Cyberinfrastructure
South Carolina EPSCoR/IDeA is making efforts to improve and sustain
cyberinfrastructure in the state by partnering with existing initiatives,
including the South Carolina Computing Consortium and the South Carolina Light
Rail.
The
goal is to build a cyberinfrastructure network that will increase the
state’s capacity to address problems in research, education, and workforce
development. The EPSCoR/IDeA leadership advocate for recurring state
appropriations to acquire and support a comprehensive cyberinfrastructure
network consisting of high-performance computational equipment, technical
support staff, as well as connectivity, operation, and maintenance fees. The
three PhD-granting institutions will aggressively pursue private sector
partnerships to share or donate dark fiber necessary for local access to the
statewide Light Rail and National Lambda Rail. Connection to the National Lambda
Rail will enhance the competitiveness of South Carolina’s researchers for those
science and engineering programs that require a higher level of computational
capacity. Students engaged in EPSCoR/IDeA-supported imaging, computational
chemistry, environmental modeling, and informatics research will be more
competitive for a cyber-enabled workforce.
South Carolina Computing Consortium
The South Carolina Computing Consortium (SC3) is a collaborative effort among the three PhD-granting institutions, Hollings Marine Laboratory and the Savannah River National Laboratory to increase awareness of cyberinfrastructure-enabled research and education. Coordinated by an interdisciplinary group of faculty and information technology personnel, the Consortium has begun implementation of a cyberinfrastructure improvement plan. Phase-1 of the plan is complete with the connection of Clemson University to the National Lambda Rail. Phase-2 is establishment of the South Carolina Light Rail.
South Carolina Light Rail
In 2007, the General Assembly of South Carolina appropriated $4.5 million to initiate the South Carolina Light Rail, which will provide connectivity and network operation services for a statewide high-speed fiber-optic network linking the three research universities. The SC Light Rail is the conduit that will tap into the Charlotte-to-Atlanta segment of the National Lambda Rail, which passes through the northwest corner of South Carolina. Closure of the cyber gap for South Carolina will provide faculty statewide with cutting-edge access that will enable development of competitive proposals to the National Science Foundation and other federal agencies.
National Science Foundation's Cyberinfrastructure Plan
The NSF's Cyberinfrastructure Council (CIC), based on extensive input from the research community, has developed a comprehensive vision to guide the Foundation's future investments in cyberinfrastructure. The resulting plan is the Cyberinfrastructure Vision for 21st Century Discovery. (pdf)