The Fifth National Research Platform (5NRP) workshop

Scientific exploration and discovery were facilitated by increasingly specialized information technology infrastructure. The Fifth National Research Platform (5NRP) workshop focused on examining opportunities for designing and implementing future-oriented cyber-capabilities for science research communities, engaging researchers, and educators.

Leading up to this initiative was the Pacific Research Platform (PRP), which addressed high-speed networking needs for collaborative, big-data science. Funded in 2015 by a >$7M grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the PRP created a researcher-defined and data-focused network. The PRP, complemented by another ~$7M in allied NSF awards, involved more than 25 institutions and has grown into a nationwide collaboration.

The workshop brought together over 100 representatives from existing PRP partners, new NRP awardees, and other institutions. Discussions focused on expanding the NRP, addressing potential challenges, funding opportunities, and private sector interest in scaling the Science DMZ model to a national level.

The 5NRP workshop, held from March 20-22 at UC San Diego, aimed to ensure long-term NRP viability and access. Several tutorials were offered to help attendees learn how to access NRP and allied resources. FABRIC’s KNIT 8 Workshop, held the day before at San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC), included overlapping sessions and tutorials with 5NRP.

AMPATH and the AmLight project are collaborating with the NRP project to support US research communities in the southeast US, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Dr. Julio Ibarra presented the latest updates on National Research Platform International Extensions via the AmLight infrastructure.