A Network for Regional e-Infrastructure Centres

该提案旨在提供所需资源，以营造一个合作环境，使EPSRC资助的区域中心能够：* 与供资机构合作，作为一个有凝聚力的组织，支持其成员组织，并与行业和尚未与区域中心建立联系的高等院校联系;* 分享他们的经验和专业知识，并商定和传播最佳做法，以提供建立在快速变化的技术基础上的关键国家基础设施;* 澄清国家电子基础设施的哪些方面及其使用，最好通过区域中心而不是地方或国家设施提供，并学习如何优化这些领域的提供;和 * 共享和协调有利于整个高端计算社区的任务（无论是计算密集型还是数据密集型），同时仍保留各自的身份、重点和使命。区域中心与英国生态系统中其他电子基础设施中心对接的共同、有凝聚力的方法是实现更有效的国家、综合电子基础设施。一些重要的共同问题已经很明显，包括：培训，与新用户和组织的联系，共同的访问和认证方法，与英国工业和商业的接触，以及制定英国提供和利用国家尖端电子基础设施的战略。该建议的一个主要组成部分是探讨这些问题，规划前进的道路，并在所涉资源允许的情况下，建立共同或合作的结构来解决这些问题。

This proposal is for the resources required to grow a collaborative environment within which the EPSRC-funded Regional Centres can:* work with funding bodies as one cohesive set of organisations to support their member organisations and to reach out both to industry and to those HEIs that are not already associated with a Regional Centre;* share their experience and expertise, and agree and disseminate best practice for delivering a crucial national infrastructure that is built on rapidly changing technology;* clarify those aspects of the national e-Infrastructure, and its use, that are best delivered through Regional Centres, rather than local or national facilities, and learn how to optimise provision in these areas; and* share and co-ordinate tasks which benefit the whole high-end computing community (whether compute- or data-intensive), while still retaining their individual identities, focus and missions.A common, cohesive approach for the Regional Centres interfacing with other e-Infrastructure centres in the UK ecosystem is a key enabler to a more effective national, integrated e-Infrastructure. A number of important common issues are already apparent, including: training, outreach to new users and organisations, common access and authentication methods, engagement with UK industry and commerce, and shaping the UK strategy for providing and exploiting a national cutting-edge e-Infrastructure. A major component of the proposal is to to explore these issues, map a way forward and, where resource implications permit, implement common or cooperative structures to address them.