Penn Research Computing

Penn Research Computing. It is a centralized academic unit within the University of Pennsylvania dedicated to providing advanced computational infrastructure, expertise, and support to accelerate scientific discovery across all disciplines. Operating under the Information Systems & Computing (ISC) organization, it serves as the primary hub for high-performance computing, data science, and research software engineering support for the Ivy League institution's faculty, staff, and students. Its mission is to democratize access to powerful cyberinfrastructure and foster a collaborative research environment that spans fields from genomics and astrophysics to digital humanities and social sciences.

Overview

Penn Research Computing functions as the core provider of research computing services at the University of Pennsylvania, integrating technology, personnel, and policy to support the institution's expansive research portfolio. It aligns its strategic direction with the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and collaborates closely with schools and centers across campus, including the Perelman School of Medicine, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and the Annenberg School for Communication. The unit manages a significant portfolio of federally funded and institutionally funded resources, ensuring compliance with data security protocols for sensitive information governed by regulations like HIPAA and ITAR. Its operations are critical for maintaining the university's competitive edge in securing grants from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.

Services and Resources

The portfolio encompasses a robust shared high-performance computing cluster, known as the Pennsylvania NVIDIA GPU cluster, which provides thousands of CPU cores and advanced accelerator nodes for parallel computing. It offers large-scale data storage solutions, including high-speed scratch storage, project storage, and archival systems, often integrated with cloud computing platforms like Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. Specialized research software and application support is provided for tools in computational chemistry, molecular dynamics, machine learning frameworks like TensorFlow and PyTorch, and geographic information system analysis. The group also facilitates access to national supercomputing resources through partnerships with XSEDE and the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center.

User Support and Training

A team of research computing specialists and data scientists provides direct consultation on code optimization, workflow design, data management, and grant proposal development. Regular workshops and bootcamps are offered on topics such as Linux fundamentals, Python programming, R statistics, and high-throughput computing using HTCondor. The support model includes ticketing system assistance, office hours, and dedicated liaisons to major research centers like the Penn Institute for Computational Science and the Penn Medicine biomedical research community. This education initiative aims to build a strong culture of computational literacy and reproducible research practices across the university.

Governance and Partnerships

Governance is structured through a faculty advisory committee with representation from key schools and disciplines, which guides strategic planning and resource allocation. Penn Research Computing maintains vital partnerships with ISC, the Penn Libraries, and the Office of the University Registrar for identity management and data governance. It also collaborates with regional and national entities, including other Ivy League institutions through the Ivy Plus consortium and the Mid-Atlantic Crossroads (MAX), to share best practices and advocate for the research computing community. These partnerships are essential for participating in national cyberinfrastructure initiatives and peer networks.

History and Development

The formal consolidation of research computing services at Penn began in the early 2000s, evolving from disparate departmental computing clusters into a more unified, campus-wide support model. A significant milestone was the establishment of the Pennsylvania NVIDIA GPU cluster, which marked a major investment in accelerator-based computing for artificial intelligence research. Its development has been propelled by successive strategic plans from the Provost's Office and increasing research demands, particularly from the life sciences and engineering sectors. Ongoing evolution focuses on integrating hybrid cloud architectures, expanding support for big data analytics, and preparing for exascale computing paradigms in alignment with national roadmaps from the Department of Energy.

Category:University of Pennsylvania Category:Research organizations in the United States Category:High-performance computing Category:Organizations based in Philadelphia