Future Directions for NSF Advanced Computing Infrastructure to Support US Science in 2017-2020

授予美国国家科学院的这一奖项将导致任命一个研究委员会来审查先进计算的预期优先事项和相关权衡，以支持NSF赞助的科学和工程研究。先进的计算能力被用来解决迅速增长的具有挑战性的科学和工程问题，其中许多问题也是计算、通信和数据密集型问题。研究委员会将考虑：(1)高端计算对美国在基础科学和工程领域的领导地位和竞争力的贡献，以及NSF在维持这种领导地位方面应发挥的作用；(2)预期的未来国家规模的计算需求：由NSF支持的全部基础科学和工程研究产生的高端需求，以及支持建模、模拟和数据分析方面的进步所需的计算基础设施；(3)支持先进计算生态系统的投资之间的互补和权衡；软件、数据、通信；(4)提供计算基础设施、基础科学和工程研究的业务模型的范围，以及国家科学基金会在这些不同模型中的支持作用；以及(5)以可负担的价格提供世界领先的科学和工程研究所需的能力所面临的预期技术挑战。将在项目开始后12个月内提交的中期报告将确定关键问题并讨论潜在的选择。它可能包含初步调查结果和早期建议。最终报告将在项目开始后24个月内提交，其中将包括关于NSF先进计算战略和计划的未来决策框架。该框架将解决如何确定需求和投资的优先顺序以及如何平衡对网络基础设施投资的相互竞争的需求等问题。该报告将强调找出问题，阐明各种选择，并阐明权衡和一般性建议。先进的计算能力是许多基础科学和工程领域的核心，正被用来解决迅速增长的一系列具有挑战性的问题。本活动将为提供这些能力的未来战略和投资提供信息。委员会的报告将讨论如何确定需求和投资的优先顺序，以及如何平衡网络基础设施投资的相互竞争的需求等问题。这项研究的结果旨在为NSF未来在先进计算领域的投资决策提供信息。对于(1)使用或可能使用先进计算能力的科学和工程研究人员(对他们来说，这份报告将为他们提供对机遇、挑战和未来方向的有用概述)，以及(2)那些进行未来高性能计算研发的人(对他们来说，这份报告将为他们提供对新兴科学和工程需求的有用看法)，这些报告也将是一个宝贵的资源。

This award to the National Academy of Sciences will result in the appointment of a study committee to examine anticipated priorities and associated tradeoffs for advanced computing in support of NSF-sponsored science and engineering research. Advanced computing capabilities are used to tackle a rapidly growing range of challenging science and engineering problems, many of which are compute-, communications-, and data-intensive as well. The study committee will consider: (1) The contribution of high end computing to U.S. leadership and competiveness in basic science and engineering and the role that NSF should play in sustaining this leadership; (2) Expected future national-scale computing needs: high end requirements, those arising from the full range of basic science and engineering research supported by NSF, as well as the computing infrastructure needed to support advances in modeling, simulation and data analysis; (3) Complementarities and tradeoffs that arise among investments in supporting advanced computing ecosystems; software, data, communications; (4) The range of operational models for delivering computational infrastructure, for basic science and engineering research, and the role of NSF support in these various models ; and (5) Expected technical challenges to affordably delivering the capabilities needed for world-leading scientific and engineering research.An interim report, to be delivered within 12 months of the project start, will identify key issues and discuss potential options. It may contain preliminary findings and early recommendations. A final report, to be delivered within 24 months of the project start, will include a framework for future decision-making about NSF's advanced computing strategy and programs. The framework would address such issues as how to prioritize needs and investments and how to balance competing demands for cyberinfrastructure investments. The report will emphasize identifying issues, explicating options, and articulating tradeoffs and general recommendations. Advanced computing capabilities are central to many areas of basic science and engineering, and are being used to tackle a rapidly growing range of challenging problems. This activity will inform future strategy and investments for delivering these capabilities. The committee reports will address such issues as how to prioritize needs and investments and how to balance competing demands for cyberinfrastructure investments. The results of the study are intended to inform decision-making about future NSF investments in advanced computing. The reports will also be a valuable resource for (1) science and engineering researchers that use or might use advanced computing capabilities (for whom the report would provide an useful overview of opportunities, challenges, and future directions) and (2) those conducting R&D on future high-performance computing (for whom the report would provide a useful view of emerging science and engineering requirements).