CASC Charlie Bender Scholarship

Overview
The CASC Charlie Bender Scholarship honors the legacy of CASC co-founder Charles "Charlie" Bender, PhD, and supports the professional growth of research computing and data (RCD) professionals, particularly system administrators and HPC practitioners at emerging or under-resourced institutions.

Award Details

• Amount: Covers travel, lodging, registration, and meals for training workshops
• Frequency: Annual awards
• Geographic Scope: US-based institutions

Eligibility

• System administrators and HPC practitioners
• Professionals at emerging or under-resourced institutions
• Demonstrated commitment to advancing research computing infrastructure
• Early career professionals showing leadership potential

Purpose

Financial support for recipients to attend professional development training workshops, including:

• Linux Clusters Institute (LCI) workshops (Introductory, Intermediate, Advanced)
• PEARC (Practitioners and Educators in Research Computing)
• Cyberinfrastructure Leadership Academy
• SC conferences

Background

Charles "Charlie" Bender, PhD was a founding chairperson of CASC who dedicated his career to advancing high performance computing and networking for business and education. He held leadership roles at:

• Lawrence Livermore Laboratories
• University of Georgia
• Ohio Supercomputer Center (first director)
• CASC (founding chair, 1987-2002)
• Department of Defense's High Performance Computing Modernization Program (academic director)
• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (director of Computational Sciences and Mathematics Division)

He held a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Washington and postdoctoral work in theoretical chemistry.

Contact Information

To apply: Contact Kathryn Kelley at kelley@casc.org

Supporting Organizations

• Coalition for Academic Scientific Computation (CASC)
• Linux Clusters Institute (LCI)

Application Process

1. Contact CASC Executive Director
   • Email: Kathryn Kelley at kelley@casc.org
   • Include your application and statement of interest
2. Application Materials
   • Professional background and HPC experience
   • Description of current role and institution
   • Statement of commitment to professional growth
   • Relevance to under-resourced or emerging institution status
3. Selection Criteria
   • Relevant HPC system administration or technical experience
   • Work at emerging or under-resourced institution
   • Demonstrated initiative and commitment to advancing research computing infrastructure
   • Potential for future leadership in the field
   • Institutional context (priority for smaller/under-resourced institutions vs. well-funded ones)
4. Review Process
   • CASC Executive Committee and LCI Steering Committee review
   • Industry expert consultation and endorsements
   • Selection committee vote
5. Notification
   • Successful applicants are announced annually
   • Recipients attend selected training workshop