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ARCHER2 Weekly Newsletter

By ARCHER2 Service on August 12, 2026

Tags: newsletters 

ARCHER2 Image and Video competition 2026

Share your images and videos to support excellence and promote the contribution of ARCHER2 to outstanding research. The winner of the competition will be awarded £250.

The winning image or video, along with a selection of other entries, will also be featured on the ARCHER2 website and in EPCC and ARCHER2 publications. Credit will be given to the entrant in all cases. Key Details

  • Competition Opens: 28 July 2026
  • Submission Deadline: 4th September 2026
  • Judging: September/October 2026
  • Prizes:
    • Best image : £150
    • Best video : £150
    • Best early career researcher submission : £150
    • Overall winner, selected from the above three winners : additional £100

The ARCHER2 Image and Video Competition is an event for all users of ARCHER2 to share their images or videos of “ARCHER2 Enabling Research”

Full details and entry forms

HPC Carpentry

Glasgow, 17 - 18 August 2026 10:00 - 16:00

This two-day course introduces accessing remote advanced computing facilities via the command line and High Performance Computing (HPC). The first day will introduce how to use the shell in a HPC context. The second day will cover how to use HPC systems effectively. Please note that the first day is optional in case you’re already familiar with the shell.

After completing this course, participants will:

  • Understand motivations for using HPC in research.
  • Understand how HPC systems are put together to achieve performance and how they differ from desktops/laptops.
  • Know how to connect to remote HPC systems and transfer data.
  • Be able to use the Bash command line on remote systems.
  • Know how to use a scheduler to work on a shared system.
  • Be able to use software modules to access different HPC software.
  • Be able to work effectively on a remote shared resource.

Full details and registration

Message-passing Programming with MPI

Durham, 9-10 September 2026, 9:30 - 17:00

The world’s largest supercomputers are used almost exclusively to run applications which are parallelised using Message Passing. The course covers all the basic knowledge required to write parallel programs using this programming model, and is directly applicable to almost every parallel computer architecture.

Parallel programming by definition involves co-operation between processors to solve a common task. The programmer has to define the tasks that will be executed by the processors, and also how these tasks are to synchronise and exchange data with one another. In the message-passing model the tasks are separate processes that communicate and synchronise by explicitly sending each other messages. All these parallel operations are performed via calls to some message-passing interface that is entirely responsible for interfacing with the physical communication network linking the actual processors together. This course uses the de facto standard for message passing, the Message Passing Interface (MPI). It covers point-to-point communication, non-blocking operations, derived datatypes, virtual topologies, collective communication and general design issues.

The course is delivered in an intensive two-day face-to-face format, followed by a half-day online follow up session. It is taught using a variety of methods including formal lectures, practical exercises, programming examples and informal tutorial discussions. This enables lecture material to be supported by the tutored practical sessions in order to reinforce the key concepts.

Full details and registration

ARCHER2 end of service: 21 Nov 2026

To help users, we have compiled a set of documentation specifically covering the end of the ARCHER2 service

The documentation covers:

  • Timeline for the end of the ARCHER2 service
  • Data on ARCHER2: what do I need to do to save data I have stored on ARCHER2 file systems?
  • EPCC SAFE: what happens to my personal data in SAFE?
  • HPC access beyond ARCHER2

Key impacts for ARCHER2 users:

  • Data on home, work, solid state scratch file systems will not be accessible beyond the end of the ARCHER2 service
  • RDFaaS will continue beyond the lifetime of ARCHER2 but users will need to transfer data from /epsrc and /general to a different local mount point on ARCHER2 - more details will be provided as soon as they are available
  • No login access will be available beyond the end of the ARCHER2 service

If you have questions about the end of service that are not answered by the documentation, then please contact the ARCHER2 service desk

ARCHER2 User Survey 2026

We are committed to continually improving the ARCHER2 Service and would like to request your input to help us understand what is important to you, where the Service is working well and where there is scope for improvement.

The ARCHER2 User Survey consists of just a few questions and should take only a few minutes of your time to complete. There are opportunities to add more detailed comments if you wish.

For each survey response received, we will donate £1 to Save The Children. Additionally, if you enter your ARCHER2 username in the final question, then you will be entered into the prize draw to win one of five £50 Amazon vouchers.

Complete the survey

Thank you in advance for taking the time to complete this survey. The responses will be used to try and improve the service for you and to help identify key areas for service development, and will be shared with UKRI for consideration in planning future services.

WHPC Rising Stars 2026 – Call for Applications

Applications are now open for the WHPC Rising Stars programme at SC26. This initiative celebrates and supports emerging voices in the HPC community, providing early-career professionals with the opportunity to showcase their work at a major international conference, build networks, and receive expert mentorship.

We invite submissions from technical and non-technical contributors across all areas of HPC. Applicants should submit an extended abstract (up to 2 pages), a CV, and a personal statement sharing their journey, goals, and the impact of their work.

The Rising Stars will present a 3-minute lightning talk at the WHPC Workshop at SC26 and may be considered for travel support of up to £3,000.

Application deadline: 14 August 2026

WHPC Workshop at SC26: 16 November 2026

Apply now

Introduction to the SSI Fellowship Programme

The SSI Fellowship Programme aims to improve and promote good computational practice across all research disciplines and support those doing this important work. Our Fellows are recognised as ambassadors of good practice in their own domains, fields, and areas of work.

The programme is open to applicants at any career stage, from PhD candidates and junior research software engineers to professors and directors of research computing. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, including those without formal software development qualifications who support research, training, or research infrastructure.

Each year, approximately 20 Fellows are selected, including up to three international Fellows. Fellows receive a £4,000 budget for organising or attending activities, are matched with a mentor through the SSI Fellows Mentorship , and can participate in our programme of cohort-based learning. They will also be able to engage with the existing community of over 250 Fellows in monthly Community Calls, Study Groups, Research Software Camps, and the annual Collaborations Workshop. Once a Fellow’s inaugural period ends, they remain part of the community as a continuing Fellow: once a Fellow, always a Fellow.

The application process includes an application form covering personal details, professional background, software expertise, funding sources, and Fellowship plans, plus a six-minute voiceover slide presentation screencast. Shortlisted candidates take part in the Online Selection Day, where they’re assessed on collaboration, communication, and contribution. Final selection is based on performance on the day and the proposed Fellowship plans.

Apply here

On Thursday 20 August, the SSI will host an Online Launch Webinar from 11:00–12:30 (BST/GMT+1). The session covers the programme, the application and selection process, and includes first-hand accounts from current Fellows, with time for audience questions. It’s open to anyone considering an application or wanting to learn more. For registration and more information please visit theFellowship Programme page andapplication page.

Key dates

  • Applications open: 10 August 2026
  • Launch webinar: 20 August 2026
  • Applications close: 5 October 2026
  • Shortlist confirmed: 3 November 2026
  • Online Selection Day: 12 November 2026
  • Public announcement of Fellowships: 9 December 2026
  • Official Fellows 2027 inaugural period: 1 January 2027 - 31 March 2028

Prospective applicants can find resources and support on the Fellowship Programme page and the application page, including eligibility criteria, video screencasts from previous Fellows, and an Application Video Guide.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact SSI via: fellows-management@software.ac.uk

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