing a federation of national, regional, and institutional computing resources within the UK could provide to researchers and service providers. Towards this end, we are seeking input from those who generate datasets through their research that they may make available through data publishing services, and also from those who run these services, as data is seen as an important component of these federations.

We would be grateful if you could complete the survey

You can fill this as a person who generates data and may make it available through a data publishing service, or as one of the people that runs such as a service, or, if you participate in both roles, as both. It should take around 15 minutes to fill in the survey per role.
We are hoping for as wide a participation in this survey as possible so please share this with your colleagues.
The survey closes on 31st March 2026. Thank you for your participation.

Poster Submissions for WHPC @ ISC 2026

Women in HPC (WHPC) are delighted to be continuing their official collaboration with the ISC High Performance conference with the WHPC Poster Series.

The WHPC poster series is dedicated to women and individuals from underrepresented groups who are students or are in the early stages of their HPC careers, typically within the first five years post-graduation or via a career transition into high performance computing.

Successful submissions to this session offer unique advantages:

  • Mentorship Support: You will receive guidance and support in polishing your poster and presentation.
  • Lightning Talk Opportunity: Showcase your work on stage during the Poster Pitch Session, gaining valuable exposure.
  • Best Women in HPC Poster Award: The Best Women in HPC Poster Award certificate will be given to the most outstanding poster selected by the WHPC posters committee.
  • Webinar showcasing WHPC Poster submissions: A virtual WHPC webinar will be held to showcase all submissions and allow all ISC submitters, both successful and unsuccessful, to practice lightning talk.
  • WHPC Travel Fellowships: Two travel grants, each worth £3,000 (approximately €3,500), are available to successful authors who would otherwise be unable to attend the conference.

Deadline: January 22nd, 2026.

For more details and to submit your poster

Registration and Submissions Now Open for the Durham HPC Days 2026

We are excited to announce the Durham HPC Days will return in 2026! This annual event brings together researchers, developers, and practitioners to explore the frontiers of high-performance computing, data analysis, and scientific innovation.

Make sure to check out our summary video and website from 2025’s event for inspiration - and submit your proposals for submissions today.!

  • Dates: 15th - 19th June 2026
  • Submission deadline: January 31st, 2026.
  • Event website

NetDRIVE PhD Summer School: Making positive environmental change in computational and data research practices within large scale compute and HPC

Applications are invited for a fully funded 5-day summer school aimed at PhD students interested in changing the way they use the digital research infrastructure (e.g. large scale compute and HPC) to work to enable a move towards Net Zero. The school will provide training and skills to help empower attendees to make real positive environmental change.

Further details

Call for Student Volunteers for ISC 2026

This program offers a fantastic opportunity for STEM students to gain hands-on experience and network within the HPC community. ISC will be back in Hamburg from June 22–26, 2026, and selected volunteers will once again receive full conference access and free single-room accommodation (for those traveling from out of town).

Further information

The deadline for this round is Sunday, February 15, 2026.
If you have any questions, please contact student-volunteers@isc-events.com.

CECAM-CSCS Workshop Announcement

EcoCompute: Building Sustainable Scientific Computing Practices Through Academia-Industry Collaboration

  • Dates: May 5-7, 2026 Location: Lugano, Switzerland (CSCS)
  • Format: Hybrid (onsite + online participation)

Workshop Details

Join us for a unique workshop bringing together programming language developers, hardware specialists, commercial and open-source software developers, and academic researchers to address energy-efficient computing challenges.

Program Features:

  • 25 speaking slots across diverse topics: Programming Languages (3), Hardware (3), HPC (3), Open-Source Packages (3), Commercial Packages (3), Academic Research (6), plus Machine Learning, Cloud Computing, and Visualization
  • Bazaar Flash Talk session for early-career researchers and young developers
  • Interactive discussions and networking opportunities

An excellent opportunity for both distinguished experts and emerging researchers to collaborate on sustainable scientific computing.

Topics include:

  • Programming language optimization for sustainability
  • Hardware acceleration and HPC efficiency
  • Molecular dynamics and scientific software optimization
  • Cloud computing and machine learning applications

Registration: CECAM website

Recently added known issues

The “Known Issues” page of the ARCHER2 Documentation https://docs.archer2.ac.uk/known-issues/ lists all current open known issues including a description of the issue, its symptoms and any work-arounds.

No recent issues

Upcoming ARCHER2 Training

Further details of upcoming training

We always welcome researchers wishing to present their work in a webinar - please contact the Service Desk if you would be interested in presenting your work.

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Recordings of past courses

Recordings of past virtual tutorials