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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2016. Future Directions for NSF Advanced Computing Infrastructure to Support U.S. Science and Engineering in 2017-2020. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21886.
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Future Directions for
NSF ADVANCED
COMPUTING
INFRASTRUCTURE

to Support U.S. Science and
Engineering in 2017-2020

Committee on Future Directions for NSF Advanced Computing
Infrastructure to Support U.S. Science in 2017-2020

Computer Science and Telecommunications Board

Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2016. Future Directions for NSF Advanced Computing Infrastructure to Support U.S. Science and Engineering in 2017-2020. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21886.
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This activity was supported by Award No. OCI-1344417 from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for the project.

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Suggested citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2016. Future Directions for NSF Advanced Computing Infrastructure to Support U.S. Science and Engineering in 2017-2020. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi:10.17226/21886.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2016. Future Directions for NSF Advanced Computing Infrastructure to Support U.S. Science and Engineering in 2017-2020. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21886.
×

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The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, nongovernmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president.

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2016. Future Directions for NSF Advanced Computing Infrastructure to Support U.S. Science and Engineering in 2017-2020. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21886.
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Limited copies of CSTB reports are available free of charge from

Computer Science and Telecommunications Board
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Keck Center of the National Academies
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
(202) 334-2605/cstb@nas.edu
www.cstb.org

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2016. Future Directions for NSF Advanced Computing Infrastructure to Support U.S. Science and Engineering in 2017-2020. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21886.
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COMMITTEE ON FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR NSF ADVANCED COMPUTING INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT U.S. SCIENCE IN 2017-2020

WILLIAM D. GROPP, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Co-Chair

ROBERT J. HARRISON, Stony Brook University, Co-Chair

MARK R. ABBOTT, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

ROBERT L. GROSSMAN, University of Chicago

PETER M. KOGGE, University of Notre Dame

PADMA RAGHAVAN, Pennsylvania State University

DANIEL A. REED, University of Iowa

VALERIE TAYLOR, Texas A&M University

KATHERINE A. YELICK, University of California, Berkeley

Staff

JON EISENBERG, Director, Computer Science and Telecommunications Board, and Study Director

SHENAE BRADLEY, Administrative Assistant

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2016. Future Directions for NSF Advanced Computing Infrastructure to Support U.S. Science and Engineering in 2017-2020. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21886.
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COMPUTER SCIENCE AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS BOARD

FARNAM JAHANIAN, Carnegie Mellon University, Chair

LUIZ ANDRÉ BARROSO, Google, Inc.

STEVEN M. BELLOVIN, Columbia University

ROBERT F. BRAMMER, Brammer Technology, LLC

EDWARD FRANK, Cloud Parity Inc. and Brilliant Lime Inc.

SEYMOUR E. GOODMAN, Georgia Institute of Technology

LAURA HAAS, IBM Corporation

MARK HOROWITZ, Stanford University

MICHAEL KEARNS, University of Pennsylvania

ROBERT KRAUT, Carnegie Mellon University

SUSAN LANDAU, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

PETER LEE, Microsoft Corporation

DAVID E. LIDDLE, US Venture Partners (retired)

BARBARA LISKOV, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

FRED B. SCHNEIDER, Cornell University

ROBERT F. SPROULL, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

JOHN STANKOVIC, University of Virginia

JOHN A. SWAINSON, Dell, Inc.

ERNEST J. WILSON, University of Southern California

KATHERINE A. YELICK, University of California, Berkeley

Staff

JON EISENBERG, Director

LYNETTE I. MILLETT, Associate Director

VIRGINIA BACON TALATI, Program Officer

SHENAE BRADLEY, Administrative Assistant

JANEL DEAR, Senior Program Assistant

EMILY GRUMBLING, Program Officer

RENEE HAWKINS, Financial and Administrative Manager

HERBERT S. LIN, Chief Scientist (emeritus)

For more information on CSTB, see its website at http://www.cstb.org, write to CSTB at National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001, call (202) 334-2605, or email CSTB at cstb@nas.edu.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2016. Future Directions for NSF Advanced Computing Infrastructure to Support U.S. Science and Engineering in 2017-2020. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21886.
×

Preface

Advanced computing, a term used in this report to include both compute- and data-intensive capabilities, is used to tackle a rapidly growing range of challenging science and engineering problems. The National Science Foundation (NSF) requested that the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine carry out a study examining anticipated priorities and associated trade-offs for advanced computing in support of NSF-sponsored science and engineering research. The study encompasses advanced computing activities and programs throughout NSF, including, but not limited to, those of its Division of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure. The statement of task for the full study is given in Box P.1. In response to this request, the Academies established the Committee on Future Directions for NSF Advanced Computing Infrastructure to Support U.S. Science in 2017-2020 (see Appendix C).

