Louisiana's Cyber Connectivitity via LONI

路易斯安那州通过LONI的网络连接提案编号：EPS-1006891机构：路易斯安那州董事会项目总监：Michael M.该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。路易斯安那州光网络计划（LONI）提供了一个现代化的，强大的网络基础设施环境，以加强研究，促进和促进跨学科的合作，并整合整个路易斯安那州的研究和教育。目前，LONI为路易斯安那州几乎所有公立高等教育机构以及密西西比州的四所研究型大学提供网络连接。该提案要求提供资金，将LONI的高带宽光纤网络扩展到位于新奥尔良的路易斯安那州泽维尔大学。泽维尔是一所私立的黑人大学，其科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）课程在全国范围内得到认可。这一重大举措预计将缩小泽维尔的网络基础设施差距，并促进泽维尔教师和学生与该州领先的计算和实验科学家之间的积极研究关系，以及与全国主要机构的伙伴关系。通过这个项目，Xavier将成为路易斯安那州第一个将研究活动固定在主要本科课程中的机构，该课程以充分利用光网络能力的带宽连接到LONI。知识产权通过为全州和全国的合作者和导师提供高带宽网络网关，这项将LONI延伸并连接到泽维尔大学校园的提议有望以多种不同的方式加强基础研究和教育。加强的网络基础设施环境着眼于泽维尔大学已经在材料科学广泛的竞技场开展的合作研究项目，计划支持：（1）分子磁性研究，以帮助设计更高性能的磁体，提高高密度信息记录介质的性能;（2）研究用于能量转换和自旋电子学应用的新材料;（3）表面活性剂分子与纳米颗粒晶面之间相互作用能的分子动力学模拟;（4）旨在减少设计用于识别分子特征的纳米流体装置所需的时间的数值模拟工作，从而有助于生物发现中的各种应用;（5）旨在消除薄膜电池制造过程中的针孔的研究;（6）药物活性有机晶体的多晶型研究。该研究基础设施改进（RII）网络连接（C2）项目建议通过缩小路易斯安那州泽维尔大学的网络基础设施差距，在该州对尖端网络基础设施的投资的基础上，提供相当于该州主要研究机构的宽带连接。这些投资将加速学习和发现在一个国家认可的HBCU，让泽维尔的教师和工作人员充分融入全州跨学科的研究合作。通过课程改进、本科生研究和高性能计算培训，Xavier的学生将为研究生院和计算和材料科学领域的终身职业做好更好的准备。更广泛的影响该项目将通过以下方式影响该州的研究和教育、多样性和劳动力发展：RII C2支持的研究和教育：通过Xavier与LONI的联系，代表性不足的本科生将获得更多的研究和教育机会，这将更好地为他们在研究生院取得成功做好准备。LA RII C2利用Xavier的3+2工程计划以及新材料科学研究和教育计划，为目前正在开发的课程添加计算内容。计算机科学系将开发数据挖掘、机器人技术和生物信息学跨学科课程。10名本科生将参加计算机科学和计算材料领域的学年和夏季研究项目，有机会由Xavier和参与EPSCoR RII Track 1计划的其他机构的教师指导。此外，教师和学生将接受培训的高性能计算从两个LONI工作人员和通过参加讲习班在国家超级计算中心。多样性：在过去的十年中，泽维尔已排名第一的非裔美国学生获得本科学位的生物学，化学和物理学，并在整个物理科学的数量全国。泽维尔目前在全国排名第八，其STEM专业的学生继续获得科学和工程领域的博士学位。访问LONI将增加泽维尔的研究能力，并将增加在该州从事高性能计算的代表性不足的少数民族学生的人数。它将使泽维尔的教师和学生更充分地融入路易斯安那州EPSCoR计划目前提供的合作研究和教育项目。劳动力发展：路易斯安那州需要更充分地利用其非洲裔美国人人口（占居民的32%）在其先进的技术劳动力。泽维尔是独特的定位，以帮助在这方面的努力，以产生领导人，以满足当前和未来的科学和工程专业人士的需求。通过研究机会，课程改进和高性能计算培训，泽维尔的本科生将更好地接受研究生院和STEM领域的终身职业培训。

Louisiana's Cyber Connectivity via LONI Proposal Number: EPS-1006891Institution: Louisiana Board of RegentsProject Director: Michael M. KhonsariThis award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The Louisiana Optical Network Initiative (LONI) provides a modern, robust cyberinfrastructure environment that enhances research, fosters and facilitates cross-disciplinary collaborations, and integrates research and education across Louisiana. Currently, LONI provides network connectivity to virtually every public institution of higher education in Louisiana, as well as four research universities in the state of Mississippi. This proposal requests funding to extend LONI's high-bandwidth optical network into Xavier University of Louisiana located in New Orleans. Xavier is a private, historically-black university, which is nationally recognized for its science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curriculum. This major initiative is expected to close the cyberinfrastructure gap at Xavier and facilitate active research relationships between Xavier faculty and students and the State's leading computational and experimental scientists as well as partnerships with major institutions nationally. Through this program, Xavier would become the first Louisiana institution whose research activities are anchored in a primarily undergraduate curriculum that is linked into LONI at a bandwidth that takes full advantages of the optical network's capabilities.Intellectual MeritBy providing a high-bandwidth network gateway to collaborators and mentors across the State and the nation, this proposal to extend and link LONI into the Xavier University campus promises to enhance fundamental research and education in many different ways. Focusing on collaborative research projects that are already underway at Xavier in the broad arena of materials science, the enhanced cyber-infrastructure environment plans to support: (1) studies of molecular magnetism to aid in the design of higher-performance magnets to enhance the capabilities of, for example, high-density