High End Computing University Research Activity

(Updated March 2004)

Introduction: In March of 2003, the High-End Computing Revitalization Task Force (HECRTF) was formed to improve inter-agency planning in high-end computing. One of the important byproducts of the task force activities was a commitment by several government agencies to reinvigorate university-based research in high-end computing. The need to refill the pipeline of new ideas and PhD-level scientists and engineers in high-end computing has been documented in several studies [1,2,3,4]. As a result, the High-End Computing University Research Activity (HEC-URA) was formed to start to address this critical need.

Strategy: The purpose of the HEC-URA is to fund university-based research in high-end computing. This effort is focused on conducting research with a critical mass of funding targeted at the Nation's most pressing long-term needs in high-end computing. The potential topic areas targeted were identified under the inter-agency HECRTF planning process. (See Table 1 for a listing of these areas.) Starting in 2004, a small number of topic areas will be selected for proposal solicitation. Subject to available funding, new topic areas will potentially replace those from the previous year(s).

An overarching philosophy of the HEC-URA is to develop and support teaming across the agencies to advance basic university research in high-end computing. Topic areas are developed by Agencies providing funding with input from other participating agencies. Proposal evaluation and project reviews will be conducted by staff from participating government agencies and will include members from industry, academia, and the national labs.

Planned FY2004 Solicitations: In 2004, proposals will be solicited from universities in the following high-end computing research areas: (1) operating systems, (2) languages, compilers, and libraries, and (3) software tools and development environments. The solicitation for the first area will be led by Department of Energy / Office of Science. The National Science Foundation will lead the solicitation for the second and third areas. The Defense Advanced Projects Agency will provide funding to both solicitations. A URL for each solicitation will be provided in the table below after clearing respective formal agency approval processes.

Questions: Please direct all questions to the HEC-URA lead, Candace Culhane (National Security Agency), at 301-688-0312 or csculha@afterlife.ncsc.mil.

References:
[1] President's Information Technology Advisory Committee, Report to the President, "Information Technology Research: Investing in Our Future", February 24, 1999.

[2] Defense Science Board, "Task Force on DoD Supercomputing Needs", Washington, D. C., Office of the Under Secretary of Defense For Acquisition and Technology, 11 October 2000.

[3] U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), "Report on High-Performance Computing for the National Security Community", Washington D.C., July 2002.

[4] Computing Research Association, "Workshop on The Roadmap for the Revitalization of High-End Computing", Washington D.C., June 2003.