Overview
There are several offices at the University of Richmond that provide support for the broad needs of scholarly and research computing. This includes but is not limited to Information Services; Boatwright Library; Faculty Hub, Quantitative Resource Center, Provost Office (spydur HPC cluster and spiderweb server), and Office of Foundation, Corporate and Government Relations (FCGR). The goals of this coordination are to (1) enhance the University of Richmond community by facilitating the integration of technologies for an engaging learning and research environment for faculty and students and (2) assist with the use of technology so that researchers can concentrate on core research activities.
Detail/Instructions
End-user computer and network assistance
When there is an issue with a current system, server, or application that is preventing normal work on the system, it can be considered an incident. These issues should be submitted via the Incident Form or by calling the Help Desk at 804-287-6400.
Consultation in data best practices (backups, archival, publication)
As science has become more data-intensive and collaborative, research data management is consuming more of researchers' most precious resource: time. In the era of "big data", decisions regarding data are more complex and fraught with larger consequences, e.g., funding agencies mandate to make the data accumulated with taxpayers' dollars publicly available.
Information Services and Boatwright Library can help with the following:
Boatwright Library:
Information Services:
Help with High Performance Computing (HPC) resources in UR data centers
For a first conversation, the IS Research Analyst can help researchers identify the needs through consultation -- please submit a consultation request. The consultation may result in a project intake request ready for progressing towards implementation. If you are ready to initiate a project intake, please fill out that form.
The following is a list (but not an inventory) of examples of HPC resources hosted at the University of Richmond.
HPC Servers and Clusters
HPC clusters on campus have been primarily funded through external grants directly to the principal investigators. They have been designed and installed on campus with an HPC vendor and maintained in the University Data Center. More information including a list of servers is available in the Academic Servers and HPC Clusters article.
HPC Workstations
Several HPC workstations and/or individual servers are used for academic research at UR. Examples of HPC workstation projects:
- The Data Center, Help Desk, and Research Analyst worked with a faculty member to develop an HPC system including a 32-core, 128GB server and a similarly specified workstation. As part of the project, terabytes of data from another institution were migrated and a multifaceted bioinformatics system from a 3rd institution was "cloned" locally.
- To help a faculty biologist modernize his research methods, the Help Desk and Research Analyst consulted to specify a hardware and software platform capable of supporting the new methodology including a 128GB, 32-core workstation with the latest life sciences 3D imaging software.
Help with analyzing or visualizing data, including 3D design and printing
If you are simply interested in learning particular software applications or need to 3D-print something, you can best begin with LinkedIn Learning or the Technology Learning Center, respectively. If you need a consultation to identify data visualization methodologies or advanced needs for 3D scanning, design, or printing, please submit a Scholarship and Research Computing Consultation Request.
Technology Learning Center
The Technology Learning Center (TLC) supports the creation and use of multimedia in teaching and learning with an emphasis on course-related digital media projects. Open to all current faculty and students, we provide software, equipment, and support for the production of sound, video, graphics, website, and 3D objects. TLC staff members are available to work with the university community to make sure they have the knowledge needed to complete their projects. Audio/video equipment is available for short-term checkout with priority going to class projects.
Help with training on hardware and software used in research
Please contact Academic Computing Services or the IS Research Analyst for a consultation to identify the best source of training for your needs.
Academic Computing Services
Academic Computing Services provides support for teaching, learning, and technology across campus. This support includes computer hardware and software assets located in classrooms, departmental labs, and public labs. We also provide support and training to faculty, staff, and students in the creation of multimedia projects through the Technology Learning Center. We regularly consult with faculty, staff, and students to discuss their use of technology, ascertain their needs, and provide innovative solutions. We deploy and maintain a rich set of technology resources to provide access to cutting-edge educational tools for our faculty and students. ACS manages 254 applications and management tools on 1442 endpoints that run Windows, Mac, and Linux OS.
Research Computing Consultation
If you need a consultation to find the appropriate methodology, algorithms, tools, etc. for a particular research project, please submit a Scholarship and Research Computing Consultation Request.
Collaboration for grants and research projects including NSF XSEDE
See Grant Writing and Funding
See Also
Scholarly and Research Computing Consultation
Scholarly and Research Computing Project Request
Academic and HPC Clusters (list)
Accessing Linux Environments
Amazon Web Services Educate Program
Grant Writing and Funding
XSEDE and Open Science Grid Computational Resources
Oracle Academy