IRNC: Core Improvement: Americas-Africa Lightpaths Express and Protect (AmLight-ExP)

南美和撒哈拉以南非洲的大数据科学将在未来五年内戏剧性地发展，对先进的网络基础设施和可编程网络的依赖程度越来越高。重要的项目包括维拉·鲁宾天文台、高光度大型强子对撞机实验和南非的平方公里阵列。AMLight-EXP支持NSF研究界参与的国际科学与工程研究和教育合作所需的高性能网络连接，并扩展到南美洲和西非。AmLight-EXP是可靠的、领先的研究和教育基础设施。在巴西研究和教育网络S圣保罗学术网络、天文学大学研究协会、拉丁美洲区域网络(RedCLARA)和南非国家R&A；E网络(Tenet/SANREN)的大力投资下，AMLight EXP提供的美国、南美洲和非洲之间的总带宽预计从2020年到2025年将增长到4Tbps以上。这一灵活的区域间基础设施使科学界能够通过在海底电缆和可编程网络上访问可扩展的光纤频谱来扩大研究和学习活动。AMLight-EXP提高了发现的速度。更快的发现意味着更快地专注于为社会带来最大利益。AMLight-EXP是一个新的研究人员和学习者社区的催化剂，它是连接美国拉美裔和非洲学生、教师和研究人员的桥梁。AMLight-EXP致力于通过将学生和网络社区与来自所有领域的科学家聚集在一起的模式来服务于研究生和本科教育的需求。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。

Big data science in South America and Sub-Saharan Africa will dramatically evolve over the next five years, with increasing dependency on advanced cyberinfrastructure and programmable networking. Significant projects include The Vera Rubin Observatory, the High Luminosity Large Hadron Collider experiments and the Square Kilometer Array in S. Africa. AmLight-ExP supports high-performance network connectivity required by international science and engineering research and education collaborations involving the NSF research community, with expansion to South America and West Africa.AmLight-ExP is a reliable, leading-edge infrastructure for research and education. With significant investments from the Academic Network of São Paulo, Brazil’s Research and Education network, the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, the regional network of Latin America (RedCLARA), and national R&E network of S. Africa (TENET/SANReN), the total bandwidth provided by AmLight ExP between the U.S. South America, and Africa is expected to grow to over 4 Tbps in aggregate capacity from 2020-2025. This flexible inter-regional infrastructure enables science communities to expand research and learning activities, empowered through access to scalable optical spectrum on submarine cables and programmable networks. AmLight-ExP increases the rate of discovery. Faster discovery means quicker focus on the greatest benefit for society. AmLight-ExP is a catalyst for new communities of researchers and learners with a bridge, linking U.S. Hispanic and African students, teachers and researchers. AmLight-ExP is committed to serving the needs of graduate and undergraduate education through models that bring together students and the networking community with scientists from all domains.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.