This proposal for a workshop entitled "EPSCoR Cyberinfrastructure Assessment Workshop" was submitted July 19, 2007. To address the problem of the "Cyberinfrastructure (CI) Gap" between EPSCoR and non-EPSCoR jurisdictions, KY NSF EPSCoR proposes hosting a workshop that will expand on the groundwork developed at previous meetings and will ultimately result in a collaborative plan/proposal for proactively addressing CI in the EPSCoR jurisdictions. EPSCoR workshop participants will have CI expertise and performed an assessment within their respective jurisdictions to be able to present the current status of CI across the community. The first day of the workshop will consist of presentations by experts in CI from the EPSCoR jurisdictions about the capabilities and needs of the CI in their jurisdictions. Also included will be presentations by experts outside of the EPSCoR community who have set up interstate CI structures, such as networks and grids. The presentations by the outside experts will be focused on practical CI applications. The second day of the workshop will summarize the plans and extract common elements. This will lead to a coordinated plan for EPSCoR jurisdictions to share resources, e.g. a grid of computational resources with the appropriate software and expertise to make it function as a powerful scientific engine, and to provide easy access to other resources such as the NSF Teragrid.
Intellectual Merit NSF recognizes that developing CI is inherently necessary for the nation to balance its research portfolio and to enhance the intellectual merit of future research. Cyberinfrastructure represents a changing platform for enabling the future of academic research. As this technology evolves, the EPSCoR jurisdictions run the risk of being left behind technically advanced states with robust network connections and sizable investments in high-end computing. In addition, EPSCoR jurisdictions represent diverse populations and a broad range of CI needs and conditions. The plan will position EPSCoR jurisdictions to develop the capabilities needed for future science and educational competitiveness. The results of this workshop can be carried on to the EPSCoR Annual Meeting in Hawaii where additional planning by EPSCoR jurisdiction project directors can formalize planning efforts and will ultimately result in a collaborative plan/proposal for proactively addressing CI in the EPSCoR jurisdictions.
Broader Impacts The broader impacts of the workshop include developing an EPSCoR-wide collaborative effort to actively address and shape the jurisdictions' response to the changing nature of academic research. This plan will necessarily include educational and training components, as there is a critical shortage of trained people in the EPSCoR jurisdictions to operate and maintain modern CI. The assessment will include CI needs for tribal and community colleges.
