USC Center for Advanced Research Computing (CARC)

The USC Center for Advanced Research Computing (CARC) provides advanced computational research support to USC students, faculty, and staff. When researchers’ needs exceed a personal computer’s capabilities, the CARC offers its support. Services offered include high-performance computing (HPC), data storage and analysis, cloud computing, secure computing for sensitive data, research computing workshops, and customized research partnerships.

Features

Research Software

Below is a list of research software available to USC faculty, staff, students, and researchers for research purposes. Download ITS-supported research software on the ITS Software Website: https://software.usc.edu/all-software/.

  • ATLAS.ti: ATLAS.ti is qualitative data analysis (QDA) software that allows users to locate, code, and annotate findings in text-based and multimedia data and visualize the complex relationships between these data.
  • Bioinformatics Software and Databases: Norris Medical Library (NML) on the Health Sciences campus offers bioinformatics services, including software, consulting, and training for the USC research community without charges. For information on the bioinformatic software and databases provided by NML, see the Bioinformatic Software website at https://nml.usc.edu/bioinformatics/#software.
  • Dimensions: Dimensions is a linked research data platform that the USC Office of Research has licensed for the benefit of our research community. It is available and free to all USC faculty, staff, and students. Dimensions help you search and compare research grants, patents, clinical trials, and publications by topic and keyword, drawing from many sources. For more information and to access Dimensions, go to app.dimensions.ai.
  • EndNote Citation Management: Endnote software is available for purchase through the USC Bookstore. Web-based EndNote Online citation management software is free to USC affiliates through the USC Libraries. For information on purchasing EndNote, call the USC Bookstore at 213-740-7692 or order online at https://www.uscbookstore.com/. For information on accessing and using EndNote Online, see the USC Libraries guide: https://libguides.usc.edu/healthsciences/endnote.
  • Geospatial Software from Esri: The Spatial Sciences Institute at Dornsife offers geospatial software from Esri. For information on how to purchase or access this software, see the Spatial Sciences Institute website at spatial.usc.edu/index.php/software/.
  • ITS-Supported Statistical Software: ITS offers SAS, Stata, SPSS, and JMP statistical software packages. Additional information resources on using statistical software can be found at https://software.usc.edu/.
  • Mathematica: Mathematica is a comprehensive technical-computing environment that allows users to work easily with numerical, symbolic and graphical information and data. Mathematica is available on the UNIX, Mac OS, and Windows platforms. Download Mathematica on the ITS Software Website at https://software.usc.edu/mathematica.
  • MATLAB: MATLAB is a high-level language and interactive computing environment enabling you to perform computationally intensive tasks faster than traditional programming languages such as C, C++, and Fortran. Download Mathematica on the ITS Software Website at: https://software.usc.edu/matlab.
  • NVivo: NVivo is a qualitative data analysis (QDA) computer software package designed for researchers working with very rich text-based and/or multimedia information where deep levels of analysis are required. Download Mathematica on the ITS Software Website at: https://software.usc.edu/nvivo. 
  • REDCap: REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture) is a free, secure, web-based application designed for rapidly developing databases and surveys for research studies. For more information on REDCap https://redcap.sc-ctsi.org. 
  • Refworks Citation Management: The USC Libraries offer access to the web-based citation management software RefWorks to all USC faculty, staff, and students. For information on accessing and using RefWorks, check the RefWorks LibGuide: libguides.usc.edu/RefWorks.
  • Research Collaboration Software: The Digital USC website provides various online tools and resources for use by the USC research community. For information on the resources provided by Digital USC, see research.usc.edu/research-and-scholarship/digital-usc/.

Eligibility

  • All USC students, staff, and faculty can access CARC’s systems for their research projects. For more information, see the CARC’s Accounts and Allocations page. 

Helpful Links

ITS Support 

  • The ITS Service Desk provides support to the USC community 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 
  • Call (213) 740-5555 and choose option 2 to receive assistance. 
  • Report an Issue on the ITS Service Portal.
  • Search for information on the ITS Service Portal.