Welcome to the Spring 2026 special edition Research IT newsletter. We have been hard at work monitoring the health and upgrade of our systems in order to minimize interruption to the important research happening on our campus. Read more about these efforts below.
Data Storage Allocation for Faculty Pilot
Research IT is dedicated to listening to the needs of UC Berkeley researchers and providing expert guidance to advance their work. In response to the growing demand for robust data storage, we have partnered with Berkeley IT and the Library to launch the Data Storage Allocation for Faculty pilot. This initiative provides UC Berkeley faculty with 5 TB of storage that can be utilized across a suite of technology services, including:
- Computational Storage: Storage designed for use in high-performance and high-throughput computing. This storage requires use of the Savio high-performance computing cluster.
- Secure Storage: Storage designed to meet security requirements for highly sensitive (i.e., P4) research data. This storage requires use of the Secure Research Data and Compute (SRDC) platform.
Storage for collaboration, general purpose use, data sharing, and publishing are also available. All eligible faculty have received an invitation via email to participate. This allocation, paired with support from dedicated staff, boosts researcher productivity while strengthening the campus cybersecurity posture. Furthermore, it aligns with evolving compliance requirements and enhances the protection of Berkeley’s intellectual property.
For more information about the pilot, view the webpage or contact research-storage@berkeley.edu
NEW: Daily System Status Updates
Research IT is now posting daily system updates about the availability of Savio, our high performance computing cluster. This allows users to understand the availability of our services as well as for us to monitor performance, stability, and security of the system in order to minimize downtime and interruptions to research. The most recent updates can be found on the Research IT homepage and the archive of system status updates can be found on the Status and Service Updates webpage
Retiring Savio2 GPU PartitionTo reduce unexpected downtime and better support your research, we are retiring the aging Savio2 1080 Ti nodes following the Spring 2026 semester. While these nodes have served us well, their increasing instability necessitates this move. We recommend users take advantage of the upgraded capabilities and reliability found in the Savio3 partition
Upcoming Updates to UC Berkeley’s Security Standards (MSSND)
Please be aware of proposed revisions to the Remote Access Services requirements in our Minimum Security Standards that impact remote admin-level access to servers and how data stores must be secured. Review and provide feedback by May 8, via this form
Now Hiring: Graduate Student Domain Consultants
Research IT is hiring multiple Graduate Student Domain Consultants for flexible 10–25% remote appointments (4–10 hours per week). We’re looking for curious, motivated candidates from all disciplines who are passionate about supporting campus researchers and helping them access the computing, data, and storage solutions that best meet their needs. Learn more
Virtual Office Hours
Research IT has a diverse team of expert consultants from across disciplines that can help with your data and computing questions related to your research. Join us during our virtual office hours at the times listed below or reach out to us anytime via email at research-it-consulting@berkeley.edu
— Wednesdays, 1:30-3pm
— Thursdays, 9:30-11am
Research IT on YouTube
Miss a past training? Review recordings of our past data management and computation workshops and events on our Research IT YouTube channel