Increasingly complex scientific and engineering problems demand cyberinfrastructure (CI) that fully integrates the tools, services, systems and support to reach the next level of scientific discoveries in areas ranging from computing a biologically faithful and multiscale virtual lung to managing the full range of environmental, social and economic issues from environmental hazards, such as severe storms and earthquakes. NCSA's unique expertise with science applications and high end data and computational resources forms the foundation for responding to the new imperative for CI: the secure, integrated provision of high-end resources coupled by high-end services for large-scale computational and data oriented research that can extend to other national facilities such as SDSC, and ETF. This integrated environment will enable a broad range of new scientific and engineering discoveries by transforming the processes and tools researchers and communities use to achieve meaningful scientific insight.
To meet this goal, integration within this powerful new environment must be driven by scientific and engineering requirements. NCSA will accomplish this with a structured community engagement process and community partnerships that will lead to a stable and robust CI that includes prototyping, deployment, support, and documentation. This approach will provide significant economies of scale in building a national CI because it will enable clear definition and effective sharing of common services allowing extension of these capabilities to new communities.
The high-end computing and data resources at NCSA, tightly coupled through an integrated CI, will address resource demands that range from hundreds to thousands of simulations of moderate size to single hero simulations requiring weeks of dedicated computational resources. It will seamlessly provide the extensive data assimilation, storage and management, analysis, mining, and visualization services required to discover new scientific results.
The NCSA environment and support for applications will be augmented with the systems and expertise that will be available through the NCSA/SDSC CyberInfrastructure Partnership. Expertise at each center will be directed at providing needed middleware, data and visualization services to the national community in a secure fashion. This will include traditional support for porting and optimization of codes. To provide additional strategic input into the partnership, a joint international Cyberinfrastucture Technology Watch Group and a Joint User Advisory Committee will be created. Extensive collaborations with ETF will further strengthen the national cyberinfrastructure.
NCSA is providing a deep and broad CI for the national community that will enable new discoveries and insights across a wide spectrum of science and engineering disciplines. The community engagement process will ensure that this balanced, services-based high end environment will meet individual user and community needs. Collaboration with SDSC, the ETF, and other partners will augment and enhance the cyberinfrastructure. Scientists and engineers will have extensive training and educational opportunities to learn about the latest CI developments through advanced e-learning technologies.
NCSA will extend its engagement from existing to new communities that will drive the development of the CI in support of scientific discovery. Relevant CI services will then be made available to other communities, and in the process, an expanded national CI base formed. Pro-active efforts to engage women, minorities and people with disabilities will be accelerated through partnerships with numerous professional organizations including the Minority Serving Institutions Consortium. NCSA staff and partners will actively disseminate information through the web, national conferences and workshops, museum and planetarium exhibits, and PBS shows highlighting the direct benefits of scientific discovery to the health, safety, and economic competitiveness of society.
