NEES Consortium Operation: FY 2005 - FY 2014

通过这项合作协议，Nees Consortium，Inc.将管理、运营和维护国家小乔治·E·布朗酒店。2005财年至2014财年地震工程模拟(NEES)基础设施网络。这一基础设施包括(1)由一名执行董事领导的财团总部，(2)分布在美国各地的15个共享使用、最先进的地震工程实验研究场地，以及(3)信息技术(IT)/NEES网格网络基础设施。设备站点和网络基础设施为地震工程领域的研究、教育和技术转让提供了用户友好、协作、可访问和数据丰富的实验和分析基础设施。设备现场包括单(室外)、双和三重振动台；带有飞行中双轴振动器和机器人工具的岩土离心机；海啸波浪盆地；用于测试结构、土壤-基础-结构相互作用系统和生命线系统的大型实验室；流动岩土和结构测试现场设备；以及位于加利福尼亚州南部的两个永久仪表化现场。NEESgrid网络基础设施无缝集成了15个设备站点及其远程呈现功能、国家管理的数据存储库、基于网络的协作工具、对尖端计算资源的访问以及OpenSees等开源计算工具。这一网络基础设施将使混合测试方法(耦合计算和物理模拟)以及多地点分布式实验成为可能。联合体总部、设备站点和NEES网络基础设施中心的技术人员将帮助潜在的和有资金支持的调查人员发现和使用NEES资源。该联盟将协调关于设备现场和IT使用的培训课程、访问学者计划、课程材料的开发、本科生的研究经验(REU)和教师的研究经验(RET)、面向执业工程师的研讨会、K-12和公众宣传。NEES基础设施提供的能力将使美国的研究人员能够与国外的合作者一起解决在《预防地震灾害-地震工程中的重大挑战-地震工程模拟网络的研究议程》[国家研究委员会，国家科学院出版社，2003]中概述的研究问题，以促进基础知识和开发新技术，以满足迫切的国家需求-减少地震损失。通过单独的奖项，NSF将资助个人研究人员、小团体和大挑战项目，以利用NEES基础设施进行研究。通过该联盟，美国处于有利地位，将在地震工程领域确立强大的世界领导地位。该奖项为期五年，将根据国家科学基金会和NEES联合体公司之间的合作协议进行年度审查。该奖项可续展一次，无需重新竞争，根据对业绩和资金供应情况的满意审查，再延长五年。该奖项的最长期限为十年。在最后的授权期结束时，NSF将评估国家地震工程基础设施的需求和未来的适当投资。有关联合体活动的信息，包括设备现场和NEESgrid网络基础设施能力、设备现场调度和培训机会，将发布在nees.org上。该奖项是国家减少地震灾害计划(NEHRP)的一部分。

NEES Consortium, Inc., through this cooperative agreement, will manage, operate, and maintain the national George E. Brown, Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) infrastructure during FY 2005 - FY 2014. This infrastructure consists of (1) Consortium headquarters led by an Executive Director, (2) 15 shared use, state-of-the-art earthquake engineering experimental research sites located across the U.S., and (3) an information technology (IT)/NEESgrid cyberinfrastructure. The equipment sites and cyberinfrastructure provide a user-friendly, collaborative, accessible, and data-rich experimental and analytical infrastructure for research, education, and technology transfer across the earthquake engineering field. The equipment sites include single (outdoor), dual, and triple shake tables; geotechnical centrifuges with in-flight biaxial shakers and robotic tools; a tsunami wave basin; large laboratories for testing structures, soil-foundation-structure interaction systems, and lifeline systems; mobile geotechnical and structural testing field equipment; and two permanently instrumented field sites in southern California. The NEESgrid cyberinfrastructure seamlessly integrates the 15 equipment sites and their telepresence capabilities, a national curated data repository, web-based collaborative tools, access to leading edge compute resources, and open-source computational tools such as OpenSees. This cyberinfrastructure will enable hybrid testing methods (coupled computational and physical simulations) as well as multi-site distributed experimentation. Technical staff at Consortium headquarters, the equipment sites, and the NEES cyberinfrastructure center will help potential and funded investigators discover and use NEES resources. The Consortium will coordinate training courses on equipment site and IT usage, visiting scholar programs, development of curricular materials, research experiences for undergraduates (REUs) and research experiences for teachers (RETs), seminars for practicing engineers, and K-12 and public outreach. The capabilities provided by the NEES infrastructure will enable researchers in the U.S., along with collaborators abroad, to address the research problems outlined in Preventing Earthquake Disasters - The Grand Challenge in Earthquake Engineering - A Research Agenda for the Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) [National Research Council, National Academy Press, 2003] to advance fundamental knowledge and develop new technologies to address a compelling national need - earthquake loss reduction. Through separate awards, NSF will fund individual investigator, small group, and grand challenge projects to conduct research using the NEES infrastructure. Through the Consortium, the U.S. is well positioned to establish a strong world leadership role in earthquake engineering. This award is for five years, and will be reviewed annually, under a cooperative agreement between the National Science Foundation and NEES Consortium, Inc. The award is renewable once, without recompetition, for an additional five years, subject to satisfactory review of performance and availability of funds. The maximum duration of the award is for ten years. Towards the end of this final award period, NSF will evaluate the needs of, and appropriate future investments in, the national infrastructure for earthquake engineering. Information about Consortium activities, including equipment site and NEESgrid cyberinfrastructure capabilities, equipment site scheduling, and training opportunities, will be posted at nees.org. This award is part of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP).