Delta Accessibility Workshop Series for Researchers and Practitioners with Disabilities 

March 30 - April 1, 2026 (Monday-Wednesday) from 10:00 AM CT to 11:30 AM CT 

Join us for a comprehensive three-part workshop series designed to introduce researchers and practitioners with disabilities to the NCSA Delta high-performance computing cluster. This hands-on series prioritizes command-line proficiency, clear verbal instruction, and practical problem-solving approaches that work for all users.

• Gain confidence connecting to and navigating the Delta supercomputing cluster through hands-on practice with essential command-line tools. 
• Learn to create computational scripts and submit your first jobs to the Delta cluster using the Slurm job scheduler. 
• Explore Delta's software ecosystem and learn the essentials of version control for reproducible research. 

Who Should Attend: New HPC users, researchers with disabilities, and anyone seeking inclusive computing skills.

Series Philosophy:

• Learner-centered and problem-focused approach
• Command-line first, with GUI as a complement
• All instruction assumes a non-visual context
• Community building and peer support

Optional: Participants have the opportunity to contribute to accessibility research by completing optional surveys before and after the workshop series. 

Workshop Curriculum: For more details, please view the workshop's Learn@NCSA course.

Register now to reserve your spot and get setup instructions!

Scientific Machine Learning (SciML) is revolutionizing how we model complex physical systems by blending classical numerical analysis with the flexibility of deep learning. This workshop, jointly sponsored by NCSA and Illinois Computes, offers a deep dive into the core principles of SciML, specifically focusing on the power of Neural Operators. Using DeepONet as our primary example, we will demonstrate how to move beyond simple function approximation toward learning the underlying operators of partial differential equations (PDEs).

Topics covered in the workshop include:

- The SciML Landscape: An overview of deep learning fundamentals and the transition from conventional surrogate models to mesh-independent neural operators.

- DeepONet in Practice: A practical introduction to DeepONet architectures based on multilayer perceptrons (MLPs), with demonstrations on problems such as anti-derivatives and heat conduction.

- Advanced Architectures: Strategies for scaling SciML models using CNN-based branch networks to capture complex spatial dependencies in thermal systems.

- Future Frontiers: A discussion of recent advances in operator learning and the growing role of SciML in modern engineering and physical sciences.


Prerequisites: No prior experience with SciML is required, though familiarity with basic machine learning concepts and Python is recommended.


Instructor Bio: Diab W. Abueidda is a Research Scientist at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His research spans deep learning, artificial intelligence, solid mechanics, multiphysics, and additive manufacturing, with a particular focus on applying scientific machine learning to computational engineering problems. 


Qibang Liu is a Research Scientist at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His research interests span scientific machine learning, AI-aided engineering, multi-physics simulation, computational mechanics, peridynamics, and advanced manufacturing.


Hands-on participation: The workshop will use Google Colab for hands-on demonstrations.


Register by April 8, 2026

The Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC) will host a National Science Foundation (NSF) ACCESS Regional Workshop on artificial intelligence (AI) April 14–15, 2026, at the Fawcett Center on The Ohio State University’s campus.  

The in-person workshop provides a unique opportunity for researchers, educators, and students to learn how to integrate AI tools in research and classroom settings. 

Part of a regional series based on the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) Pilot’s AI Unlocked: Empowering Higher Ed through Research and Discovery workshop, the event is designed to help institutions across the United States navigate the rapidly evolving AI landscape.  


Application and Travel Support

Participation is free for the day and a half-long, in-person event, which is sponsored by the NSF ACCESS and NAIRR programs. Space is limited to 100 participants, and OSC anticipates receiving more applications to attend than available spots. 

PyTorch Lightning provides streamlined libraries like Fabric and Trainer for efficient multi-GPU training, enabling AI practitioners to scale their deep learning applications with ease. This workshop will delve into advanced techniques for training models across multiple GPUs, discussing essential strategies to optimize convergence and performance. Attendees will also learn to leverage TensorBoard for comprehensive experiment tracking and metric visualization, ensuring robust monitoring throughout the training lifecycle.


The session will also address best practices for model persistence and resilience, including methods for saving intermittent checkpoints and seamlessly resuming training from interruptions. By mastering these techniques, participants will enhance their ability to manage large-scale, distributed training workflows, reducing computational overhead and accelerating development cycles. This hands-on exploration is designed to equip researchers with practical skills to scale their deep learning workflows.


Prerequisites: Prior experience with PyTorch fundamentals will be useful.


Hands-on participation: The workshop will use NCSA's Delta cluster for hands-on demonstrations. You will need to an ACCESS account to participate in the hands-on exercises on Delta. The account is free and can be set up on the ACCESS account registration page. Please set up your account before completing this registration form.


Register by April 8, 2026

AI Unlocked: Empowering Higher Education through Research and Discovery provides a unique opportunity for researchers, educators, and students to learn how to integrate AI tools in research and classroom settings.

Registration is free for the day and a half-long event, which is sponsored by ACCESS and NAIRR Pilot and University of Colorado, Boulder. Space is limited to 150 participants. We anticipate receiving more applications to attend than available spots.

Travel support may be available for hotel accommodations and economy flights for those traveling from outside a 50-mile radius of the event location.

To apply to attend, submit the Application Form

The application deadline is March 9.

When: June 2-3, 2026

Where: Denver, Colorado

Check the event webpage for details.

Due to the high interest in the AI Unlocked workshop, we have added a virtual component to the event. If you already applied to attend, you do not need to re-apply. Those not selected for in-person participation will be considered for the virtual option.

If you did not apply for the in-person workshop in Denver, but are interested in attending virtually, we will accept applications through March 16. Click here to link to virtual application.