The first phase of the study culminated in an interim report issued in 2014, Future Directions for NSF Advanced Computing Infrastructure to Support U.S. Science and Engineering in 2017-2020: An Interim Report, that identified key issues and discussed potential options. The interim report set forth nine major areas where the committee sought input from the scientific computing community (Box P.2). The committee received over 60 comments from individuals, research groups, and organizations (listed in Appendix A) in response to its call for comments. It gathered further input through additional data-gathering sessions convened by the committee and listed in Appendix B. This is the committee’s final report. As this study was being completed, an executive order was issued estab-

Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2016. Future Directions for NSF Advanced Computing Infrastructure to Support U.S. Science and Engineering in 2017-2020. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21886.
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lishing a National Strategic Computer Initiative (NSCI), a measure that underscores the importance of advanced computing for the nation in general—and for science in particular. This report briefly discusses NSF’s role in the NSCI; see Section 2.7 and Box 2.5.

William D. Gropp and Robert J. Harrison, Co-Chairs
Committee on Future Directions for NSF Advanced Computing
Infrastructure to Support U.S. Science in 2017-2020

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2016. Future Directions for NSF Advanced Computing Infrastructure to Support U.S. Science and Engineering in 2017-2020. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21886.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2016. Future Directions for NSF Advanced Computing Infrastructure to Support U.S. Science and Engineering in 2017-2020. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21886.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2016. Future Directions for NSF Advanced Computing Infrastructure to Support U.S. Science and Engineering in 2017-2020. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21886.
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Acknowledgment of Reviewers

This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report:

Daniel E. Atkins III, University of Michigan,

David A. Bader, Georgia Institute of Technology,

Robert Brammer, Brammer Technology, LLC,

Andrew A. Chien, University of Chicago,

Jeff Dozier, University of California, Santa Barbara,

Dennis Gannon, Microsoft Research (retired),

Gary S. Grest, Sandia National Laboratories,

Laura M. Haas, IBM,

Anthony (“Tony”) John Grenville Hey, University of Washington eScience Institute,

David Keyes, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology,

Michael L. Klein, Temple University,

David A. Lifka, Cornell University,

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2016. Future Directions for NSF Advanced Computing Infrastructure to Support U.S. Science and Engineering in 2017-2020. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21886.
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Jeremiah P. Ostriker, Columbia University,

Terrence J. Sejnowski, Salk Institute for Biological Studies,

Marc Snir, Argonne National Laboratory,

Warren M. Washington, National Center for Atmospheric Research, and

John West, Texas Advanced Computing Center.

Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Marcia J. Rieke, University of Arizona, and Butler W. Lampson, Microsoft Research, who were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2016. Future Directions for NSF Advanced Computing Infrastructure to Support U.S. Science and Engineering in 2017-2020. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21886.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2016. Future Directions for NSF Advanced Computing Infrastructure to Support U.S. Science and Engineering in 2017-2020. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21886.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2016. Future Directions for NSF Advanced Computing Infrastructure to Support U.S. Science and Engineering in 2017-2020. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21886.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2016. Future Directions for NSF Advanced Computing Infrastructure to Support U.S. Science and Engineering in 2017-2020. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21886.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2016. Future Directions for NSF Advanced Computing Infrastructure to Support U.S. Science and Engineering in 2017-2020. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21886.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2016. Future Directions for NSF Advanced Computing Infrastructure to Support U.S. Science and Engineering in 2017-2020. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21886.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2016. Future Directions for NSF Advanced Computing Infrastructure to Support U.S. Science and Engineering in 2017-2020. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21886.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2016. Future Directions for NSF Advanced Computing Infrastructure to Support U.S. Science and Engineering in 2017-2020. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21886.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2016. Future Directions for NSF Advanced Computing Infrastructure to Support U.S. Science and Engineering in 2017-2020. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21886.
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Advanced computing capabilities are used to tackle a rapidly growing range of challenging science and engineering problems, many of which are compute- and data-intensive as well. Demand for advanced computing has been growing for all types and capabilities of systems, from large numbers of single commodity nodes to jobs requiring thousands of cores; for systems with fast interconnects; for systems with excellent data handling and management; and for an increasingly diverse set of applications that includes data analytics as well as modeling and simulation. Since the advent of its supercomputing centers, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has provided its researchers with state-of-the-art computing systems. The growth of new models of computing, including cloud computing and publically available by privately held data repositories, opens up new possibilities for NSF.

In order to better understand the expanding and diverse requirements of the science and engineering community and the importance of a new broader range of advanced computing infrastructure, the NSF requested that the National Research Council carry out a study examining anticipated priorities and associated tradeoffs for advanced computing. Future Directions for NSF Advanced Computing Infrastructure to Support U.S. Science and Engineering in 2017-2020 provides a framework for future decision-making about NSF's advanced computing strategy and programs. It offers recommendations aimed at achieving four broad goals: (1) position the U.S. for continued leadership in science and engineering, (2) ensure that resources meet community needs, (3) aid the scientific community in keeping up with the revolution in computing, and (4) sustain the infrastructure for advanced computing.

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