The Computation based Science and Technology Research Center (CaSToRC) The Cyprus Institute (CyI) is developing a Computation-based Science and Technology Research Centre (CaSToRC) that will include a high performance computing (HPC) facility on a scale expected to be in the tens of teraflops, with an associated research and educational centre devoted to computational science (addressing in particular such issues as the planning of hardware architecture, code optimisation, fine-tuning of clusters, production of code libraries, middleware development, and data repositories). CaSToRC will be designed primarily to serve the needs of Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean region, in fields such as climate modelling, astrophysics, high energy and plasma physics, materials science, chemistry, 3D visualisation, biology, financial and economic modelling, etc.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Cyprus Institute and the University of Illinois, providing in particular for a founding partnership between CyI and Illinois’ National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) for the joint planning and implementation of CSTRC. The MoU also provides for the formation of a Scientific Advisory Committee, comprising internationally recognised experts from Europe and the United States.
A consortium has been formed under the acronym LinkSCEEM (Linking Scientific Computing in Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean) to guide the integration of CaSToRC into the European HPC community and to contribute to its regional role in the Eastern Mediterranean. LinkSCEEM groups European, US Eastern Mediterranean research institutions active in the field of HPC: CyI, as coordinator; Illinois / NCSA; SARA, the Dutch national HPC and networking center; the John von Neumann Institute for Computing (NIC) in Jülich, Germany; CSCS, Swiss National Supercomputing Centre in Mannot; GRNET, the Greek national academic networking authority; IUCC, the Israeli national consortium coordinating scientific computing activities; SESAME, the UNESCO-sponsored synchrotron facility in Jordan. An FP7 grant proposal has been submitted to the European Commission to support the planning and outreach activities of this consortium. The proposal has been rated very highly, and negotiations with the EC are under way for its implementation and funding.
Planned actions include the assessment of needs for computational resources within the scientific community of Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean, the coordination of HPC resources and their integration in Europe and the region, the planning of the access of users, the preparation of research and educational programmes in computational science, as well as a feasibility study for the upgrade of the network connectivity in the region. Dissemination and outreach actions, including an International Conference and several users’ workshops, will also be conducted.
As a first stage of the regional networking activities related to the design and planning of CaSToRC, and in preparation for the implementation phase of the LinkSCEEM project, CyI will organize a meeting, to be held in Cyprus in the first quarter of 2008, aimed at initiating contacts with future users of the CaSToRC facility within the regional scientific community in all relevant fields. This users’ meeting is meant to be inclusive, in that it aims to reach all potential users in Cyprus and neighbouring countries (Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Palestinian Authority, Egypt, Libya and Greece) and give them a voice in setting the agenda and in defining the needs of the future centre. Regional resources in HPC are scarce, and it is important that CSTRC’s design is well adapted to the needs of its future users from the very start.
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CaSToRC
