This project, acquiring equipment to form the core of the Rensselaer Grid, a research testbed consistent with the capabilities of the future national cyberinfrastructure, supports research programs in Information Technology, Biotechnology, nanotechnology, and Homeland Security. Projects focused on the development of grid middleware and multiscale computing technologies, and the application of these technologies to science and engineering, advance and use the grid. The RPI core grid consists of 3 clusters having a total of 374 processors, and a 4th cluster with 162 processors connected via dedicated 10Gbit links. The resulting grid provides a research testbed of heterogeneous clusters with heterogeneous connections that can provide substantial processing power to applications. Placing emphasis on the development of middleware and simulation technologies needed to make effective use, the planned cyberinfrastructure, consisting of distributed heterogeneous computing clusters, provides computing power to industry, medicine, and business. The grid computing technologies research consists of a set of projects including the development of distributed programming technologies, grid networking simulation and security, data flow, extraction and control; dynamic load balancing, and support of real time applications and devices. The multiscale computation applications include adaptive multiscale computation tools (supporting adaptive dynamic simulation models); multiscale methods for biomolecular structure; simulation based medical planning for cardiovascular disease; multifunction polymeric nanocomposites; dynamic contact tasks planning with application to disaster recovery; and the evolution of social groups in communication networks. Encouraging collaborative efforts with existing cyberinfrastructure investments, including NSF PACI centers and the ETF, this campus level effort engages 38 PI faculty from 11 academic departments in science and engineering and involves 99 students. The underlying research project, supported by scores of grants from 7 federal agencies, NY state, and 7 companies/foundations, include 13 collaborative universities, 6 national labs, and a state agency. Broader Impacts involve: Making the advances widely available through open standards and open source interoperable tools, Training and involvement of over 130 on-campus researchers, along with collaborating colleagues in other universities, labs, and industry, Transferring direct technology to industry, including start-ups, through well established technology transfer programs, Expanding the educational programs, including new courses related to cyberinfrastructure and multiscale systems techniques, and inclusion of relevant projects in existing courses, and Demonstrating grid-based simulations to precollege students of diverse background.
