HPC Forum AU

All research areas from art history to cosmology are changing as a result of the opportunities that come from digitisation and the ability to create algorithms and work on extremely large data sets. At Aarhus University, we need to be able to influence and benefit from this development.

A forum has therefore been established with a special focus – based on the university’s digitisation strategy – on the research-related use of supercomputers and high-performance computing (HPC).

The aim is new HPC initiatives to attract and retain talented researchers and students at Aarhus University. HPC equipment and access to this will form the basis for the establishment of new fields of research which combine the classical subjects with modern high-performance computing. At the same time, it is essential to maintain the existing HPC facilities and enhance them as new opportunities arise and new resources become available.

Terms of reference for the HPC Forum at Aarhus University

Obejctive

All research areas from art history to cosmology are changing as a result of the oppor-tunities that come from digitalisation and the ability to create algorithms and work on extremely large data sets. At Aarhus University, we need to be able to influence and benefit from this development.

Therefore A forum is established with a special focus – based on the university’s digi-talisation strategy – on the research-related use of supercomputers and high-perfor-mance computing (HPC).

The aim is new HPC initiatives, that can attract and retain talented researchers and students at Aarhus University. HPC equipment and access to this will form the basis for the establishment of new fields of research which combine the classical subjects with modern high-performing computers. At the same time, it is essential to maintain the existing HPC facilities and enhance them as new opportunities arise and new re-sources are available.

Tasks

The HPC Forum has the following tasks:

Serve as an academic-strategic sparring partner for the Research Committee in matters concerning HPC.
Help to coordinate AU’s HPC initiatives internally, nationally and internation-ally.
Assess HPC-relevant proposals from the academic environments, the admin-istration and management.
Process applications concerning HPC resources for DeiC.
Prepare recommendations for management about costs of investment (lever-age of external funding) and maintenance to ensure access to HPC hardware facilities at AU for researchers at all career levels.
Can serve as an academic AU representative in external organisations, initia-tives and activities related to HPC, following agreement with the relevant dean, and is to be kept informed by academic AU representatives without a seat on the HPC Forum.

Composition

The HPC Forum is composed as follows:

One or two researchers from each faculty
One representative from AU IT

The chair is to be found from among the members, and elected by the members them-selves.
Other relevant employees, for example AU representatives in national forums and committees, may participate in HPC Forum meetings as required.

Meetings

The HPC Forum convenes at least twice a year.
Administrative support for the HPC Forum is provided by the Rector’s Office.

Organisational anchoring

The HPC Forum reports to the Research Committee and provides proposals and status reports as required.

Approved at the meeting of the Committee for Research and External Cooperation held on 5 October 2018.
Adjusted after a meeting of the Research Committee on 22 June 2021 - approved by the senior management team on 11 August 2021.