The 2026 Improving Scientific Software Conference will be held during the week of April 6-9, 2026 in Boulder, Colorado. We will also offer a virtual registration option for those interested in remote attendance.
The annual Improving Scientific Software Conference brings together software engineers, scientists, developers - any individuals with an interest in scientific software design - to share novel experiences and best practices, develop connections across divisions and institutions, and advance our community.
The scientific software ecosystem is experiencing changes unlike any in recent times. Large language models are revolutionizing the software development process, but understanding how to use them effectively and ethically remains a major difficulty. And software sustainability is less certain than ever, given the disruptions we've seen to previously reliable funding streams. As always, these challenges bring with them corresponding opportunities, and in pursuing such opportunities, we can seek to maintain the joy of software development.
Audience
The conference is for staff and students at research institutions, universities, and in industry who are interested in learning and discussing the latest developments and practices in scientific software. Those working in the geosciences will likely find it most relevant. However, anyone who finds the agenda beneficial to them is welcome to attend, even if they do not fit the category previously stated.
Topics
We welcome any abstracts related to improvements in scientific software, particularly those focused on the following topics:
- Use of AI in software development
- Collaborative efforts spanning groups within institutions
- Writing code that is easy for new contributors to understand
- Better practices for writing and maintaining documentation
- Effective approaches to prioritize and enhance community software maintenance
- Strategies for demonstrating legacy software value in a changing landscape
- What can software engineers, research software engineers, and scientists learn from each other?
We also strongly encourage abstracts from student and early-career participants who might be interested.
For full details and updates, please see the event website: https://sea.ucar.edu/iss/2026/
