1. Washington State University
Research Update
Dr. Christopher J. Keane
Vice President for Research
Professor of Physics
Washington State University
Dr. Sasi K. Pillay
Vice President of ITS
and Chief Information Officer
Washington State University

2. We work with the WSU community to achieve these objectives
Office of Research Strategic Objectives- what we do to realize the Vision/Mission defined in the Strategic Plan
5/6/2018
Execute research-related activities safely and securely
Develop and execute strategic plans for WSU research
Improve and effectively manage research infrastructure
Transfer research and innovation to the marketplace- improve the economic well-being of the citizens of WA state and the nation
Enhance the visibility of WSU research
We work with the WSU community to achieve these objectives

3. Characteristic of research
A successful research enterprise requires both individual investigator and team efforts
Category of research
Characteristic of research
Grand Challenges or research agenda or…
Transdisciplinary problems of broad societal interest
Multidisciplinary research projects/initiatives
MRP1
MRP2
(More)
Research Strengths- groups of faculty/staff
RS1
RS2
RS3
(More)
Individual faculty/staff expertise- the “bedrock”
PI1
PI2
PI3
(More)

4. Addressing multidisciplinary research challenges requires building and recognizing research capabilities at all levels
Category of research
WSU supporting action
Identify transdisciplinary problems of broad societal interest
Grand Challenges or research agenda or…
Encourage cross-disciplinary collaborations between faculty
MRP1
MRP2
(More)
Support major research strengths involving groups of faculty- centers, etc.
RS1
RS2
RS3
(More)
Provide fundamental research infrastructure- grant support, core labs, etc.
PI1
PI2
PI3
(More)

5. Community health analytics Health disparities Green stormwater
WSU “Grand Challenges” define the university’s strategic research agenda and areas for investment opportunity
Strategic Reallocation (5% of operating)- Research and Student Success
Focused Investments (up to $1M/yr each)
“Grand Challenges”
Functional Genomics
Community health analytics
Health disparities
Green stormwater
Nutritional genomics
Smart Cities
Sustaining Health
Food/Energy/Water Nexus
Opportunity and Equity
Smart Systems
National Security

6. Office of Research Organization Chart
5/6/2018
Office of Research Organization Chart
Assistant to VP
Sandy Watson
Research Misconduct, Fiscal/Admin
Lisa Brown-Haas, Alicia Foth
Communications
Eric Sorensen
Grand Challenge Points of Contact
Vice President for Research
Dr. Christopher J. Keane
Director Administrative Services
Mary Frei
Research Support and Operations
D. Nordquist
Clean Technology
M. Wolcott
Research Advancement and Partnerships
G. Dutta
Commercialization
S. Pappu
Centers, Institutes, and Labs - Research/ Instrumentation Cores
A Lazarus
Research Assurances
M. Kluzik
Campus Veterinarian
N. Woodford
Institutional Animal Care
and Use Committee
Institutional Review Board
Institutional Biosafety Committee
Radiation Safety Committee
John Roll, Associate Vice President for Health Sciences Research
Small Business Development
D. Fladland
Office of Research Affiliated Positions:
Communication & Outreach Specialist
Alyssa Patrick
Brian Kraft, Director of Innovation and Industrial Research Engagement
Strategic Partnership Specialist
Monika Moo-Young

7. 5/6/2018
WSU central administration is working to improve operational support of the research enterprise
IACUC
Additional individual hired
Two external reviews conducted- implementing changes in coordination with faculty advisory group
Initial Faculty and Staff testing of online form/system complete; system-wide implementation of new form in the next few months
IRB
Research Council subgroup reviewing processes and suggesting operational efficiencies- IRB next “to go electronic”
Includes reviewing and implementing revised federal law
ORA Operations Working Group (D. Nordquist/M. Kluzik)
Looking at procedures, electronic tools, metrics- 3 meetings in March
Pre-Award/Post-Award Advisory Group (P2) (D. Nordquist/M. Skinner)
Charge issued week of 3/20
25 faculty and staff to provide advice and feedback to OR and Finance & Administration leadership

8. Purpose and History of KAMIAK / CIRC
Purpose: To coordinate, centralize, and expand WSU’s research computing efforts and propel WSU into a position of national leadership.
History: 1. Nov 2015 – Initial investment in Kamiak $2.7 M Initial Investment - 32 nodes) Initial 3 staff (1-2 years) 2. Feb 2016 – b version tested 3. Nov 2016 – Full Production 4. Currently 110 nodes installed
650K
800K
150K
600K
578K
260K

9. Vice President for Information Technology Vice President for Research
Center for Institutional Research Computing (CIRC) Organization Chart
Vice President for Information Technology
Dr. Sasi Pillay
CIRC Director
HPC Team Lead
CIRC Advisory Committee
Assoc. VP ITS
Deputy CIO
Kamiak User Group Executive Committee
Vice President for Research
Dr. Christopher J. Keane

10. Computing – A Pillar of Research and Education
Advancing and Supporting research
Investors and Users
Several large recently funded grants depend upon Kamiak ($3M Ficklin NSF CC-NIE, $12M Clark EFRC)
Supporting Education and Training
Training modules for graduates and undergraduates
Expansion of undergrad course content and offerings (e.g. in Data Analytics)
Provide a virtual workspace for students to practice what they learn
Expand undergraduate research in high impact areas (deep learning, artificial intelligence, etc.)
Created student HPC Club (approved 3/17)
Empower HPC Club to be an agent for change
Invest in Kamiak through Student Tech Fee grant (approved 3/17, purchase 5 nodes in May after Regents approval)

11. Kamiak is a Foundational Element of this Vision
There are 2 communities of faculty using Kamiak
Investors that purchase nodes and where Kamiak is the research instrumentation
Larger user community where Kamiak fills a key need
Actual CY2016 Grant Expenditures
Grant Expenditures
F&A
Investors
$2.9M
$1.0M
PI Users
$5.9M
$1.4M
TOTAL
$8.8M
$2.4M
57 Pending Proposals
$51.2M (direct)
$18.9M (F&A)

12. Faculty investment to date – Growing fast  
Max Growth:
288 nodes with plans for power
2 years till Kamiak is completely full (assuming 30 nodes/6 month) – this is faster than original estimates based on 5 years
Nodes
Feb
April
June
Aug
Oct
Dec
2016

13. Long Term Plan
Step 1 – Kamiak user facility (in place  securing sustainability)
Step 2 – Centralize and Diversify Computing & Visualization infrastructure
Support and develop timeline for migration onto Kamiak [e.g. Aoleous), Genomics Core, clusters in closets]
Expand service capabilities into cloud computing and grid computing as needed by researchers
Expand regional partnerships for research, education, and training

14. Planning for Growth (to 288 nodes)
An essential element for Kamiak is physical infrastructure (power)
Current power consumption in ITB1010 limits us to 144 nodes
Legacy IBM HPC decommission (July ’17)
Should enable growth to 288 nodes, with ~22K of investment needed in ITB1010
Contingency plans
Power monitoring in ITB1010 may necessitate contingency plans if use becomes too high
Options: rent Data Center space at UW, PNNL