Building a Global Community: SCC Connect Is Reshaping Student HPC Competition

When the Student Cluster Competition (SCC) launched its companion program at SC21, it had a simple but ambitious goal: create pathways into high-performance computing for teams that were not quite ready for the main stage. Five years later, what began as five teams has grown to 30 teams across 11 countries and six continents.

It is a trajectory that embodies SC26’s theme: HPC Unites. As General Chair Kevin Hayden puts it, the theme “spotlights the shared purpose of scientists, engineers, educators, students, policymakers, and industry leaders” while underscoring “our belief that scientific, societal, or environmental challenges are solved only through cooperation – and computing – at scale.”

That spirit of cooperation extends to the relationship between SCC and SCC Connect themselves. “SCC is still happening in parallel, and SCC and SCC Connect share a joint application process,” explains Abhinav Thota, SCC Chair. Working alongside SCC Connect Chair Steve Leak, the two committees maintain close coordination and communication between the leagues, reflecting the collaborative nature of the HPC field itself.

Two Leagues, One Vision

The story begins with the SCC’s own success creating new challenges. As more institutions build undergraduate HPC programs specifically to compete at SCC, the bar kept rising. With practical limits on floor space, some deserving teams – particularly newer ones – would miss out in any given year.

“We needed a way to support newer teams with fewer resources – teams that embody our goal of widening access to HPC,” Leak explains. “So we created a parallel league with lower barriers to entry, to act as an on-ramp. Teams can learn how to prepare and compete without navigating the additional challenges of securing vendor support, building and shipping hardware, and managing the physical aspects of an HPC center.”

That parallel league, recently renamed from IndySCC to SCC Connect, has evolved from a side project to an integral part of the Students@SC lineup. For the first time at SC25, the overall IndySCC winner was recognized at the SC Awards Ceremony.

The ‘IndySCC’ name was tied to our origin story, like ‘Indy’ to Formula 1,” Leak says. “But as the competition matured, we wanted a name that reflected our broader goals. Our goal is to help teams connect, and stay connected to, the SCC and HPC community. So we chose ‘SCC Connect.’

The shared application process reflects the unified vision between the leagues. When teams apply through the joint process, they are demonstrating the same core commitments: institutional support, thoughtful team building, and dedication to preparation. 

“We’re looking for evidence that you’ve thought this through, have a plan, and that your recruitment has included people often overlooked in your context,” Leak notes. Whether teams ultimately compete in SCC or SCC Connect, or transition from one to the other over time, they’re joining the same community.

Breaking Down Barriers

By providing teams with cloud-based computing resources rather than requiring physical hardware, SCC Connect’s “virtual-first” approach removes multiple barriers at once.

“The logistical barriers are certainly a big one,” says Mohal Khandelwal, Vice Chair of SCC Connect. “But participating also gives teams visibility that can help with future support from vendors and institutions.”

The program maintains a small fund to help select teams travel to SC in person. Last year, three teams received travel support, including one from Botswana. At SC25, 10 teams competed in person from booths alongside the main SCC competition.

The virtual format enables broader participation. Committee members, including Khandelwal, contribute their expertise without needing to be physically present, expanding the program’s global reach.

Building Skills Through Real-world Challenge

While SCC Connect serves as an on-ramp, its educational mission overlaps significantly with the main competition. From SC25 forward, the committees have aligned the leagues more closely with teams tackling many of the same applications and benchmarking challenges.

You can learn a lot with coursework and assignments,” Leak notes. “But actually applying that knowledge on virtual systems you set up yourself, in a tight time window, and without outside help, makes that learning concrete in a way that assignments alone do not.

Supporting that hands-on learning requires robust infrastructure. As the program has grown from five to 30 teams, the committee has scaled its coordination efforts to match. Application Experts provide technical guidance, team liaisons offer navigation support, and the committee runs preparation webinars to help teams build skills before competition day.

“We’ve expanded our support infrastructure significantly,” Khandelwal explains. “We started with Google Classroom and have added Slack channels. The goal is to make sure teams worldwide can get help when they need it, across all time zones.” With teams now spanning 11 countries, that kind of responsive, globally accessible support has become essential to the program’s mission.

Growth and Community: Living the HPC Unites Vision

The numbers tell a compelling story. What started with five teams in 2021 has grown to 30 teams by 2025 with over 40 applications for SC25 alone. The geographic diversity reflects HPC’s expanding global reach. While the United States, Asia, and Europe have had strong presence for years, participation from South America, Africa, and Australia continues to grow.

“Our goal is to accept every team that will dedicate the time and preparation to compete,” Leak emphasizes. “HPC is a very collaborative field.”

That collaborative spirit extends beyond individual teams. SCC Connect creates connections through shared Slack channels and encourages teams to help each other in contest Q&A forums. “Students tend to be very innovative,” Leak notes. “We’ve seen some clever approaches to getting around problems.”

“The growing interest and capability for HPC is good for the places where it’s growing,” he adds. “And it’s good for the HPC community as a whole.”

An Invitation to Connect

With applications now open and closing May 15, 2026, the SCC Connect committee has a message for prospective applicants: don’t self-select out.

“What would I say to someone on the fence?” Leak asks. “This is a chance to get hands-on experience that takes your learning to the next level – from theoretical studies to practical, real-world application. You’ll gain exposure to technologies, approaches, and career possibilities you might not encounter otherwise.”

Khandelwal adds from a student perspective: “The experience of building applications, working as a team under time pressure, learning to navigate real HPC systems – these are skills you’ll carry forward. And you’ll be joining a global community that’s incredibly supportive and collaborative.”

For teams that competed in SC25, the message is equally clear: come back. 

We want to support teams year after year,” Leak says. “Build on what you’ve learned. Help us continue growing this community.

The HPC Unites theme at SC26 celebrates what brings the community together: shared curiosity, drive to innovate, and belief in computing’s power to change the world. SCC Connect embodies this in practice by removing barriers, fostering collaboration, and creating pathways for the next generation.

As Hayden’s HPC Unites vision emphasizes, the greatest challenges are solved through cooperation at scale. SCC and SCC Connect prove the same principle applies to building the workforce that will tackle those challenges. By uniting teams across continents, experience levels, and resources, the program shows that when you create genuine pathways into HPC, people rise to meet the challenge and bring innovative perspectives that make the entire community stronger.

Learn more and apply now!