Access to supercomputing resources has become essential to research in a variety of disciplines at Southern Illinois University. This proposal provides for access through a midlevel network, CICNET, to the NSFNET Backbone Network which in turn provides high speed access (1.5 million bits per second) to all NSF sponsored Supercomputer Centers. The grant will cover costs of gateway/routing equipment. The midlevel network, CICNET, will provide communication lines to its backbone and the university will provide necessary support and technical expertise for the operation and maintenance of the gateway node on campus as well as information services for the scientific users at the university.