NSF Grant Supports Research Computing Infrastructure at 抖M女仆
A $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation will enable 抖M女仆 to install networking infrastructure to amplify its ability to conduct data-intensive science and engineering research.
Jason Hallstrom, Ph.D., principal investigator, director of 抖M女仆鈥檚 I-SENSE, and a professor in the Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at 抖M女仆.
抖M女仆 has received a $500,000, two-year grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to install networking infrastructure to amplify its ability to conduct data-intensive science and engineering research. The network design, referred to as a DMZ, isolates research traffic from other university network operations to achieve high performance. The network will provide faculty and students with a tenfold increase in capacity.聽
The DMZ will span the Boca Raton, Jupiter, and Harbor Branch campuses, as well as Scripps Florida and the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience. The DMZ will link all five sites to computation and storage facilities provided through the Sunshine State Education and Research Computing Alliance (SSERCA) via the University鈥檚 existing link to the Florida Lambda Rail. The DMZ makes it possible for 抖M女仆 to contribute to and benefit from growing computational and networking capacity across the state.
鈥淭his project is exciting because of its potential to catalyze work across so many disciplines. Securing the award required strong partnerships across 抖M女仆鈥檚 colleges and institutes, and the outstanding leadership of our Office of Information Technology. 抖M女仆 is a place that understands the importance of collaborative research,鈥 said Jason Hallstrom, Ph.D., principal investigator, director of 抖M女仆鈥檚 I-SENSE, and a professor in the Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at 抖M女仆. 鈥淭he investment will provide the infrastructure necessary for 抖M女仆 to maintain its trajectory as the fastest growing research university in the country.鈥
By separating its research network from its academic and administrative infrastructure, 抖M女仆鈥檚 DMZ will support congestion-free network transfers among researchers working across multiple campuses in an increasingly data-intensive research environment. Participating researchers span disciplines, including computer science, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, medicine, chemistry, genomics, ocean engineering, and marine science; in areas that include big data research and training, transportation logistics, nanomaterials, biomarker analysis, computational chemistry, marine mammal classification, and undersea communication.
The DMZ will enable geographically distant colleagues to collaborate more effectively. 鈥淩esearchers working on marine compounds for cancer treatment will have the ability to exchange datasets with colleagues at Scripps Florida, as though the two groups were working in the same office,鈥 said Hallstrom. 鈥淐ollaboration latency will be dramatically reduced, enabling researchers working across campuses to leverage the collective strength of the institution.鈥
In 2015, 抖M女仆鈥檚 Office of Information Technology developed a five-year 鈥淐ampus Cyberinfrastructure Plan鈥 to enhance IT infrastructure across 抖M女仆鈥檚 campuses to support the University鈥檚 ambition to become a top-tier research institution.
鈥淭he DMZ is part of our overall IT strategy to provide the experience and technology to support innovative scientific research and cutting-edge education across 抖M女仆鈥檚 campuses,鈥 said Jason Ball, associate provost for information technology and chief information officer at 抖M女仆.
According to Daniel C. Flynn, Ph.D., 抖M女仆 vice president for research, 鈥渇aculty, researchers and students at 抖M女仆 will now have the benefit of enhanced data intensive science and engineering as a result of the DMZ. This also will foster both research and education by applying data-intensive technologies to address issues that are of national interest in the biological and physical sciences as well as engineering.鈥-抖M女仆-
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