NCSA Regional Workshop on AI
October 5–6, 2026
– In person –
National Center for Supercomputing Applications • NCSA
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
1205 W. Clark St., Urbana, IL 61801
Sponsored by DeltaAI and Delta
About
The NCSA Delta and DeltaAI projects are pleased to host a regional, in-person machine learning workshop designed to support academic researchers across disciplines who are either new to ML or looking to build intermediate skills. This hands-on event will introduce practical tools and workflows that simplify the use of high-performance computing (HPC) resources for machine learning applications, with a focus on enabling researchers to more effectively integrate ML into their domain science work.
Participants will gain experience through guided training sessions, real-world examples, and interactive exercises, all aimed at lowering barriers to entry and accelerating productive use of advanced computing.
We warmly invite researchers from the region to register and join us in exploring how ML and HPC can be combined to advance discovery. Limited financial assistance is available to support student participation.
Event Schedule
| Track 1 – Getting Started with AI on HPC (Room 1030) | Track 2 – Advanced Methods/Domain Specific (Room 1040) |
|---|---|
| Day 1 (Lobby/Auditorium) | Day 1 (Lobby/Auditorium) |
| 8:30-9:00 a.m. Check-in and Continental Breakfast 9:00-9:15 a.m. Welcome 9:15-9:45 a.m. Keynote Speaker 9:45-10:00 a.m. Morning Break | 8:30-9:00 a.m. Check-in and Continental Breakfast 9:00-9:15 a.m. Welcome 9:15-9:45 a.m. Keynote Speaker 9:45-10:00 a.m. Morning Break |
| 10:00 a.m.-11:45 a.m. Session 1 – Getting Started on HPC A foundational introduction to connecting and working within a high-performance computing environment. It covers system navigation and practical steps for setting up interactive development sessions with VSCode and Jupyter notebooks via Open OnDemand (OOD). | 10:00 a.m.-11:45 a.m. Session 1 – Getting Started Using AI Agents for Research/HPC This session examines how autonomous AI agents can be utilized to streamline research workflows and automate complex tasks on cluster architectures. Attendees will learn about frameworks for deploying intelligent assistants to manage code generation, data processing, and execution pipelines. |
| 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Lunch (Lobby) | 11:45-12:45 p.m. Lunch (Lobby) |
| 12:45–2:30 p.m. Session 2 – ML Focused A core technical session highlighting practical machine learning methodologies and algorithms. Participants will explore best practices for data preparation, model selection, and utilizing hardware accelerators to optimize training speeds. | 12:45–2:30 p.m. Session 2 – AI in Genomics This domain-specific session covers the intersection of artificial intelligence and biological data, demonstrating how deep learning models are applied to DNA sequencing, variant identification, and complex genomic mapping. |
| 2:30-3:00 p.m. Afternoon break (Lobby) | 2:30-3:00 p.m. Afternoon break (Lobby) |
| 3:00–4:45 p.m. Session 3 – DiamondHPC.AI An introduction to the DiamondHPC.AI framework, demonstrating its integrated toolsets built to simplify high-performance AI deployments. The session guides users through its unique capabilities for scaling deep learning architectures. | 3:00–4:45 p.m. Session 3 – Scientific Machine Learning This session addresses the combination of traditional physics-based simulations with modern machine learning techniques. It covers key concepts such as physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) used to solve differential equations and model complex physical systems. |
| Day 2 (Lobby/Auditorium) | Day 2 (Lobby/Auditorium) |
| 8:30-9:00 a.m. Check-in and Continental Breakfast 9:00-9:45 a.m. Panel Session 9:45-10:00 a.m. Morning Break | 8:30-9:00 a.m. Check-in and Continental Breakfast 9:00-9:45 a.m. Panel Session 9:45-10:00 a.m.: Morning Break |
| 10:00-11:45 a.m. Session 4 – LLM Flux An exploration of large language model (LLM) workflows, fine-tuning techniques, and deployment strategies. This session covers how researchers can tailor open-weights language models to perform specific domain text analysis and retrieval tasks. | 10:00 a.m.-11:45 a.m. Session 4 – Geospatial Machine Learning This session focuses on applying machine learning frameworks to spatial data, remote sensing imagery, and environmental mapping. It highlights specialized tools and open-source platforms supported by the local I-Guide community for handling vast geographic datasets. |
Registration
Registration fees have been established to promote broad participation across the research community while ensuring the financial sustainability of the conference. Rates are offered according to participant affiliation:
Student Registration ($25): Available to undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled at an accredited institution. Limited registration and travel support is available and can be requested via the registration form.
Academic Registration ($50): Available to faculty, research staff, postdoctoral researchers, and university employees.
Industry Registration ($100): Available to participants employed by private companies, startups, consulting firms, and commercial organizations.
Registration for the NCSA Regional Workshop on AI is available here:
Photography Release
By registering for and attending this workshop, you grant permission to the organizers to photograph and publish images that may include your likeness for promotional, educational, and archival purposes.
Travel and Lodging
Conference Lodging Block
Hotel blocks for the workshop (available October 4–6, 2026) are secured at:
- TownePlace Suites by Marriot, 603 S. 6th St., Champaign—a 12-minute walk (0.6 mi) to the venue
- $169/night + tax
- $10/night for parking
- Includes Wi-Fi
- Room block link
- Hampton Inn Champaign/Urbana, 1200 W. University Ave., Urbana—a 7-minute walk (0.3 mi) to the venue
- $137/night + tax
- Includes breakfast, parking, + Wi-Fi
- Room block link
Booking deadline for hotel blocks is September 13th, 2026.
Additional Local Lodging Options
Champaign-Urbana has many hotels near the University of Illinois campus. Below is a short list of potential lodging accommodations nearby.
| Hotel | Book Online | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Yugo Guest Suites | yugoguestsuites.com | 0.4 miles |
| Hotel Royer Urbana Champaign, Tapestry Collection by Hilton | hilton.com | 1.0 miles |
| iHotel and Illinois Conference Center | stayatthei.com | 2.0 miles |
| Hilton Garden Inn Champaign-Urbana | hilton.com | 2.1 miles |
Restaurants
- Big Grove Tavern (1 E. Main St., Champaign, IL 61820)
- Black Dog Smoke & Ale House (320 N. Chestnut St., Champaign, IL 61820)
- The Bread Company (706 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL 61801)
- The Himalayan Chimney (134 W. Church St., Champaign, IL 61820)
- Northern Cuisine (404 E. Green St., Champaign, IL 61820)
- Sakanaya (403 E. Green St., Champaign, IL 61820)
- Sun Singer Restaurant (1115 W. Windsor Rd., Champaign, IL 61821)
- Spoon House Korean Kitchen (616 E. Green St., Champaign, IL 61820)
- Susuru Ramen Bar (621 E. Green St., Ste. a, Champaign, IL 61820)
Parking
If you would like to park on campus, there is a parking garage just north of NCSA as well as metered parking throughout campus. More information can be found at: https://www.parking.illinois.edu/
Participant Travel Support
Limited travel support is available and can be requested via the registration form.