Advanced Computing Systems & Services: Adapting to the Rapid Evolution of Science and Engineering Research

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is inviting proposals for the Advanced Computing Systems and Services (ACSS) Program. The Program aims to adapt and support the rapidly evolving fields of science and engineering research by provisioning advanced cyberinfrastructure (CI) resources and services.

Organizations who are willing to serve as resource providers will ensure equitable and broad access to computational and data-centric resources across all areas of science and engineering. The primary roles of these resource providers will be to supply high-tech CI resources and guarantee a standardized, equal utilization of these resources.

The ACSS Program, through its current solicitation, wishes to supplement previous NSF funding in advanced computational infrastructure by providing resources broadly defined to include systems and services in two categories:

1. Capacity Resources: Here, resource providers will maximize the availability of computational resources for computation and data analytics in science and engineering research.

2. Innovative Prototypes/Testbeds: Resource providers will pave the way for innovative, forward-thinking capabilities deploying novel technologies, designs and usage modes. This will help explore new target applications, methods and paradigms for scientists and engineers to make new discoveries.

The resource providers selected through this solicitation will be incorporated into the NSF’s ACSS Program portfolio. They will be part of a national federation of High-Performance Computing (HPC) resources meant to enhance capabilities for discovery at a computational scale that exceeds the reach of individual or regional academic institutions.

It's expected that at least 90% of the resource provided will be made accessible to the science and engineering community through an open, peer-reviewed national allocation process. Users of these resources will be supported by community services, and these services will likely be coordinated via the NSF-funded Advanced Cyberinfrastructure Coordination Ecosystem: Services and Support (ACCESS) suite of services.

The ACSS Program encourages submissions from a diverse group of primary investigators (PIs), including women, underrepresented minorities, and individuals with disabilities. Furthermore, it welcomes proposals from institutions that have not traditionally provided nationally-allocatable cyberinfrastructure. The goal is to increase the scale and diversity of the science and engineering community.