CC* Network Infrastructure: Enabling Research with Mines' Underground Research Facility

该合同为科罗拉多矿业学院埃德加地下教育和研究设施安装广泛的网络基础设施和扩展广域网（WAN）速度提供资金。这样的网络基础设施升级进一步确立了埃德加地下教育和研究设施作为地下环境创新研究的首要设施。此外，该设施为学生、教育工作者、研究人员和外部合作伙伴提供了一个跨各种科学和工程学科合作的环境。通过该项目，研究人员可以更好地有效利用校园、公共和私人资源，并扩大地下通信和网络等领域的研究机会；微生物遗传学和环境DNA的地下研究；地质特征、地震、电或磁异常的远程监测；以及对地面和空中机器人的远程自主控制。科罗拉多矿业学院埃德加地下教育和研究设施位于爱达荷州斯普林斯主校区以西25英里处。由于埃德加设施周围地形和偏远位置的挑战，商品ISP只提供一条绑定对DSL线路，最大下载速度为20Mbsec。该项目的一个目标是建立一个10Gb的网络连接到埃德加设施，使用从FrontRange GigaPOP租用的光纤和10Gb P2P无线通信的组合，连接跨越崎岖地形的最后半英里。第二个目标是在Edgar设施内创建强大的网络基础设施，允许连接到仪器，并在矿山内提供冗余网络路径。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award provides funds to install extensive cyberinfrastructure and expand Wide-Area Network (WAN) speeds to the Colorado School of Mines' Edgar Underground Educational and Research Facility. Such cyberinfrastructure upgrades further establish the Edgar Underground Educational and Research Facility as the premier facility for innovative research in underground environments. Furthermore, this facility provides an environment for students, educators, researchers, and external partners to collaborate across a wide variety of scientific and engineering disciplines. As a result of the project, researchers can better leverage campus, public, and private resources efficiently and expand research opportunities in areas such as underground communications and networking; sub-surface studies of microbial genetics and environmental DNA; remote monitoring of geologic features, seismic, electric or magnetic anomalies; and remote and autonomous control of terrestrial and aerial robots.The Colorado School of Mines' Edgar Underground Educational and Research Facility is located 25 miles west of main campus in Idaho Springs, CO. Due to the challenges of the surrounding terrain and remote location of the Edgar Facility, commodity ISP provides only one bonded pair of DSL lines, for a maximum download speed of 20Mbsec. One goal of this project to establish a 10Gb network connection to the Edgar Facility using a combination of leased fiber from the FrontRange GigaPOP and 10Gb P2P wireless communication to connect the final half-mile that spans rugged terrain. A second goal is to create robust cyberinfrastructure within the Edgar Facility, allowing connections to instrumentation and providing redundant network pathways within the mine.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.