CC* CIRA: Alabama Advanced Research Computing Consortium (AARCC)

该奖项的全部或部分资金来自《2021年美国救援计划法案》(公法117-2)。阿拉巴马州的高等院校往往在本地网络基础设施资源方面受到限制，包括研究计算促进者的专业知识，以及在有效利用国家网络基础设施资源和投资方面。这个问题使阿拉巴马州的研究人员在赞助研究方面处于竞争劣势，否则这些研究将有利于阿拉巴马州人民的研究、医疗保健和经济增长。机构和优先事项的多样性使制定和实施统一的网络基础设施计划变得困难。然而，阿拉巴马州正处于一个独特的时刻，联邦、州和学术研究的优先事项一致，投资于全州范围的网络基础设施，用于研究和经济发展。阿拉巴马州EPSCoR(ALEPSCoR)最近完成了一份科学和技术报告，确定了战略研究的重要领域。该项目旨在利用现有的三项努力：NSF CI COE：DEMO Pilot：少数群体服务网络基础设施联盟、ALEPSCoR计划和州长凯·艾维发布的阿拉巴马州行政命令720，以刺激创新经济。这三项努力不仅有可能将重点放在扩大竞争领域上，而且还将关键的社会和政治能量带到谈判桌上，为较小的机构改变阿拉巴马州的研究和教育。该项目旨在将包括15个HBCU在内的不同机构群体聚集在一起，制定一个全面的网络基础设施计划。这有可能扩大对基本科学计算资源的参与和获取。该团队将在该州八所授予博士学位的大学中的每一所都举办外联活动，此外还有一所与该州的行业领袖一起举办的活动。活动将在阿拉巴马农工大学、阿拉巴马州立大学、奥本大学、阿拉巴马大学塔斯卡卢萨分校、阿拉巴马大学伯明翰分校、阿拉巴马大学亨茨维尔分校、南阿拉巴马大学和塔斯基吉大学举行。该项目的目标是在全州的高等教育机构中培养更好、更协调的高级研究计算和网络能力，这有助于提高STEM的参与度、教育和劳动力培训。阿拉巴马州高级研究计算联盟(AARCC)由一个指导委员会和来自八所博士生大学(其中两所被指定为HBCU)的工作组和该州的行业领导者组成，任务有三项成果：1)全州范围的网络基础设施计划，2)全州范围的研究网络计划，3)全州范围的研究计算联盟计划。正在利用利益攸关方参与活动向研究人员和校园领导人通报现有的研究网络基础设施，并让AARCC了解这些机构的研究优先事项和网络基础设施障碍。AARCC还将与阿拉巴马州高等教育CIO委员会协调，以满足该州对大容量网络的需求。最终，AARCC在ALEPSCoR投资重点领域寻求研究竞争力，以刺激现代21世纪阿拉巴马州经济的增长。拟议的活动有可能对整个阿拉巴马州的计算教育的作用产生重大影响。提供全州范围内的协作网络基础设施计划将提供重大价值，特别是对该州大多数为代表性不足的农村人口提供服务的机构。该项目是CC*领域5所针对的活动类型的一个很好的例子：全州范围的传播与信息规划和协调活动提供了一个长期基础，以此为基础实施在所有机构公平获得传播与传播资源的愿景和战略。该项目由高级网络基础设施办公室(OAC)和既定的激励竞争研究计划(EPSCoR)共同努力资助。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2).Alabama’s institutions of higher learning are often limited in local cyberinfrastructure resources, including research computing facilitator expertise, and in effectively leveraging national cyberinfrastructure resources and investments. This problem puts Alabama researchers at a competitive disadvantage for sponsored research that would otherwise benefit research, healthcare, and economic growth for the people of Alabama. The diversity of institutions and priorities have made the creation and implementation of a unified cyberinfrastructure plan difficult. Alabama, however, is at a unique moment in time where federal, state, and academic research priorities are aligned to invest in statewide cyberinfrastructure for research and economic development. Alabama EPSCoR (ALEPSCoR) recently completed a Science and Technology report identifying areas of strategic research importance. This project aims to take advantage of three existing efforts: the NSF CI CoE: Demo Pilot: Minority Serving Cyberinfrastructure Consortium, the ALEPSCoR plan, and Governor Kay Ivey’s Alabama Executive Order 720 to stimulate an innovation economy. These three efforts not only have the potential to provide focus on broadening the playing field, but also bringing critical social and political energy to the table to transform research and education in Alabama for smaller institutions. The project aims to bring together a diverse group of institutions, including 15 HBCUs, to develop a comprehensive cyberinfrastructure plan. This has the potential to broaden participation and access to essential scientific computing resources. The team will host outreach events at each of the eight doctoral degree granting universities in the state in addition to one with industry leaders in the state. The events will be held at Alabama A&M University, Alabama State University, Auburn University, University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Alabama at Huntsville, University of South Alabama, and Tuskegee University. The project goal to foster improved and better coordinated advanced research computing and networking capabilities across the state's institutions of higher education can contribute to increased STEM participation, education, and workforce training. The Alabama Advanced Research Computing Consortium (AARCC) is composed of a steering committee and working groups from the eight doctoral universities, two of which are designated HBCUs, and industry leaders in the state, tasked with three deliverables: 1) a statewide cyberinfrastructure plan, 2) a statewide research network plan, and 3) a statewide research computing consortium plan. Stakeholder engagement events are being used to inform researchers and campus leaders about the research cyberinfrastructure available, and also for AARCC to learn about research priorities and cyberinfrastructure barriers at those institutions. AARCC will also coordinate with the Alabama Higher Education CIO Council to address needs for high-capacity networking within the state. Ultimately, AARCC seeks research competitiveness in ALEPSCoR investment priorities to spur growth of the modern 21st century Alabama economy. The activities proposed have the potential to significantly impact the role of computational education across the state of Alabama. Providing a collaborative state-wide cyberinfrastructure plan would provide significant value, especially to the bulk of the institutions in the state that serve underrepresented and rural populations. This project is a great example of the types of activities targeted in CC* Area#5: state-wide CI planning and coordination activities providing a long-term basis from which to implement a vision and strategy for equitable access to CI resources across all institutions. This project is funded through the collaborative efforts of the Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (OAC) and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).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.