In response to a Project Solicitation, the University of Georgia's Advanced Computational Methods Center submitted a proposal to conduct a Supercomputer Summer Institute in 1987. This proposal and eight others were evaluated by a review panel. Georgia proposed a two week Institute for 25 young researchers from July 12 to 24. Emphasis would be on developing familiarity with the University's Cyber 205 supercomputer, gaining an understanding of the concepts of vector computers and code optimization techniques, and becoming more familiar with advanced use of the Fortran programming language. The second week of the Institute would be focussed on specific software application programs, with an emphasis on three disciplinary areas: computational chemistry, computational fluid dynamics, and simulational physics. The panel found this to be a good, basic, but not innovative, proposal. Students could be expected to receive a particularly strong grounding in the Cyber 205, enhanced by the 24 hour per day access to the machine through terminals in dormitory rooms. The instructors proposed were adequate, but in general not of national reputation. The cost of the proposal seemed excessive. Georgia has experience in supercomputing training and education, having conducted three seminars in 1986, one of which was supported by the Centers Program. This year's proposal is particularly strong on application packages which are important to the majority of supercomputer users who do not write their own programs from scratch. These applications packages are also available across a broad variety of computer types and manufacturers and are useful on machines other than supercomputers. After negotiations, Georgia has agreed to a considerable amount of cost sharing, which reduces the proposal budget from $122,578 to the very reasonable amount of $53,109. In addition, an undergraduate component of $4000 has been identified. With the reduced budget, the Georgia proposal is an excellent value and will offer a strong training and education experience to its attendees. The Centers Program recommends support of a 1987 Summer Institute in the amount of $57,109.
