Pilot Study for a Cyberinfrastructure Center of Excellence

美国国家科学基金会的主要多用户研究设施（大型设施）是先进的研究仪器和平台-如大型望远镜，干涉仪和分布式传感器阵列-服务于从天文学和物理学到地球科学和生物科学的各种科学学科。大型设施越来越依赖于先进的网络基础设施（CI）-计算，数据和软件系统，网络和相关的人力资本-以实现对设施生成数据的广泛交付和分析。由于这些网络基础设施工具，科学家和公众对宇宙的结构和历史，我们今天生活的世界以及我们的植物和动物在未来几十年可能如何变化的基本问题有了新的见解。 该试点项目的目标是为网络基础设施卓越中心（CICoE）开发一个模型促进社区建设和共享，并将最佳实践和创新解决方案的知识应用于设施CI。该试点项目将探索这样一个中心如何促进现有设施的CI改进，以及如何利用先进的CI架构设计和利用建立工具和解决方案该试点项目还将促进最终的传播和信息中心的一项关键职能-为传播和信息专家交流经验和知识提供一个论坛。该项目还将收集大型设施的最佳做法，目的是在更广泛的传播和信息背景下加强单个设施的传播和信息工作。 未来CI CoE的讨论论坛和规划工作还将通过扩大熟练的设施CI专家库和为CI专业人员打造职业道路来解决培训和劳动力发展问题。 这项工作的结果将是一个CI卓越中心的战略计划，该计划将通过社区互动进行评估和完善：研讨会以及与设施和更广泛的CI社区的直接接触。该项目得到了计算机和信息科学与工程局高级网络基础设施办公室以及生物科学局新兴前沿部门的支持。该奖项反映了NSF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。

NSF's major multi-user research facilities (large facilities) are sophisticated research instruments and platforms - such as large telescopes, interferometers and distributed sensor arrays - that serve diverse scientific disciplines from astronomy and physics to geoscience and biological science. Large facilities are increasingly dependent on advanced cyberinfrastructure (CI) - computing, data and software systems, networking, and associated human capital - to enable broad delivery and analysis of facility-generated data. As a result of these cyber infrastructure tools, scientists and the public gain new insights into fundamental questions about the structure and history of the universe, the world we live in today, and how our plants and animals may change in the coming decades. The goal of this pilot project is to develop a model for a Cyberinfrastructure Center of Excellence (CI CoE) that facilitates community building and sharing and applies knowledge of best practices and innovative solutions for facility CI.The pilot project will explore how such a center would facilitate CI improvements for existing facilities and for the design of new facilities that exploit advanced CI architecture designs and leverage establish tools and solutions. The pilot project will also catalyze a key function of an eventual CI CoE - to provide a forum for exchange of experience and knowledge among CI experts. The project will also gather best practices for large facilities, with the aim of enhancing individual facility CI efforts in the broader CI context. The discussion forum and planning effort for a future CI CoE will also address training and workforce development by expanding the pool of skilled facility CI experts and forging career paths for CI professionals. The result of this work will be a strategic plan for a CI CoE that will be evaluated and refined through community interactions: workshops and direct engagement with the facilities and the broader CI community. This project is being supported by the Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure in the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering and the Division of Emerging Frontiers in the Directorate for Biological Sciences.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.