CC* NPEO: The Research and Science Engagement Center: A Production Platform for Operations, Applied Training, Monitoring, and R&E Support

The scientific community has experienced an unprecedented shift in the way research is performed and how discoveries are made. Highly sophisticated experimental instruments are creating massive datasets for diverse scientific communities and hold the potential for new insights that will have long-lasting impacts on society. However, scientists cannot make effective use of this data if they are unable to move, store, and analyze it. This project establishes the Research and Science Engagement Center (ReSEC) as a collaborative focal point for operational expertise and analysis. This project will assist scientists in routinely, reliably, and robustly transferring their data. ReSEC will deliver end-to-end user support and network engineering solutions, and become a central community hub ready to provide personalized expertise and assistance on an ongoing basis. ReSEC proposes four primary execution thrusts: 1) a Roadside Assistance center to reactively respond to immediate problems with science data transfers; 2) proactive network observation using tools such as perfSONAR and NetSage; 3) assistance with design & deployment of campus networking assets such as Science DMZs; and 4) training for campus network administrators. ReSEC will scale operations broadly by relying on Regional Network, Infrastructure and Science Community partners. ReSEC will deliver expertise and assistance on a sustainable, ongoing basis, with a particular emphasis on serving educational institutions with relatively limited local network administrative resources. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.