Developed by OARC at UCLA in collaboration with SDSC and TACC
- Venue: Online (Part of 2026 Science Gateways Conference)
- When: Aug 31, 2026, 1 pm-2:30 pm ET
- Duration: 90 minutes
- Registration: Free registration is required to attend the tutorial.
- Skill level: Beginner to intermediate. No programming experience required.
- Requirements: Web browser. Tutorial accounts and preconfigured compute resources will be provided.
About This Tutorial
The NSF ACCESS and NAIRR ecosystems provide researchers and educators with access to advanced computing, data, and AI resources, yet many users still face practical barriers to using command-line workflows common on HPC and AI resources. This tutorial introduces iDLab, an NSF-funded effort to advance federated interactive computing and data environments, and OneSciencePlace, the composable platform that enables the creation of science gateways, HPC/AI portals, research applications, and data publication environments via a low-code/no-code interface.
Participants will learn how OneSciencePlace enables applications to be deployed and accessed via a web browser by individual researchers, classrooms, research groups, campus programs, and broader consortia. The tutorial will focus on hands-on use and deployment of applications on selected ACCESS and NAIRR resources, aligning with iDLab's goal of making advanced computing and data resources easier to use across institutions.
Examples will include AI inference and machine learning classification via interactive web applications such as Jupyter, interactive VNC applications such as Linux Desktop, and batch command-line applications on HPC systems. Participants will also review more complex application interfaces and create a simple app with a custom web form for parameters, inputs, and execution.
This tutorial builds on two well-attended OneSciencePlace tutorials delivered at Gateways 2024 and Gateways 2025. It extends them by placing greater emphasis on deploying applications on ACCESS and NAIRR resources, introducing newer OneSciencePlace capabilities, and situating the work within the broader iDLab effort.
Learning Objectives
By the end of the tutorial, attendees will be able to:
- Run web, VNC, and batch applications through OneSciencePlace
- Understand how iDLab and OneSciencePlace can connect user-facing applications to ACCESS and NAIRR resources
- Create a simple application with a custom no-code interface
- Understand how job parameters and execution provenance support relaunching, reproducibility, and iteration
- Recognize how applications can be organized as FAIR, discoverable, reusable, and citable gateway objects
- Evaluate how iDLab and OneSciencePlace can support use cases such as a single-user portal, classroom environment, research group gateway, campus service, or multi-institution consortium
Tutorial Agenda
| Time | Topic | Format |
|---|---|---|
| 5 min | Welcome, tutorial account check, environment overview | Logistics |
| 10 min | Why gateways for ACCESS and NAIRR: lowering barriers to HPC/AI use | Presentation |
| 10 min | iDLab and OneSciencePlace overview: apps, data, permissions, provenance, publication | Demonstration |
| 15 min | Running applications: Jupyter/RStudio, Linux Desktop, and batch HPC jobs | Hands-on |
| 10 min | Compute systems used in the tutorial: ACCESS/NAIRR resources, Linux hosts, and HPC execution model | Review |
| 10 min | Review of complex apps and custom interfaces | Review |
| 20 min | Create a simple app with a custom UI and launch it on a compute resource | Hands-on |
| 5 min | Publishing apps as FAIR/citable gateway objects | Review |
| 5 min | Discussion, next steps, and follow-up resources | Q&A |
Target Audience
This tutorial is intended for:
- Principal investigators and research teams
- Educators building computational training environments
- ACCESS and NAIRR facilitators
- Science gateway developers
- Research computing and HPC center staff
- Campus cyberinfrastructure professionals
Materials Provided
- Tutorial slides
- Temporary tutorial accounts on iDLab
- Preconfigured tutorial environment
- Example web, VNC, and batch applications
- Step-by-step app creation exercise
- OneSciencePlace documentation, iDLab project overview materials, and follow-up resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is programming experience required?
A: No. The tutorial teaches configuration-based application development using visual tools. Familiarity with research computing workflows is helpful but not essential.
Q: What computing resources do I need?
A: Only a modern web browser and a stable internet connection. All computational infrastructure is provided through the tutorial environment. Tutorial accounts and preconfigured compute resources will be provided.
Q: Can I bring institution-specific questions about deployment?
A: Absolutely. The discussion period is designed for this purpose, and instructors can address specific integration scenarios, requirements, and constraints.
Q: How technical is the content?
A: The tutorial balances conceptual understanding with practical application. Technical implementation details are available for those interested, but the focus is on how to use the platform rather than how it is built.
Prior Tutorial Offerings
A related 90-minute tutorial was delivered at Gateways 2024, with 70 registrants and 52 attendees, indicating strong interest in the topic. A follow-up 150-minute tutorial was delivered at Gateways 2025, with 50 registrants and 35 attendees. Across both tutorials, approximately 20-30% of attendees actively created sample applications. Together, they demonstrate sustained community interest and provide a strong foundation for this 2026 session focused on ACCESS and NAIRR resource deployment.
Acknowledgements
This work was funded by the National Science Foundation through the iDLab project (award 2609583), the Quakeworx project (2311206, 2311207, 2311208), and the Science Gateways Community Institute (award 1547611). Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.