Understanding Factors that Influence Research Computing and Data Careers

Abstract

Research Computing and Data (RCD) professionals play a crucial role in supporting and advancing research that involve data and/or computing, however, there is a critical shortage of RCD workforce, and organizations face challenges in recruiting and retaining RCD professional staff. It is not obvious to people outside of RCD how their skills and experience map to the RCD profession, and staff currently in RCD roles lack resources to create a professional development plan. To address these gaps, the CaRCC RCD Career Arcs working group has embarked upon an effort to gain a deeper understanding of the paths that RCD professionals follow across their careers. An important step in that effort is a recent survey the working group conducted of RCD professionals on key factors that influence decisions in the course of their careers. This survey gathered responses from over 200 respondents at institutions across the United States. This paper presents our initial findings and analyses of the data gathered. We describe how various genders, career stages, and types of RCD roles impact the ranking of these factors, and note that while there are differences across these groups, respondents were broadly consistent in their assessment of the importance of these factors. In some cases, the responses clearly distinguish RCD professionals from the broader workforce, and even other Information Technology professionals. CCS CONCEPTS• Social and professional topics → Computing occupations.

Characterizing the US Research Computing and Data (RCD) Workforce

“…Further work is needed to understand how current RCD professionals gained their skills and experience; fortunately, the collection of case studies about RCD career paths is currently underway [20]. A more detailed understanding of the types of work and educational experience that support successful RCD careers will be a first step in identifying alternative pathways for people to gain that experience.…”