Call for Expressions of Interest – Closing Date 20 August 2008
On 21 July 2008 the following email was send to Deputy Vice-Chancellors (Research):
Dear Deputy Vice-Chancellors (Research)
I am writing with regard to the Specialised Facilities program of National Computational Infrastructure (NCI)—that part of NCRIS Platforms for Collaboration concerned with the provision of high-end (capability) computational services to the Australian research community, and the successor to the APAC National Facility Program.
This email seeks Expressions of Interest (EoI) from universities, research organisations and computational research services providers offering specialised computational services, tailored to the needs of particular research communities, which wish to enhance or extend these to the national research community. Through the Specialised Facilities program, NCI aims to extend the range of high-end services available through its Merit Allocation Scheme by investing, through sub-contract arrangements, in facilities operated by other organisations.
If your university offers services of this type, or is associated with organisations which offer these, and you wish to enhance or extend them through NCI investment, please pass on to the appropriate person(s) this call for an Expression of Interest (which has been circulated also to major public research organisations, the state-based computational research consortia and various specialised facilities already in existence).
In this context, services should be interpreted as a package of computational resources, access to a range of specialist software, and the accompanying expert support that provides for the computational needs of a particular research community. In general, NCI does not wish to invest in raw machine cycles, unless there is some persuasive reason to do so.
The attached document outlines the Specialised Facilities Program, the process by which these facilities will be developed, the selection criteria, and the information that is sought in the EoI (with responses not intended to exceed five pages).
The closing date for receipt of Expressions of Interest is Wednesday, August 20, 2008.
Further information about NCI can be found on its website at www.nci.org.au.
In closing, NCI would be pleased to hear of feedback you might have in connection with the program and, in particular, about how best to achieve the aims of the program and the greatest value for money.
With thanks and best wishes
Prof. Lindsay Botten
Director, National Computational Infrastructure
