Brief Information
CAAR Discovery Supercomputer 2026 applications are now officially open for researchers who want to develop the first AI, modeling, simulation, workflow, and data-intensive applications on the upcoming Discovery system at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).
The Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF) invites teams worldwide to prepare advanced scientific codes for one of the most powerful scientific platforms ever built. The application window runs from January 12 to March 16, 2026.
Discovery will support the U.S. Department of Energy’s ambitious Genesis Mission, accelerating breakthrough science across disciplines.
Key Dates & Details
- Program Name: Discovery Center for Accelerated Application Readiness (CAAR) – Discovery Supercomputer Call
- Application Period: January 12 – March 16, 2026
- Decision Announcement: First week of May 2026
- Webinar Date: January 23, 2026
- Location: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, United States
- Type: Research / HPC / AI Infrastructure Access
- Organizer: Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF)
- Host Institution: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
- Funding / Support: Early system access, compute-time allocations, technical support, training, hackathons
- Target Group: Researchers, HPC developers, AI scientists, interdisciplinary scientific teams
Table of Contents
Overview
The CAAR Discovery Supercomputer 2026 initiative marks the first opportunity for scientific teams to prepare applications for the upcoming Discovery system, arriving in 2028 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Discovery is a core component of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission — a bold effort to build the world’s most powerful scientific computing platform to accelerate discovery science, enhance national security, and drive energy innovation.
The system will extend ORNL’s global leadership in high-performance computing (HPC), building upon previous systems such as Frontier. The program is managed by the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, a DOE Office of Science user facility.
Through the CAAR program, selected research teams will:
- Gain early access to Discovery
- Optimize and port codes for next-generation hardware
- Develop AI-enabled modeling and simulation workflows
- Explore convergence of HPC, AI, and quantum computing
- Generate large datasets for AI training
Applications will be evaluated based on:
- Scientific advancement potential
- Broader community impact
- Contribution to programming models and algorithmic innovation
- AI and workflow development capabilities
For additional context about U.S. Department of Energy research programs, you may explore the official DOE Office of Science website:
https://energy.gov/science
CAAR Discovery Supercomputer 2026 Requirements
To be considered for the CAAR Discovery Supercomputer 2026, applicants must meet two key technical requirements:
- Acceleration Plan
Demonstrate at least a fivefold performance improvement over applications currently running on Frontier or similar exascale systems. - Compelling Challenge Problem
Propose a scientifically meaningful and ambitious challenge problem that will be executed on Discovery.
The CAAR program is designed not only for advanced GPU-optimized teams but also for researchers who have faced scalability or GPU-acceleration challenges. OLCF staff will provide technical assistance in:
- Code porting
- Performance profiling
- Optimization
- Algorithm redesign
- Mixed and lower precision experimentation
Selected teams will also receive support from AMD and Hewlett Packard Enterprise via the ORNL HPE/AMD Center of Excellence.
Eligibility
The CAAR Discovery Supercomputer 2026 call is open to:
- Academic research teams
- National laboratory scientists
- Interdisciplinary research consortia
- AI and HPC developers
- Modeling and simulation experts
- Researchers working in fields such as:
- Drug discovery
- Nuclear fuels
- Particle physics
- Astrophysics
- Climate science
- Materials science
Applicants do not need to be current Frontier users. Teams with varying levels of HPC maturity are encouraged to apply.
The program strongly promotes broad scientific participation and aims to expand access to AI and HPC tools across research domains.
Application Details
Applications must be submitted via the official CAAR Call for Proposals webpage.
Key steps:
- Review submission instructions
- Prepare acceleration plan
- Define challenge problem
- Submit proposal before March 16, 2026
An informational webinar will be held on January 23, 2026. Interested participants are encouraged to register early.
Questions can be directed to:
[email protected]
Accepted projects will receive:
- Early Discovery access
- Compute-time allocations on Frontier and early hardware
- Technical mentorship
- Training sessions and hackathons
- Direct optimization support
Application results will be announced during the first week of May 2026.
FAQ
1. Who can apply for CAAR Discovery Supercomputer 2026?
Researchers from academia, national labs, and scientific institutions worldwide can apply, especially those working in AI, HPC, and computational modelling.
2. Is prior experience with Frontier required?
No. Even teams with limited GPU experience or scalability challenges are encouraged to apply.
3. What is the main technical requirement?
Applicants must demonstrate a plan for achieving at least fivefold performance improvement over current exascale systems.
4. What benefits do selected teams receive?
Early system access, compute-time allocations, expert technical support, hackathons, and collaboration with hardware specialists.
Official Link
For full proposal guidelines and submission instructions, visit the official call page:
Apply before March 16, 2026 to be considered among the first users of Discovery.
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