NeSI

NeSI
Name	NeSI
Type	Research infrastructure
Founded	2009
Headquarters	New Zealand
Area served	New Zealand
Services	High performance computing, data storage, research software

NeSI NeSI is New Zealand's national high performance computing and data service supporting scientific, engineering, and commercial research. The organisation provides computational infrastructure and expert support to researchers across institutions including universities, Crown Research Institutes, and industry partners. NeSI enables large-scale simulation, data analysis, and modelling used in projects linked to climate science, genomics, astrophysics, and engineering.

Overview

NeSI operates shared computing resources and data platforms that accelerate research workflows for users at institutions such as University of Auckland, University of Otago, Victoria University of Wellington, Massey University, and University of Canterbury. The service integrates hardware vendors and research programmes associated with Science and Innovation Act 2018 initiatives, Crown agencies, and national research facilities like GNS Science, AgResearch, and ESR (Institute) to support projects funded by bodies such as the Royal Society Te Apārangi and the Marsden Fund. NeSI's platforms are used for modelling tasks comparable to those in studies from National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Cawthron Institute, Plant & Food Research, and collaborations with international facilities such as PRACE and XSEDE.

History and Development

NeSI was formed through collaborative planning involving universities and research institutes following national reviews of computational capability similar to assessments by Tertiary Education Commission (New Zealand), Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, and advisory reports linked to the Rutherford Discovery Fellowships. Initial development involved procurement cycles and system deployments influenced by procurements from vendors like Dell Technologies, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and Intel Corporation. Over successive funding rounds and strategic reviews, NeSI expanded capacity to meet demands from projects in areas championed by awardees of the Marsden Fund, recipients of the James Cook Fellowship, and multi-institution consortia working with organisations such as Callaghan Innovation.

Services and Infrastructure

NeSI provides services including high performance computing clusters, scalable storage arrays, research software support, and user training aligned with methodologies used by teams at CERN, European Southern Observatory, CSIRO, and Los Alamos National Laboratory. Its compute architecture incorporates processors and accelerators from manufacturers like NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel, and storage technologies common in deployments at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory. User support covers workflow tools and platforms comparable to Slurm Workload Manager, Singularity (software), Docker, and libraries used in projects funded by the HRC (Health Research Council of New Zealand). NeSI operates secure data services for sensitive datasets in contexts similar to healthcare studies involving University of Otago Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences and genomics initiatives comparable to efforts at Wellcome Sanger Institute.

Research and Education Applications

Researchers use NeSI resources for simulations and analyses in disciplines represented by investigators funded through the Royal Society Te Apārangi Rutherford Discovery Fellowships, projects at Auckland Bioengineering Institute, and collaborative studies with the International Antarctic Centre. Applications include climate modelling akin to work at MetService and NIWA, genomic assembly pipelines similar to those at Broad Institute, astrophysical simulation comparable to research at Mount John Observatory, and engineering analyses paralleling programmes at University of Canterbury College of Engineering. NeSI also supports teaching and training activities integrated into curricula at institutions like University of Waikato and Lincoln University, and capacity-building efforts tied to professional development awards from bodies such as HERA and sector-specific programmes coordinated with Tertiary Education Union-affiliated initiatives.

Governance and Funding

NeSI is governed through a board and executive model reflecting governance practices seen in organisations like Callaghan Innovation, Crown Research Institute, and university-administered research facilities. Funding sources have included grants and contracts from national funding agencies such as the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, allocations aligned with priorities of the National Science Challenges, and contributions from member institutions including major universities and research institutes. Strategic oversight involves alignment with national research infrastructure frameworks similar to reviews by the New Zealand Productivity Commission and advice from panels akin to those convened by the Royal Society Te Apārangi.

Partnerships and Community Engagement

NeSI engages with national partners such as University of Auckland Faculty of Science, University of Otago Department of Mathematics and Statistics, and Crown research entities like Landcare Research and PFR (Plant & Food Research), while maintaining international links with programmes at PRACE, XSEDE, and research infrastructures coordinated by European Research Council-funded consortia. Community activities include training workshops, hackathons, and collaborations with industry partners similar to initiatives led by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and innovation networks supported by Callaghan Innovation. Through partnerships with professional societies and funding bodies including the Royal Society Te Apārangi and the Health Research Council of New Zealand, NeSI contributes to national capacity in computational research and supports cross-institutional collaborations.

Category:Research infrastructure in New Zealand