As part of our programming to nurture a community of scientific community engagement managers and those interested in scientific community engagement, we host a monthly community call via Zoom.
2026 schedule
(Visit the archive of Community Call info from 2019-2025)
We typically host our community calls at 11am US Eastern Time on the third Wednesday of each month, although speaker availability may result in scheduling changes. Abstracts and speakers will be updated as the schedule is co-created. The listings below reflect the most up-to-date information.
We welcome input about the topics for discussion – both ahead of time and during the calls. Please let us know if you’d like to present – or suggest a new topic for a call!
January 2026 Community Tools Trial
Date: Wednesday, 21 January at 11am EST / 4pm UTC
Topic: Zulip Tools Trial
Blog posts: CSCCE Tools Trials return in 2026 – starting with Zulip!
More details
CSCCE Tools Trials are synchronous opportunities for STEM community managers to test out a new platform and/or explore how that platform can be used to support community engagement. This month’s Tools Trial will focus on Zulip – an open-source platform with a lot of similar functionality to Slack. The call will include short presentations and Q&A with a panel of experts, and will include:
- An introduction to Zulip and its capabilities
- Best practices for setting up a new Zulip community
- Transitioning a community from Slack to Zulip
- Pros and cons of Zulip vs. other platforms
Speakers:
- Samantha Wittke (CSC-IT Center for Science)
- Danny Garside (Digital Research Academy)
- Maria Doyle (Bioconductor)
- Philip Durbin (Dataverse)
We also share information about our community calls in our monthly newsletter.