information recording media; (2) research on novel materials for energy conversion andspintronics applications; (3) molecular dynamics simulations of the interaction energies between surfactant molecules and the crystal planes of nanoparticles; (4) numerical modeling efforts aimed at reducing the time required to engineer nanofluidic devices used to identify molecular signatures and thereby aid a variety of applications in biological discovery; (5) research aimed at eliminating pinholes during the fabrication of thin-film batteries; and (6) the investigation of polymorphism in pharmaceutically active organic crystals. This Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) Cyber-Connectivity (C2) project proposes to build on the State's investments in cutting-edge cyberinfrastructure by closing the cyberinfrastructure gap at Xavier University of Louisiana, providing broadband connectivity equivalent to that of major research institutions in the State. These investments would accelerate learning and discovery at a nationally recognized HBCU, allowing Xavier's faculty and staff to be fully integrated into statewide interdisciplinary research collaborations. Through curricular enhancements, undergraduate research, and high performance computing training, Xavier's students will be better prepared for graduate school and life-long careers in computational and materials science fields.Broader ImpactsThis project would impact research and education, diversity, and workforce development in the State in the following ways:RII C2-enabled Research and Education: Through Xavier's connection to LONI, underrepresented undergraduate students would receive enhanced research and educational opportunities, which will better prepare them for success in graduate school. LA RII C2 leverages Xavier's 3+2 engineering program as well as its new materials science research and education program by adding computational content to courses currently under development. The Computer Science department would develop new courses in data mining, robotics, and an interdisciplinary course in bioinformatics. Ten undergraduate students would participate in academic year and summer research projects in computer sciences and computational materials fields, with the opportunity to be mentored by faculty members at Xavier and other institutions participating in the EPSCoR RII Track 1 program. In addition, faculty and students would receive training in high performance computing from both LONI staff members and through attending workshops at national supercomputing centers.Diversity: During the past decade, Xavier has ranked first nationally in the number of African American students earning undergraduate degrees in biology, chemistry, and physics, and in the physical sciences overall. Xavier currently ranks eighth in the nation in the number of its STEM majors who go on to earn their doctorates in science and engineering fields. Access to LONI would increase the research capacity at Xavier and would increase the number of underrepresented minority students engaged in high performance computing in the State. It would integrate Xavier's faculty and students more fully into the collaborative research and educational projects currently offered by the Louisiana EPSCoR program.Workforce Development: Louisiana needs to more fully utilize its African American population (32% of its inhabitants) in its advanced technology workforce. Xavier is uniquely positioned to aid in this effort to produce leaders to meet the current and future demands for science and engineering professionals. Through the research opportunities, curriculum enhancements, and high performance computing training Xavier's undergraduate students would be better trained for graduate school and lifelong careers in STEM fields.