Paths towards a Cyber Infrastructure Professional (CIP): Insights from the ongoing NSF CI-PIVOT initiative

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Abstract
Cyberinfrastructure Professionals (CIPs) play a critical role in enabling scalable, data-intensive, and collaborative science by bridging domain research and advanced computational systems. However, pathways into CIP roles remain poorly defined, particularly for domain scientists transitioning into research computing careers. This study presents a conceptual framework and empirical insights from the NSF-funded CI-PIVOT initiative under the Strengthening the Cyberinfrastructure Professionals Ecosystem (SCIPE) program. We articulate a staged pathway for CIP development, describe the structure and outcomes of an 18-month cohort-based training model, and synthesize key design principles for building sustainable CI workforce pipelines. These findings contribute toward formalizing CIP career trajectories and informing institutional strategies for workforce development in cyberinfrastructure-enabled science.
Funding Information
  • National Science Foundation (2321090)
  • National Science Foundation (2321091)