NECC – A Successful Five-State Cyber-Consortium

Karl V. Steiner, University of DelawareInternet2 Annual Meeting

Arlington, VA, April 24, 2012

Higher Education Broadband Networks

Before there were funding opportunities on the horizon, we recognized that

• New England needed Cyberinfrastructure • Only pooled funds could build the redundant fiber network • Collaboration would provide critical mass for research and

education: Alone we are small, but together we can build the bench strength to rival large research universities

In the Beginning…

• Funding was secured through Collaborative Proposals:• Collaborative NSF EPSCoR Track-2, submitted Jan. 2009: ($6M)• Multiple NIH-NCRR awards spring 2009: $8.4M • Multiple NSF EPSCoR C2 awards to DE, RI, ME and VT: $4.3M

• Total awards – $18.7M

• What bandwidth upgrades have we achieved?

• Vermont went from 450 Mb Max capacity to 120 Gb through an 20-year Indefeasible-Right-of-Use agreement

• Delaware has significantly upgraded inter- and intra-campus connectivity

• What research needs this kind of bandwidth?• Next generation sequencing that creates data at the rate of several

Terabytes per day• Mega – Giga – Peta – Tera – The data just keeps growing

Where are we now?

• We need to train and hire Cyber-experts to collaborate with our Scientific Experts to conduct 21st Century Research and Education

• Interstate Fiber in the Northern Tier,• Crossing into Canada to reach CANARIE • Intrastate in Rhode Island and Delaware

Job 1: Install Fiber!

• Fred the Fiber Horse and Claude Demarais pull fiber in Vermont• 19th Century Methods for the Cyber Demands of the 21st Century

Connect NECC to Middle and Last Mile in Vermont

• Videoconferences enable and facilitate Collaborations on Research and Education Projects

Cyber-based Communication

Little Skate Sequencing

Metagenome of Algal Blooms

• Metagenomic Analysis of Blooms in NECC Regions• Algal blooms in Lakes

• Endangers $5.5B in lake-related income to VT, ME, NH• Only possible through a Collaborative Network• Distributed scientists, data accessed at distributed centers

in two states, DE and ME• Datasets are huge

Vermont Outreach

• Data-intensive, applied bioinformatics course offered statewide through Vermont College System by Dr. Jim Vincent

• I-2 evangelist for Vermont Sponsored Education Group Participants (SEGP) program – Dr. Patrick Clemins

• Collaboration among NECC states’ water outreach programs for workforce development and broadening participation

• Interaction, and exchange, of students from Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont• Training the next generation of cyber-savvy researchers…

The Watershed Project

We’re just about ready…

NECC - Rhode Island Cyber-infrastructure

Acknowledgements

NECC State Teams and Lead PIs:• Judy Van Houten, VT• Patricia Hand & Vicky Nemeth, ME• Zahir Shaikh & Jennifer Specker, RI• Michelle Gregoire, NH• Karl Steiner & Cathy Wu, DE

Funding Organizations• NIH - IDeA Program• NSF - EPSCoR Program