This research identifies the science drivers, necessary infrastructure, required education, and current barriers and enablers to implementing cyber-resources and engaging the research populations who would use them. The digital component of science and engineering research continues to increase and there is considerable pressure to develop and support cyberinfrastructure for various research communities. Some cyberinfrastructure projects fundamentally change the way science is conducted while others do not and it is not clear which problems or communities should receive these resources. To help inform cyberinfrastructure investment decisions, this project identifies the types of scientific and engineering problems and the types of communities that can most benefit from the development and availability of cyberinfrastructure tools. This research uses large-scale focus groups to perform an in-depth cyberinfrastructure needs analysis, identify areas of potential scientific or engineering improvement and discovery, and enumerate non-technological facets that must be addressed for cyberinfrastructure tools to be successful.
The research addresses a significant theoretical and practical problem: how to identify and support scientific and engineering collaborative teams, some of which may be pre-emergent or may not currently be using cyberinfrastructure. The results will show how cyberinfrastructure can catalyze research collaborations enabling a transformation in additional scientific and engineering fields.
Investigating the science drivers of potential, nascent and existing collaborations is a crucial step in identifying, nurturing, and supporting the teams that will be central to future advances in science and engineering. Results will help prioritize funding decisions about cyberinfrastructure tool development and deployment to enhance sustainability, maximize scientific impact, and enable participants from under-represented groups and minority institutions to participate in scientific and engineering collaborations.
