Below are general Q&As to offer initial information about the transition. The XSEDE External Relations team will continue to update this webpage and the Q&As as more information becomes available. 

Q: Is the operational period of XSEDE ending after 11 years?

A: Yes, the current end of operations for the NSF XSEDE award is August 31, 2022. A new NSF program called Advanced Cyberinfrastructure Coordination Ecosystem: Services & Support (ACCESS) will take its place, beginning September 1, 2022, although the specific ACCESS awardees have not been announced yet.

The XSEDE External Relations team will be the source for the latest information from leadership. Our goal is to ensure a smooth transition from XSEDE to ACCESS for everyone who is a part of the XSEDE community. 

Q: How will ACCESS be different than XSEDE?

A: ACCESS will operate differently than XSEDE, with a decentralized structure and project coordination office tasked with different oversight than the XSEDE program office. Most resources and services will carry over, albeit according to the new structure. Details available are in the solicitations associated with the ACCESS program, namely NSF 21-555 and NSF 21-556. 

It's important to note that if you have been allotted time on XSEDE resources, your data is safe and will continue running on the same resources. 

Q: What do we currently know about the transition?

A: XSEDE has been extremely successful, and that puts the program in a good position for transition. XSEDE is developing transition plans based on the information at hand and will continue to share information as it becomes available.

Currently:

• Researchers with XSEDE-awarded allocations on Service Provider compute and storage resources will continue to have access to those resources until the end date of their allocations, uninterrupted, through the transition from XSEDE to ACCESS. Projects will continue to be allocated through the XRAC meeting in late-August 2022, and most will receive 12-month allocation awards.

• Startup and Education allocations will also continue to be accepted, reviewed, and awarded through mid-August 2022.

• The services provided by XSEDE's Extended Collaborative Support Services (ECSS) program do not explicitly appear in the ACCESS solicitations. ECSS support, normally provided for 12-month periods, has been provided for less than 12 months for projects beginning September 1, 2021. While there could be a provision for ECSS-like support once ACCESS awardees are announced, ECSS users are encouraged to review the transition checklist to prepare for either eventuality.

• Services and programs provided by XSEDE's Community Engagement and Enrichment (CEE) program do not explicitly appear in the ACCESS solicitations. While there could be such a provision once ACCESS awardees are announced, there is no way to know at this time.

•  XSEDE will provide support to the Campus Champions through August 31, 2022 and Campus Champions will remain in place as an organization post-XSEDE as will the "cc-all" distribution list. The Campus Champions Leadership Team continues to work towards the sustainability of the program beyond the XSEDE award lifetime. 

• Science Gateways: We're anticipating allocations to support Science Gateways will be available under the ACCESS program. We will provide such information should it become available.

Q: Will the transition from XSEDE to ACCESS affect the PEARC conference? Will we learn anything more about the transition at this year's conference? 

A: The PEARC conference is an independent entity operating independently since it was spun off from XSEDE in 2017. While XSEDE has provided some support for PEARC, those supports are clearly identified, and the PEARC Steering Committee is aware of the end of those supports and is planning for this. 

Currently, information on the ACCESS program is controlled by NSF. Once awards are announced, the awardees will be free to share their plans with the community. XSEDE hopes that PEARC can be used to share any information that might become available with the community.

Q: Where can I go for more information or assistance?

A: We appreciate your patience as we work to provide you with the most current information as it becomes available. Until awardees are known, the best information on the program from NSF is in the ACCESS solicitations (NSF 21-555 and NSF 21-556). The XSEDE External Relations team will share and update information regularly via several communication channels: the transition website, email, XSEDE newsletters. You can also ask questions using this submission form.