CC* Planning: Establishing a Sustainable Framework for High-Performance Computing Growth at Wichita State University

Wichita State University (WSU) is embarking on a Campus Cyberinfrastructure Master Plan to: interconnect campus research labs, create a common campus research storage system and establish a regional compute system for High-Performance Computing (HPC). This initiative aims to enhance university research and education missions while also contributing to the broader scientific community. The project involves developing strategic plans for HPC infrastructure enhancements, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations, supporting innovative research and education, and ensuring long-term sustainability of WSU's computing resources. The first goal involves developing a roadmap for a fixable and scalable next generation HPC system that meets the current and future computational demands. It includes conducting a gap analysis to identify the features and capacity needed to meet WSU's diverse research and educational needs. The second goal is to foster interdisciplinary collaborations. This will be achieved by developing an interdisciplinary computing institute that promotes collaboration between faculty, researchers, and students from diverse departments, organizing regular workshops, seminars, and networking events, and establishing strategic partnerships with national laboratories, government agencies, and industry partners. The third goal is to support innovative research and education by integrating HPC resources into the curriculum across multiple disciplines, developing a comprehensive training program, and providing consulting services to researchers. The fourth and final goal is sustainability and long-term planning, which involves developing a long-term sustainability plan and strengthening ties with the local community. The main project deliverables include a Campus Cyberinfrastructure Master Plan and planning for future grant proposal submissions to the NSF, and other funding agencies, including the MRI and CC* programs in support of implementation of the Campus Cyberinfrastructure Master Plan. 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.