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!
March 2026 Community Tools Trial
Date: Wednesday, 25 March at 2pm EDT / 6pm UTC | Add to calendar
Topic: CiviCRM Tools Trial
Zoom link: join the call
Blog posts: Tools Trials 2026: Join us to learn more about CiviCRM
More details
For our second Tools Trial of the year, we’re continuing our theme of open-source platforms that support community engagement by hosting a session about CiviCRM.
CiviCRM is an open-source constituent relationship management (CRM) platform designed for nonprofits. It can be used to manage community member data, design and implement communications campaigns, and support fundraising efforts. For STEM community managers, like those in the CSCCE community of practice, CRMs like Civi hold the potential to better understand their members and how they interact with the community and each other. How to unlock that potential, however, can feel overwhelming, with significant technical and financial barriers (not to mention initial setup time).
At the Tools Trial, we’ll explore some of these topics, and get a better sense for what is possible with Civi.
Speakers:
- Lauren Collister (IOI)
- Yo Yehudi (OLS)
CSCCE Community Book Club
Date: Wednesday, 11 March at 11am EDT / 3pm UTC
Topic: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
Register for the event on Zeffy to receive a calendar invitation and Zoom link.
Blog posts: CSCCE Community Book Club: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
More details
This 90-minute book club session will focus on The Five Dysfunctions of a Teamby Patrick Lencioni, a short fable that is used to explore a model outlining five things that are essential for a healthy, collaborative team (or working group, steering committee, or sub-community). If possible, we do ask that you read the book before the call, but we will also offer a recap of the key themes at the beginning of the session.
Facilitators:
- Jody Peters (University of Notre Dame / EFI)
- Lou Woodley (CSCCE)
- Katie Pratt (CSCCE)
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! | Recap
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.