SC26 Network Research Exhibitions (NRE) – Call for Participation
We are excited to look ahead to SC26 in Chicago, IL, and the time has
arrived to submit proposals for the Network Research Exhibition (NRE)
program.
The NRE represents the experimental research frontier of SCinet, providing
a production-scale, high-performance networking environment to support
advanced demonstrations in networking, distributed systems, data-intensive
science, HPC, and AI. Researchers and professionals from academia,
government, laboratories, and industry are invited to propose experiments
and demonstrations that leverage SCinet’s world-class infrastructure during
the SC Conference.
Researchers and professionals from government, academia, research
institutions, and industry are invited to propose demonstrations and
experiments that leverage SCinet’s world-class infrastructure during the
SuperComputing Conference.
SC26 Focus Areas
For SC26, the SCinet team aims to make research and experimentation more
impactful and locally connected. With Chicago as our host city, we
encourage proposals that engage with themes relevant to the region and its
communities, including:
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FinTech innovations, such as high-frequency trading, real-time
analytics, and ultra–low-latency networking, by examining the performance
and scale required for these data-intensive workloads
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Quantum computing and quantum networking demonstrations
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Healthcare and biomedical research applications, with emphasis on
data-intensive cancer research
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Community-engaged research leveraging advanced networking infrastructure
We invite researchers to utilize the SCinet network and cluster environment
to showcase forward-looking technologies and transformative research
workflows.
Core High-Performance Networking Themes
At the same time, we remain committed to SCinet’s foundational mission.
Proposals demonstrating:
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Emerging network hardware and architectures
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Advanced protocols and transport mechanisms
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Network-intensive scientific workflows
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High-performance networking innovations
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HPC- and AI-driven distributed applications
are strongly encouraged.
Engage With the NRE Team
The NRE team is available for one-on-one consultations to help refine ideas
and determine infrastructure feasibility. If you are unsure whether your
research could benefit from what is arguably the fastest temporary network
infrastructure in the world, we encourage you to reach out and schedule a
session: nre(a)scinet.supercomputing.org <nre(a)scinet.supercomputing.org>
For additional details, visit the NRE information page:
https://sc26.supercomputing.org/scinet/network-research-exhibition/
We look forward to collaborating with you and showcasing groundbreaking
research at SC26.
NRE Proposal Submissions
Pre-staging: Preliminary Network Requirements
*It is critical to provide early input to SCinet in terms of WAN bandwidth
requests*. Significant lead times are required to work with service
providers and equipment vendors to plan, build, and validate WAN circuits.
Early input is key to ensuring that the network can meet the needs of NRE
applicants.
Please indicate on the Network Resource Form your connectivity needs so we
can understand whether this initiative will benefit NRE participants.
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Submission format: On-line form
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Submission location: https://submissions.supercomputing.org/
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Submission deadline: April 15th, 2026
Stage 1: Preliminary Abstract
A one-page document outlining the high-level goals and activities related
to the proposal is required to start the process. Only a single experiment
should be included. Additional experiments should be outlined in separate
documents. Please include details on networking needs such as end
points/sources and network connection requirements. Note that, just like in
2025, this year submissions will be captured in the SC submission system.
You may need to create an account.
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Submission format: Download Template: https://bit.ly/sc26nre_template
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Submission location: https://submissions.supercomputing.org/
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Submission deadline: April 30th, 2026
Stage 2: Refined Network Requirements
Please provide additional documentation outlining the final network
requirements for the planned exhibition including sources (city, state,
country of origin), bandwidth needs, VLAN requirements, and destination
booth drops. WAN bandwidth requests that differ significantly from those
outlined in the Preliminary WAN Requirements and/or resources section of
the Preliminary Abstract may not be able to be fulfilled.
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Submission format: Any relevant submission style will be accepted.
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Submission location: https://submissions.supercomputing.org/
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Submission deadline: April 30th, 2026
Stage 3: Final Publishable Proposal
A two- to three-page submission with all relevant details of the
activities, drawings, impact, and other research details, will also be
required. This document will be published on the public SCinet NRE webpages.
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Submission format: Updated Preliminary Abstract format with final
details and any changes from the Preliminary Abstract.
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Download Template: https://bit.ly/sc26nre_template
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Submission location: https://submissions.supercomputing.org/
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Submission deadline: October 23rd, 2026
Stage 4: Research Results and Findings
Lastly, the submission of findings and results of the demonstration will
complete the process.
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Submission format: Same as the Final Publishable Submission
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Submission location: https://submissions.supercomputing.org/
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Submission deadline: January 22nd, 2027
As a reminder, it is critical to adhere to the above deadlines to ensure a
successful SCinet demo.
** Booth information **
The NRE must be presented or demonstrated on the show floor, therefore you
must be associated with an SC26 booth. SC provides a theater setting where
research presentations are scheduled.
Booth connections can be requested via the Connection Request System
https://scinet.supercomputing.org/crs/
Accepted NRE participants will receive a 100% discount on network services
to support the research activities.
Please note: SCinet does not pay costs associated with the booth: this
includes the space, furnishing, shipment of equipment, or the power
required to operate technology equipment at booths. The booth owner /
researcher MUST pay for all of these costs to participate
The NRE team will confirm receipt of submission documents and will start
the review process. We will be in contact with the involved parties
throughout the process.
We look forward to receiving your NRE Preliminary Abstract on or before April
30th, 2026. If you have questions prior to then, please contact us here:
nre(a)scinet.supercomputing.org
NRE FAQ
1.
Can you submit a proposal outside of network research?
Proposals are open to more than just networking research. Proposals are not
limited to networking research. Demonstrations in other domains are welcome
provided that high-performance networking and/or HPC resources are central
to the research workflow.
2.
Can you submit one proposal for multiple experiments?
No, each experiment / demonstration must be submitted individually.
3.
Does SCinet pay for costs associated with an SC26 booth (e.g., space,
furnishings, shipment of equipment, or power)?
No, these costs are the sole responsibility of the booth owner
4.
Does SCinet pay for your NRE booth connection?
Yes. SCinet provides a 100% discount on network connectivity services
supporting accepted NRE demonstrations, subject to resource availability.
5.
Do presentations / demonstrations have to be in person / at a booth?
Yes, generally a demo representative must be available at a booth for the
duration of the SC26 show to perform/explain the demonstration and be
available to answer questions from attendees. We also encourage researchers
to present their work at the SC Theater.
6.
What is the preferred format for submissions?
PDF is the preferred format.
Want to know more about NRE? Check our slides:
https://bit.ly/sc26_nre_slides
Kind Regards,
SC26 NRE Team
