EPSRC Opens Call to Investigate High-Priority use Cases for Exascale Software
Funding for high priority use cases that contribute to the delivery of the objectives of the Exascale Computing: Algorithms and Infrastructures Benefitting UK Research (ExCALIBUR) programme.
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) has launched a funding opportunity through the Exascale Computing: Algorithms and Infrastructures Benefitting UK Research (ExCALIBUR) programme, part of the Strategic Priorities Fund. ExCALIBUR will run until March 2025 and is redesigning high priority computer codes and algorithms to meet the demands of both advancing technology and UK research.
The call aims to identify and develop a high priority use case that contributes to the delivery of the objectives of the ExCALIBUR programme. Projects are sought that will research methodologies to redesign the use cases for supercomputers of the near future and beyond.
Projects should incorporate ExCALIBUR’s four fundamental pillars and deliver the following:
- A high priority use case for exascale software, defined as ‘a coordinated range of activities, which aims to develop simulation code with a focus on an application or applications pre-identified by the relevant communities as benefitting from exascale software development’.
- Active knowledge dissemination strategy for the communities that the use case serves.
- Active outreach and engagement with the ExCALIBUR programme including collaborating with cross-cutting, RSE funded projects and the ExCALIBUR Hardware and Enabling Software Group.
Use cases should deliver impact across the breakthrough research areas where the UK is world-leading and their user base. Projects should conduct a mixture of simulation code design and development, and community building activities that will engage relevant computational and user communities. Engagement and collaboration with other projects funded by the ExCALIBUR programme is a requirement for all proposals. Applicants should evidence current and future collaborations with other research institutes, industry and international outfits.
Applicants can be from any area of the UK research community; it is not a requirement to be working within EPSRC’s remit. Applicants must be based at an institution eligible for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding, which includes: UK higher education institutions; research council institutes; UKRI-approved independent research organisations; eligible public sector research establishments; and NHS bodies with research capacity. Full guidance on institutional eligibility is available here.
In addition, applicants must be resident in the UK and meet at least one of the following eligibility criteria:
- Be employed at the submitting research organisation at a level equivalent to lecturer or above.
- Hold a fixed-term contract that extends beyond the duration of the proposed project, and the host research organisation is prepared to provide all the support normal for a permanent employee.
- Hold an EPSRC, Royal Society or Royal Academy of Engineering fellowship aimed at later career stages.
- Hold fellowships under other schemes (applicants should contact EPSRC to check eligibility, which is considered on a case-by-case basis).
Up to £3 million is available to support up to four projects. Individual projects can apply for up to £750,000 at 80% of the full Economic Cost (fEC). Projects must be two years in length and start on 1 December 2022.
In the first instance, applicants must submit an ‘intent to submit‘ form by the 31 March 2022 (16:00) deadline.
Full applications should be submitted via the Joint Electronic Submission (Je-S) system by the 12 May 2022 (16:00) deadline.
(This report was the subject of a ResearchConnect Newsflash.)