diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index a00dc4e9c..870d9085d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,18 @@ Notable changes to Ascent are documented in this file. This changelog started on
 The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/),
 and this project aspires to adhere to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
 
+## Unreleased
+### Preferred dependency versions for ascent@develop
+- cmake@3.23 or newer
+- conduit@0.9.5
+- vtk-m@2.3.0
+- raja@v2025.09.0
+- umpire@v2025.09.0
+- camp@v2025.09.2
+- kokkos@4.7.00
+- mfem@4.8
+
+
 ## [0.9.5] - Released 2025-09-10
 ### Preferred dependency versions for ascent@0.9.5
 - cmake@3.23 or newer
diff --git a/scripts/build_ascent/build_ascent.sh b/scripts/build_ascent/build_ascent.sh
index 57efbf8dd..61ec83682 100755
--- a/scripts/build_ascent/build_ascent.sh
+++ b/scripts/build_ascent/build_ascent.sh
@@ -746,7 +746,7 @@ fi # build_vtkm
 ################
 # Camp
 ################
-camp_version=v2025.03.0
+camp_version=v2025.09.2
 camp_src_dir=$(ospath ${source_dir}/camp-${camp_version})
 camp_build_dir=$(ospath ${build_dir}/camp-${camp_version})
 camp_install_dir=$(ospath ${install_dir}/camp-${camp_version}/)
@@ -801,7 +801,7 @@ fi # build_camp
 ################
 # RAJA
 ################
-raja_version=v2025.03.2
+raja_version=v2025.09.0
 raja_src_dir=$(ospath ${source_dir}/RAJA-${raja_version})
 raja_build_dir=$(ospath ${build_dir}/raja-${raja_version})
 raja_install_dir=$(ospath ${install_dir}/raja-${raja_version}/)
@@ -860,7 +860,8 @@ fi # build_raja
 ################
 # Umpire
 ################
-umpire_version=2025.03.0
+# note: the release tarball naming scheme for Umpire is different vs RAJA + Camp
+umpire_version=2025.09.0
 umpire_src_dir=$(ospath ${source_dir}/umpire-${umpire_version})
 umpire_build_dir=$(ospath ${build_dir}/umpire-${umpire_version})
 umpire_install_dir=$(ospath ${install_dir}/umpire-${umpire_version}/)
@@ -1110,7 +1111,6 @@ fi
 
 if [[ "$enable_hip" == "ON" ]]; then
     echo 'set(ENABLE_HIP ON CACHE BOOL "")' >> ${root_dir}/ascent-config.cmake
-    echo 'set(BLT_CXX_STD c++17 CACHE STRING "")' >> ${root_dir}/ascent-config.cmake
     echo 'set(CMAKE_HIP_COMPILER ' ${CXX} ' CACHE STRING "")' >> ${root_dir}/ascent-config.cmake
     echo 'set(CMAKE_HIP_ARCHITECTURES ' ${ROCM_ARCH} ' CACHE STRING "")' >> ${root_dir}/ascent-config.cmake
     echo 'set(ROCM_PATH ' ${ROCM_PATH} ' CACHE PATH "")' >> ${root_dir}/ascent-config.cmake
diff --git a/scripts/uberenv_configs/packages/camp/package.py b/scripts/uberenv_configs/packages/camp/package.py
index 84ffe95d6..709ac8b27 100644
--- a/scripts/uberenv_configs/packages/camp/package.py
+++ b/scripts/uberenv_configs/packages/camp/package.py
@@ -21,6 +21,12 @@ class Camp(CMakePackage, CudaPackage, ROCmPackage):
     license("BSD-3-Clause")
 
     version("main", branch="main", submodules=False)
+    version(
+        "2025.09.2",
+        tag="v2025.09.2",
+        commit="4070ce93a802849d61037310a87c50cc24c9e498",
+        submodules=False,
+    )
     version(
         "2025.03.0",
         tag="v2025.03.0",
diff --git a/scripts/uberenv_configs/packages/conduit/package.py b/scripts/uberenv_configs/packages/conduit/package.py
index 602f29069..78a48d37b 100644
--- a/scripts/uberenv_configs/packages/conduit/package.py
+++ b/scripts/uberenv_configs/packages/conduit/package.py
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ class Conduit(CMakePackage):
     # is to bridge any spack dependencies that are still using the name master
     version("master", branch="develop", submodules=True)
     # note: 2021-05-05 latest tagged release is now preferred instead of develop
+    version("0.9.5", sha256="d93294efbf0936da5a27941e13486aa1a04a74a59285786a2303eed19a24265a")
     version("0.9.4", sha256="c9edfb2ff09890084313ad9c2d83bfb7c10e70b696980762d1ae1488f9f08e6c")
     version("0.9.2", sha256="45d5a4eccd0fc978d153d29c440c53c483b8f29dfcf78ddcc9aa15c59b257177")
     version("0.9.1", sha256="a3f1168738dcf72f8ebf83299850301aaf56e803f40618fc1230a755d0d05363")
diff --git a/scripts/uberenv_configs/packages/raja/package.py b/scripts/uberenv_configs/packages/raja/package.py
index ed23f8ce4..730a8b948 100644
--- a/scripts/uberenv_configs/packages/raja/package.py
+++ b/scripts/uberenv_configs/packages/raja/package.py
@@ -33,6 +33,14 @@ class Raja(CachedCMakePackage, CudaPackage, ROCmPackage):
 
     version("develop", branch="develop", submodules=submodules)
     version("main", branch="main", submodules=submodules)
+
+    version(
+        "2025.09.0",
+        tag="v2025.09.0",
+        commit="ca756788dbdd43fec2a3840389126ae94a905d5f",
+        submodules=submodules,
+        preferred=True,
+    )
     version(
         "2025.03.2",
         tag="v2025.03.2",
diff --git a/scripts/uberenv_configs/packages/umpire/package.py b/scripts/uberenv_configs/packages/umpire/package.py
index 193fc8765..bbbc09632 100644
--- a/scripts/uberenv_configs/packages/umpire/package.py
+++ b/scripts/uberenv_configs/packages/umpire/package.py
@@ -25,6 +25,13 @@ class Umpire(CachedCMakePackage, CudaPackage, ROCmPackage):
     license("MIT")
 
     version("develop", branch="develop", submodules=False)
+    version(
+        "2025.09.0",
+        tag="v2025.09.0",
+        commit="6b0ea9edbbbc741c8a429768d946549cd3bd7d33",
+        submodules=False,
+        preferred=True,
+    )
     version(
         "2025.03.0",
         tag="v2025.03.0",
diff --git a/src/cmake/SetupBLT.cmake b/src/cmake/SetupBLT.cmake
index 420b68a1f..a3977fa53 100644
--- a/src/cmake/SetupBLT.cmake
+++ b/src/cmake/SetupBLT.cmake
@@ -18,10 +18,10 @@ if(NOT BLT_SOURCE_DIR)
 endif()
 
 ################################################################
-# if not set, prefer c++14 lang standard
+# if not set, prefer c++17 lang standard
 ################################################################
 if(NOT BLT_CXX_STD)
-    set(BLT_CXX_STD "c++14" CACHE STRING "")
+    set(BLT_CXX_STD "c++17" CACHE STRING "")
 endif()
 
 ################################################################