Columbia Population Research Center - Computing and Methods Core

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Abstract – Computing and Methods Core The computing and methods core (CMC) achieves CPRC aims by providing a variety of computing and methods services that are designed to increase the productivity, efficiency, and quality of CPRC scholarship. These services, which have transformed the computing and methods infrastructure at Columbia, include: 1) Cross-Institutional Collaboration. The CMC plays a key role in building collaborations with other campus units that have resulted in major improvements in the university's IT infrastructure in high performance computing (HPC), facilities for the analysis of sensitive and restricted data, wrap-around desktop support services, and a shared research data storage initiative. 2) High Performance Computing (HPC). The CMC's initiation of a HPC cluster greatly advanced the state of HPC to meet the needs of population research at Columbia. Currently 23 CPRC affiliates have accounts on the HPC system. 3) Secure Computing Environment. The CMC established a Secure Data Enclave (SDE) service for CPRC and its partners in fall 2012. The SDE is a virtual computing environment that provides secure remote access to restricted data and statistical applications. The CMC co-chairs have worked with the Columbia University Informational Technology (CUIT) office to scale up the SDE, increasing its storage capacity and computational power. 4) Desktop Support. The CMC continues to provide wrap-around desktop support for its members. 5) GIS Services. The GIS consulting service includes support for study design and grant application preparation, advice on the analysis of spatial and neighborhood data, and the development of maps and visualizations for scientific manuscripts, seminars, and websites. 6) Support for Innovative Methodologies. A priority of the CMC moving forward is to promote the adoption of data science innovations among its faculty, through conferences demonstrating the value of new data collection and analysis tools, training workshops, and facilitating collaborations with data science scholars. Collaborations with Columbia's Data Science Institute are already very active. 7) Survey Lab. The Robin Hood Foundation funds the New York City Longitudinal Survey of Wellbeing (NYCLSW, aka “Poverty Tracker”), an ongoing panel study of New Yorkers, interviewed every 3 months. To accommodate the growing need for space for survey staff to conduct interviews, CPRC partnered with the School of Social Work to open the CPRC survey lab in 2017. The survey lab staff and management can be deployed by CPRC faculty to field surveys or for survey research consultations. The NYCLSW is also available to field test questions and collect experimental data on a probability sample of New Yorkers at very low costs.