Draft October 20, 2002
Purpose
A Workshop to analyze the Cyber Infrastructure capabilities and plans in the EPSCoR states will be held under the auspices of the CDI in April 27 - 29, 2003. The Workshop will contribute to a better understanding of how to broadly support the EPSCoR community's competitiveness in NSF Large-Scale Science and Engineering programs by implementing an EPSCoR Community Cyber Infrastructure Strategy.
Specifically, the workshop is intended to:
* Evaluate effectiveness of major high performance computing and communications
infrastructures in the EPSCoR community to support R&D competitiveness in
pursuing large-scale science and technology challenges.
* Identify requirements that might be met from local resources
* Recommend new areas of emphasis for NSF to support future needs of this
community.
* Recommend a CDI technical assistance implementation plan associated with the
above challenges and opportunities.
Approach
* This workshop will draw heavily on prior NSF workshops on Cyber
Infrastructure, Computational Physics, etc. to identify scientific challenges
and requirements.
* Identify R&D opportunities for applying EPSCoR Cyber Infrastructure for
Large-Scale Science and Engineering
* An assessment of current capabilities and future plans for EPSCoR Cyber
Infrastructure will be drawn from experts and independent surveys.
Process
This workshop process is designed to incorporate goals and objectives from a variety of sources. The workshop will proceed along the following general outline:
Phase1: Organize
* Organizing Committee is finalized and meeting dates are set.
* A meeting of the Organizing Committee is held (Telephone/Access Grid)
* A final list of Invited Speakers is developed and vetted through CDI
leadership and the relevant agency program managers.
Phase 2: Notice, Publication and Research
* Invitations are issued to invited speakers, organizers, and interested
agency personnel.
* A request for White Papers/ Surveys from Invited Speakers and outside
contributors is encouraged to further open the meeting.
* Final selection of contributors and observers is made and invitations are
issued
* The collection of data from EPSCoR universities, trying to do a rough survey
of CI capabilities/needs/plans, etc. before the workshop
Phase 3: Conduct Workshop and Vetting Process
* Convene day and half workshop
* Draft a report that is vetted through CDI leadership and the relevant agency
program managers.
* Publish a formal CDI report, and place on the web
* Brief report to EPSCoR Foundation and Board and to senior management at NSF
and to leaders in the EPSCoR states
Deliverables
The main focus of this effort will be to produce a report identifying the research requirements for improving EPSCoR competitiveness in NSF large-scale programs. The workshop will evaluate the effectiveness of major high performance computing and communications infrastructures in the EPSCoR community to support R&D competitiveness in pursuing large-scale science and technology challenges. Participants will be asked to recommend new areas of emphasis for NSF to support future needs of this community. Recommendations for an implementation plan associated with the above challenges and opportunities will be outlined.
To the extent possible, participants will be asked to describe their
institutions plans and goals in terms of requirements that can be understood at
a programmatic level and to address their findings and recommendations to
include a range of implementation issues:
1. Summary of infrastructure/research implications;
2. Organizational and structural issues;
3. Funding (budget) requirements.
Research Infrastructure Requirements
In analyzing the needs of the EPSCoR community, consideration will be given to the status and organizational requirements of the various NSF large-scale research programs and application areas. This workshop will look for readiness and maturity in various areas and try to identify the key drivers for successful collaborations and innovation.
The analysis of infrastructure requirements will address:
1. High-end computing and communications infrastructure requirements
2. Mass storage
3. Software
4. Graphics and visualization capabilities
5. Grid computing
6. Cyber security
7. Partnership requirements
8. Other
Workshop Principal Investigators and Organizers
The Organizing Committee currently consists of the following members
Chairpersons:
Bob Borchers, Chief Technology Officer, Maui HPC Center
Organizing Committee (TBD)
Bonnie Neas, NDSU
Kelvin Droegemeier, Oklahoma
Frances VanScoy, West Virginia
(others invited, but have not yet responmded)
Members (Bold Confirmed as willing):
CIOs
VP's for Research
Scientists
Consultants:
Melvyn Ciment, Senior Science Advisor, CDI
Rand Haley, Project Manager CDI
Dan Van Bellegham, Senior Consultant, CDI
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