CC* Planning: UCCS Computational Cluster for Science

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Classified as a “high research activity” university in 2019, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) is a school in transition. While UCCS has good Cyber Infrastructure for educational purposes, there is an urgent need and opportunity to develop a plan for computational support for scientific research. Maximizing a computational infrastructure’s impact depends on the scale and scope of usage. A major part of this project is the analysis of the current and planned scientific computational needs at UCCS and then mapping them to design, which requires careful research to optimize. The investigators are using a multi-pronged approach to raise awareness, gather qualitative data, and collect custom data grounded within established motivational theory. This approach yields baseline data and assesses change over time with future infrastructural changes.One aim of this planning project is the design and testing of a Cyber Aspirations and Readiness Assessment (CARA) instrument. The instrument serves as a theoretically driven tool for longitudinal assessment of initial aspirations, perceptions of barriers, and opportunities for success. This planning process helps STEM faculty across campus better understand how computing could accelerate their research, and how they could utilize different computational resources. Such a model, processes, and experiences not only benefit UCCS, but could be replicated at other institutions for their risk assessment, benchmarking, and other activities during their computation infrastructure planning. This plan for a cyber infrastructure provides a much needed capability required by a broad range of science, engineering, and education teams at UCCS and beyond.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.