Account Types

There are two account types on the Palmetto Cluster: research and educational. Review the descriptions below to determine which is correct for your use-case.

Educational Accounts

An educational account is intended for users who will only require access to Palmetto for a short time. These accounts are purged at the end of each semester after final examinations.

This type is a great choice if you want to explore and learn on Palmetto without a specific research project in mind.

Research Accounts

A research account is intended for users who require access to Palmetto as part of their research. These accounts do not expire until your university account is disabled after you leave Clemson.

You must submit an abstract describing your research when requesting this account type. Since a research focus is required, typically only graduate students and faculty can obtain this account type.

Overview

This table provides an at-a-glance comparison between the two types.

Metric	Research	Educational
Must be renewed each semester?	❌ No	✅ Yes
Deleted after you leave Clemson?	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Requires sponsor approval (adviser/supervisor)?	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Requires an abstract describing your research?	✅ Yes	❌ No