CC* CRIA: The Eastern Regional Network

This Eastern Regional Network (ERN) CI-Research Alignment project organizes six information-gathering events: four workshops and two All Hands Meetings. These events are aimed at building and sustaining regional partnerships that simplify multi-campus collaborations to advance the frontiers of research, pedagogy, and innovation. With a deeper understanding gained through the four workshops, augmented by wider discussions at the two All Hands meetings, the ERN is better positioned to ensure impact across broad institutional types, research disciplines and pedagogical approaches, and well versed in relevant technical and administrative challenges and opportunities. Two workshops focus on learning from the Cryo-EM and Materials Discovery communities about their research workflows and their computational, storage, and network requirements. These workshops also cover data management plans, types of collaborations (national and international), and the pain points associated with sharing data and resources between institutions. A third workshop brings together university Vice Presidents of Research, Chief Information Officers, General Counsel, Institutional Review Board directors, and other ERN representatives to discuss the CI Sharing Policies needed to simplify sharing of data, infrastructure, and expertise between universities and across state lines. The final workshop, “Broadening the Reach,” includes researchers, educators, and senior administrators from under-represented colleges and universities, including MSIs, HSIs, and HBCUs. This workshop ensures that these institutions can develop strategic and attainable CI plans and successful, sustainable CC* funded initiatives that leverage the regional ERN collaboration. 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.