Research Cyberinfrastructure

RCI at UCSD

Research Cyberinfrastructure consists of the hardware, software, and people supporting scientific research. As a nationally leading research institution, UCSD delivers RCI with the highest possible level of commitment. It views world class cyberinfrastructure as an essential component and critical factor in fulfilling its mission as a research university. UCSD initiated the RCI program in 2009 to provide these services to the entire campus.

The NSF Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel Report on cyberinfrastructure described RCI with this analogy:

“Like the physical infrastructure of roads, bridges, power grids, telephone lines, and water systems that support modern society, cyberinfrastructure refers to the distributed compute, information and communications technologies combined with the personnel and integrating components that provide a long-term platform to empower the modern scientific research endeavor.”

Three Key Developments in UC San Diego RCI Planning

  1. The RCI Design Team's Final Report, Blueprint for the Digital University, [PDF] (April 2009) provides the rationale and design for a campus-wide research cyberinfrastructure that will meet federal mandates for research data preservation, improve UC San Diego’s academic competitiveness, and achieve economies-of-scale savings through centralization of core infrastructure elements, while at the same time recognizing the diverse and distributed nature of the University’s research enterprise.
  2. The Cyberinfrastructure Planning and Operations Committee report (April 2010), a business plan for the sustained operations of a research cyberinfrastucture for UC San Diego within a two-year time frame, was developed by the Cyberinfrastructure Planning and Operations Committee (CIPOC). The April 2010 CIPOC report calls for a phased implementation plan of these RCI elements:
    • Colocation facility
    • Centralized data storage
    • Data curation
    • Condo clusters
    • Research network

    CIPOC recognizes that RCI is critical to maintaining and advancing the research competence and competitiveness of UC San Diego.

  3. The Research Cyberinfrastructure Oversight Committee (December 2010) has been asked to:
    • Guide the development of an enhanced RCI.
    • Set policies and coordinate RCI elements.
    • Modify the CIPOC-proposed business plan as needed.
    • Continually seek opportunities for cost savings and recommendations for their implementation.
    • Provide accountability and document accomplishments on a regular basis.

Research Cyberinfrastructure Oversight Committee and Implementation Team

Co-chairs

Michael Gilson, Professor, School of Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences
Michael Norman, Director, San Diego Supercomputer Center

Members

Ed Babakanian, Chief Information Officer, Medical Center
Phil Bourne, Associate Vice Chancellor, Innovation & Industry Alliances, Office of Research Affairs
Steven Briggs, Professor, Biological Sciences
Declan Fleming, Chief Technology Strategist, Library 
Terry Gaasterland, Professor/Director Genomics, Marine Biology Research
Jeffrey Gee, Professor, Geosciences Research Division (Alternate Jerry Wanetick, IT Director, SIO)
Jeff Henry, Director, Academic Computing/Media Services (Alternate Pedro Cruz, Assistant Director, Academic Computing/Media Services)
Bill Hodgkiss, Associate Vice Chancellor, Academic Planning & Resources, Academic Affairs
Andy McCammon, Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Richard Moore, Deputy Director, San Diego Supercomputer Center
Bing Ren, Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Health Sciences
Tad Reynales, Chief Technology Officer, Calit2
Brian Schottlaender, The Audrey Geisel University Librarian, Library
Ed Spriggs, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs
Shahrokh Yadegari, Chair, Committee on Academic Information Technology, Academic Senate, ex officio
Min Yao, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Administrative Computing and Telecommunications (Alternate: Charlotte Klock, Executive Director/Chf Info Sec-Prvcy Of) 

Consultants

Bobb Barile, Director, Organizational Development, Academic Affairs 
Ron Espiritu, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Health Sciences, School of Medicine
Marianne Generales, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Research Affairs
Gene Hasegawa, Assistant Dean, School of Medicine (Alternate: Ron Spears, Assistant Dean, IT Enterprises, School of Medicine)
David Hutches, Director, Engineering Computing, Jacobs School of Engineering
Sylvia Lepe-Askari, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Campus Budget Office

Implementation Team

Richard Moore (RCI Project Manager), Deputy Director, San Diego Supercomputer Center
Matt Campbell (Colocation Lead), Director of Data Center Services, Computing Resource Manager, San Diego Supercomputer Center
Warren Froelich (Marketing Lead), Division Director of External Relations, San Diego Supercomputer Center
Jim Hayes (Computation Lead), Project Leader, San Diego Supercomputer Center
Wilfred Li (Centralized Storage Lead), Project Leader, San Diego Supercomputer Center
David Minor (Data Curation Lead), Digital Preservation Initiatives, Library and San Diego Supercomputer Center
Valerie Polichar (Networking Lead), Infrastructure Analyst, Administrative Computing and Telecommunications
Tad Reynales (Calit2 Coordinator), Chief Technology Officer, Calit2

Communications

Susan Rathbun, Administrative Analyst, San Diego Supercomputer Center
Billiekai Boughton, Executive Assistant, San Diego Supercomputer Center

Committee reports to

Sandra Brown, Vice Chancellor, Research Affairs