CLEANER: Developing Information Technology and Coordination Architectures for Collaborative Large-Scale Engineering Analysis Network for Environmental Research

Oregon State University, Corvallis OR

Investigators

Abstract

0416066 Pancake This planning grant will develop plans for the two types of infrastructure that will transform CLEANER from a grant program to a collaboratory: an IT infrastructure and a coordination infrastructure. The approach is founded on the following objectives: (1) Leverage the "lessons learned" by other, related efforts to reduce ramp-up time and effort. Over the last decade, a number of discipline-specific collaboratories have emerged. The project will exploit their experiences so that CLEANER can benefit from current "best practices" and develop risk management strategies to avoid known pitfalls. (2) Maximize the flexibility of CLEANER's underlying infrastructures to allow for growth and evolution as experience is gained. CLEANER facilities must be developed in a way that will lead to compatibility, interoperability, expansion, and future maintainability. This approach specifically addresses these issues, not just in terms of a scalable and extensible IT architecture, but also the establishing of coordination procedures that will adjust to changing needs as CLEANER facilities grow and users gain experience with them. (3) Ensure that all components of the Collaboratory are actually usable by the target audiences. Construction of facilities, however advanced or desirable, is pointless unless their potential will be exercised fully by users. Based on many years of experience in usability engineering, the project will identify and document user requirements and priorities among CLEANER's diverse constituencies and define how usability procedures should be incorporated into facility development.