Workshop: Enhancing HPC in Underserved Regions: On Common Ground @SC16.

[No authors listed]

UIID-NSF: 483

Abstract

This proposal will support a workshop on cyberinfrastructure education and research in rural and resource constrained regions for managers and coordinators of high performance computing (HPC) resources. The meeting will be co-located with the SC16 (supercomputing 2016) conference in Salt Lake City, Utah 13-18 November 2016 and will take place before and during the SC16 conference. The project brings together eXtreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE) Campus Champions from underserved regions (EPSCoR states and territories or others working with resource constrained institutions), and their African counterparts from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to discuss and develop solutions to common challenges. The participants will discuss the basic ?nuts and bolts? of providing HPC resources and will also drill deeper into the technical resources and applications needed by the specific research communities they serve. Because most of the participants come from rural and arid regions, HPC research areas that are likely to be discussed include: - Renewable Energy, Natural Resources, and Environment - Food Safety, Nutrition, and Health - Plant Health and Production, and Plant Products - Animal Health and Production, and Animal Products - Agricultural Systems and Technology - Agricultural Economics and Rural Communities The exchange of information and best practices is expected to benefit all participants. In addition, the workshop will connect members of the US HPC community with counterparts in Africa, who may be supporting research efforts on similar projects. The interactions at the workshop are expected to form relationships that can lead to future research collaborations. Researchers and academic personnel in EPSCoR states generally have far fewer international collaborations and opportunities to interact with international partners than researchers at institutions in other states. This gives EPSCoR-based students, faculty and staff fewer opportunities to be globally engaged, to address problems of global importance and to help create a globally capable workforce. This conference is expected to provide a valuable opportunity for these US personnel, from resource-constrained locations, to create international networks and relationships for future collaborations. Applicants to participate in the workshop are 30% female, an excellent percentage for a high performance computing activity, and are from 13 US states and 8 African countries. The funds requested here will support domestic, US-only transport and lodging for 10 US and 7 Sub-Saharan Africa delegates to attend the workshop and SC16 conference. Flights from Africa to the US have been donated via STEM-Trek. The overall goal is 25-30 total workshop participants, to provide a breadth of perspectives and expertise that will promote future collaborations.

Other Details

• Award Instrument: Standard Grant
• Email: [email protected]
• Organization: Oklahoma State University
• Other Investigators: Henry Neeman, Jan Eitel
• Primary Investigator: Dana Brunson
• Program(s): COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH
• Start Date: 11/01/2016