Cyberinfrastructure for 21st Century Science and Engineering (CIF21): Advanced Computing Infrastructure Vision and Strategic Plan, February 2012

摘要

Advanced Computing Infrastructure (ACI) is a key component of the Cyberinfrastructure for 21st Century Science and Engineering (CIF21) framework. While CIF21 addresses broadly the cyberinfrastructure needed by science, engineering, and education communities to tackle complex problems and issues, ACI specifically focuses on ensuring these communities have ready access to needed advanced computational capabilities. The CIF21 framework includes other complementary, but overlapping components: data, software, campus bridging and cybersecurity, learning and workforce development, grand challenge communities, computational and data-enabled science and engineering, and scientific instruments (see Figure 1, page 4, for more detail). Many of these components are beginning to be addressed by CIF21 programs in fiscal year (FY) 2012, and a process is now underway to develop strategic plans for each component. The ACI Strategic Plan outlined here seeks to position and support the entire spectrum of NSF-funded communities at the cutting edge of advanced computing technologies, hardware, and software. It also aims to promote a more complementary, comprehensive, and balanced portfolio of advanced computing infrastructure and programs for research and education to support multidisciplinary computational and data-enabled science and engineering that in turn support the entire scientific, engineering, and education community. The vision and strategies articulated here are derived from numerous discussions within NSF and from input from experts in the community such as that from the six task force reports of the Advisory Committee for Cyber-infrastructure and from the various directorate advisory committees.