Researchers

Penn State provides researchers and faculty with a variety of services and tools to help enable and aid them in their work.

Service Status

Research Services

Research Cyberinfrastructure

Find the technologies, platforms, and services available at Penn State in Research Computing, Research Cyberinfrastructure, and Research Data.

Institute for Computational and Data Sciences (ICSD)

One of seven interdisciplinary research institutes within Penn State’s Office of the Vice President for Research, the Institute for Computational and Data Sciences helps researchers team up to develop and apply innovative, high-performance computation methods.

Research at Penn State

The Office of the Senior Vice President for Research supports a rigorous program of faculty and student research and creative accomplishment by enhancing the environment for scholarly and artistic endeavors, encouraging the highest quality standards, and fostering ethical conduct in research.

Additional Research Support

The ServiceNow catalog of research services provides additional IT support for research. Services include research computing support by campus location, college-specific support, and lab management systems. Not all areas have been onboarded to ServiceNow, so if you don’t see your college listed, please contact your IT administrator to see a full portfolio of the services available.

Research Network

The Research Network gives faculty access to secure, high-performance research data transfers. Learn more about the service on the Frequently Asked Questions page.

Penn State Libraries Research Data Services (RDS)

Access important research tools including databases, e-journals, course reserves, citation guides, and data archiving and preservation. Schedule a consultation meeting to discuss how RDS can help with research projects.

Computing

Data Center Services

The data centers are state-of-the-art facilities where departments and units can relocate and securely house their business and research data. Precision cooling systems are provided at all locations, and only authorized persons are permitted to enter.

Cloud Services

Penn State partners with industry-leading cloud service providers to empower our University community’s development of IT resources, services, and solutions. These capabilities are delivered securely without the need for purchasing or maintaining physical hardware.

Institute for Computational and Data Sciences (ICDS)

Find all the tools you need to get an account and perform your research with the Roar supercomputer, Penn State’s high-performance research cloud.

VM Hosting

VM (Virtual Machines) Hosting provides cost-effective, reliable Virtual Machines for departments, colleges, and research units. Anyone using the hosted service is responsible for the setup, security, and maintenance of the operating systems and applications installed on hosted virtual servers.

WebLabs

WebLabs provides remote access to classroom and lab resources via a web browser.

Sites at Penn State

All skill levels, from novice to expert, can build websites, blogs, and portfolios with this WordPress-based service.

Virtual Private Network (VPN)

GlobalProtect VPN creates a secure, private connection between your device and the University network. This extra layer of protection is required in order to access certain secured University resources, especially when connecting remotely.

OneDrive

As part of the Office 365 suite, OneDrive offers secure, cloud-based storage that allows for seamless collaboration and file access on any device, from anywhere in the world, at any time.

Google Workspace

A Google Workspace account—which includes apps such as Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, Hangouts, and Jamboard—is available for free to all Penn State researchers.

Penn State Access Account Storage Space (PASS)

Universally accessible disk space and file storage space are available to all Penn Staters.

Qualtrics

Qualtrics is a web-based software program that enables you to create surveys to collect and analyze participants’ feedback. Contact your local IT administrator for licensing information.

Yammer

Yammer is an online social network connecting coworkers throughout Penn State. Use it to create interest- or department-specific groups, discuss ideas, share workplace updates, and more.

Zoom

Zoom allows you to join, host, and record meetings from your computer or mobile device.

GitLab

GitLab is an open-source software platform where members of the Penn State community can share and collaborate on code.

Administrative and Business

Penn State Account

Use your Penn State Account to log in to all the University’s sites and services for as long as you’re affiliated with Penn State.

Multifactor Authentication

Multifactor Authentication (MFA) is an additional layer of security that requires verifying your identity on a secondary device.

Wifi

The University’s wireless setup page has step-by-step instructions, network information, and support services to help you connect to campus WiFi.

WorkLION

WorkLion is the University’s human resources portal that you can use to access Workday, Penn State’s cloud-based payroll system, and learn about benefits, recruiting, and time tracking.

Training Resources

IT Learning and Development

IT Learning and Development (ITLD) provides free, online, in-person, and personalized professional development resources for a variety of software systems and technology tools.

LinkedIn Learning

Visit LinkedIn Learning’s library of thousands of free, on-demand tutorials to help you learn new skills.

Get Help

IT Service Desk

The IT Service Desk provides troubleshooting and helps with technical services, programs, and devices. We’re available at on-campus locations, by phone, or via chat.

IT Alerts

Sign up for Penn State IT Alerts to receive email notifications about the status of services important to you, such as wireless, firewall, and VM hosting.

Knowledge Base

The Knowledge Base contains step-by-step instructions, general information, and frequently asked questions about many Penn State IT services.