Broadening Workstation Connectivity to Enhance Research Productivity and Student Preparation in Computational Sciences

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AbstractProposal Number: EPS-1006983Proposal Title: Broadening Workstation Connectivity to Enhance Research Productivity and Student Preparation in Computational SciencesInstitution: Mississippi State UniversityThis award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).This EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Inter-Campus and Intra-Campus Cyber Connectivity project includes upgrades at four Mississippi research institutions: Jackson State University, Mississippi State University, the University of Mississippi, and the University of Southern Mississippi. The institutions will significantly expand the number of workstations connected via gigabit per second links and establish an e-meeting facility in order to bolster collaborative research and STEM-related education offerings in the state. The resulting state-wide cyberinfrastructure will enable researchers to connect from their desktops to resources throughout the state and beyond. The investment in e-meeting infrastructure will serve to integrate research and education and support increased inter-institutional research and education activities.Intellectual MeritEnhancing the connectivity and integration of research in modeling and simulation of complex systems will enable research contributions in the areas of multi-scale biological simulation, computational biology and chemistry, and support research efforts crosscutting a number of diverse disciplines, including chemistry, biochemistry, biology, physiology, ecoinformatics, genomics and numerous computer science sub-disciplines.Broader ImpactsThe activities of this project are designed to directly support improvements to the infrastructure, research and development capacity, and high-technology commercialization opportunities in Mississippi. In addition to bolstering research output by linking researchers, the cyberinfrastructure enhancements will help link computational science researchers with industry partners in order to establish collaboration between universities and private employers, to strengthen economic competitiveness, and to create high technology jobs for graduating students. Professional development for secondary teachers and community college faculty and curriculum enrichment and development are expected to increase exposure and interest in STEM-related disciplines among high school and community college students in Mississippi. The institutions will deliver workshops to geographically dispersed students and teachers via enhanced e-meeting facilities.