CC* Planning: Fostering Data Driven STEM Research and Education Through Cyberinfrastructure at Illinois State University

Board Of Trustees Of Illinois State University, Normal IL

Investigators

Abstract

Illinois State University (ISU) is creating a comprehensive blueprint for improving its cyberinfrastructure (CI) to foster data-driven research and education. The goal of this planning project is to design a logical, reproducible, and defensible Science DMZ for ISU via a systematic approach called Analysis-Architecture-Design. The partnership and structure between campus IT staff and the research community, especially faculty in computer networking discipline, presents a model for consolidating the ecosystem of CI and integrating new network technologies into an existing framework. The design and prototype of an Intent-based Software Defined Science DMZ with high performance computing clusters are a novel extension of capabilities that are not commonly in place today. This planning project produces a profound impact on the STEM community at ISU to increase their awareness of the availability and scales of computation, data, and the related data analytic tools and expertise. The increased awareness is emitted from ISU as a hub to the local community, the region, and many connected institutions nationally. The adopted Analysis-Architecture-Design methodology is beneficial to many similar institutions that want to revitalize their campus cyberinfrastructure. 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.