1. IT Research Support: Successes & Challenges Martin Siegert Steve Cundy Todd Zimmerman

2. Investigators – Not IT Administrators Researchers should not be required to assume the role of an IT Administrator A campus wide IT Research Support Unit should be enabling researchers and members of the research team to focus on the research and not the technologies supporting them 4/8/11IT Research Support Successes & Challenges

3. Overview UBC Okanagan and SFU IT Research Support Role of Central IT in Research Specific Challenges Facing Central IT Addressing Central IT Challenges Benefits of Central IT Support Researchers Engaging Central IT 4/8/11IT Research Support Successes & Challenges

4. UBC Okanagan IT Research Support Product Support Research Grants Consultation & Quotes Lifecycle Management Special Requirements Infrastructure Data Centre Data Management Network Access Operational Support Collaboration Video, Audio, Web Conf Project Management Document Management Web Hosting Publishing External Research WestGrid 4/8/11IT Research Support Successes & Challenges

5. SFU Research Computing High-Performance Computing (HPC) ComputeCanada/WestGrid Compute & Storage Software: installation, debugging, optimization, parallelization, etc Special Projects Infrastructure HPC facilities in SFU's Data Centre Housing of Infrastructure Collaboration/Visualization Video, Audio, Web Conf Facilities Visualization Equipment, Software, Support Personnel Knowledge Sharing Avoid Duplication Of Efforts Retain Highly Qualified People 4/8/11IT Research Support Successes & Challenges

6. Role of Central IT in Research Product Support –Infrastructure, Equipment, and Software Operational Support –Collaboration, External Partners Partners in Research –Storage, Virtualization, HPC, Database 4/8/11IT Research Support Successes & Challenges

7. Specific Challenges Facing Central IT Do-it-yourself has a certain appeal: the Researcher is in control. However, this leads to a huge waste of resources. Without Centralized Research Computing: "Machine Rooms" all over campus Duplication of Efforts Loss of Knowledge due to Lack of Personnel Retention 4/8/11IT Research Support Successes & Challenges

8. Specific Challenges Facing Central IT Researchers and IT disengaged Administrative and Instructional support models not always applicable Unique technical requirements and sustainability Granting agencies and general lack of acceptance for shared resources IT Research GPO and operational funding No cost recovery model Interdisciplinary and inter institutional research projects IT Research in the Central IT hierarchy 4/8/11IT Research Support Successes & Challenges

9. Addressing Central IT Challenges Researchers do research, IT provides computing support IT needs to become the first contact for computing needs Accommodate Research Computing Needs: what do you need? No Charge Back Provide highly qualified personnel (researchers themselves!) 4/8/11IT Research Support Successes & Challenges

10. Benefits of Central IT Research Support Better resources than do-it-yourself can provide Expert support available - do not have to train postdocs/grad students first Cost savings for researchers and university 4/8/11IT Research Support Successes & Challenges

11. Researchers Engaging Central IT Ask Us! 4/8/11IT Research Support Successes & Challenges

12. Questions ? Martin Siegert Steve Cundy Todd Zimmerman 4/8/11IT Research Support Successes & Challenges