Tom Gulbransen, a program officer at the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (OAC) recently presented at Boise State University’s Research Computing Days in March 2023.
Gulbransen provided an overview of the NSF’s vision for supporting cyberinfrastructure and research computing. He explained that the OAC aims to foster an advanced cyberinfrastructure ecosystem to transform science and engineering research by coordinating and integrating computing systems, data, software, networks, and expertise.
A major goal is making cyberinfrastructure more equitable and accessible, or “democratizing” it, so more researchers can take advantage of advanced computing. Programs like ACCESS are working to integrate systems and provide more flexible allocations and support.
Gulbransen emphasized the importance of cyberinfrastructure professionals in providing user support and training. He outlined various NSF programs that fund projects to develop skills, provide training, and strengthen career paths in this area.
He encouraged researchers to get involved with NSF advisory groups, participate in programs like ACCESS, attend NSF-sponsored events, and collaborate across institutions and domains. Early engagement between researchers and NSF program officers allows proper planning to support computationally-intensive research.
