diff --git a/pyiron_contrib/workflow/node_library/atomistics.py b/pyiron_contrib/workflow/node_library/atomistics.py
index 12663edf1..781d039b4 100644
--- a/pyiron_contrib/workflow/node_library/atomistics.py
+++ b/pyiron_contrib/workflow/node_library/atomistics.py
@@ -24,42 +24,27 @@ def lammps(structure: Optional[Atoms] = None) -> LammpsJob:
     return job
 
 
-@node(
-    "cells",
-    "displacements",
-    "energy_pot",
-    "energy_tot",
-    "force_max",
-    "forces",
-    "indices",
-    "positions",
-    "pressures",
-    "steps",
-    "temperature",
-    "total_displacements",
-    "unwrapped_positions",
-    "volume",
-)
-def calc_md(
-    job: AtomisticGenericJob,
-    n_ionic_steps: int = 1000,
-    n_print: int = 100,
-    temperature: int | float = 300.0,
-    pressure: float
-    | tuple[float, float, float]
-    | tuple[float, float, float, float, float, float]
-    | None = None,
-):
+def _run_and_remove_job(job, modifier: Optional[callable] = None, **modifier_kwargs):
+    """
+    Extracts the commonalities for all the "calc" methods for running a Lammps engine.
+    Will need to be extended/updated once we support other engines so that more output
+    can be parsed. Output may wind up more concretely packaged, e.g. as `CalcOutput` or
+    `MDOutput`, etc., ala Joerg's suggestion later, so for the time being we don't put
+    too much effort into this.
+
+    Warning:
+        Jobs are created in a dummy project with a dummy name and are all removed at the
+        end; this works fine for serial workflows, but will need to be revisited --
+        probably with naming based on the parantage of node/workflow labels -- once
+        other non-serial execution is introduced.
+    """
     job_name = "JUSTAJOBNAME"
     pr = Project("WORKFLOWNAMEPROJECT")
     job = job.copy_to(project=pr, new_job_name=job_name, delete_existing_job=True)
-    job.calc_md(
-        n_ionic_steps=n_ionic_steps,
-        n_print=n_print,
-        temperature=temperature,
-        pressure=pressure,
-    )
+    if modifier is not None:
+        job = modifier(job, **modifier_kwargs)
     job.run()
+
     cells = job.output.cells
     displacements = job.output.displacements
     energy_pot = job.output.energy_pot
@@ -74,8 +59,10 @@ def calc_md(
     total_displacements = job.output.total_displacements
     unwrapped_positions = job.output.unwrapped_positions
     volume = job.output.volume
+
     job.remove()
     pr.remove(enable=True)
+
     return (
         cells,
         displacements,
@@ -94,8 +81,76 @@ def calc_md(
     )
 
 
+@node(
+    "cells",
+    "displacements",
+    "energy_pot",
+    "energy_tot",
+    "force_max",
+    "forces",
+    "indices",
+    "positions",
+    "pressures",
+    "steps",
+    "temperature",
+    "total_displacements",
+    "unwrapped_positions",
+    "volume",
+)
+def calc_static(
+    job: AtomisticGenericJob,
+):
+    return _run_and_remove_job(job=job)
+
+
+@node(
+    "cells",
+    "displacements",
+    "energy_pot",
+    "energy_tot",
+    "force_max",
+    "forces",
+    "indices",
+    "positions",
+    "pressures",
+    "steps",
+    "temperature",
+    "total_displacements",
+    "unwrapped_positions",
+    "volume",
+)
+def calc_md(
+    job: AtomisticGenericJob,
+    n_ionic_steps: int = 1000,
+    n_print: int = 100,
+    temperature: int | float = 300.0,
+    pressure: float
+    | tuple[float, float, float]
+    | tuple[float, float, float, float, float, float]
+    | None = None,
+):
+    def calc_md(job, n_ionic_steps, n_print, temperature, pressure):
+        job.calc_md(
+            n_ionic_steps=n_ionic_steps,
+            n_print=n_print,
+            temperature=temperature,
+            pressure=pressure,
+        )
+        return job
+
+    return _run_and_remove_job(
+        job=job,
+        modifier=calc_md,
+        n_ionic_steps=n_ionic_steps,
+        n_print=n_print,
+        temperature=temperature,
+        pressure=pressure,
+    )
+
+
 nodes = [
     bulk_structure,
     calc_md,
+    calc_static,
     lammps,
 ]
diff --git a/pyiron_contrib/workflow/workflow.py b/pyiron_contrib/workflow/workflow.py
index ba460416f..b9af9bf63 100644
--- a/pyiron_contrib/workflow/workflow.py
+++ b/pyiron_contrib/workflow/workflow.py
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ def __getattribute__(self, key):
         return value
 
     def __call__(self, node: Node):
-        self._workflow.add_node(node)
+        return self._workflow.add_node(node)
 
 
 class _NodeDecoratorAccess:
@@ -180,6 +180,7 @@ def add_node(self, node: Node, label: str = None) -> None:
         self.nodes[label] = node
         node.label = label
         node.workflow = self
+        return node
 
     def _ensure_node_belongs_to_at_most_this_workflow(self, node: Node, label: str):
         if (