March 2004 Updates on SciDAC Projects

One of the principal goals of the Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing (SciDAC) program is to assemble interdisciplinary teams and collaboratories to develop the necessary state-of-the-art mathematical algorithms and software, supported by appropriate hardware and middleware infrastructure, to use terascale computers effectively to advance fundamental research in science central to the Department of Energy (DOE) science mission.

Significantly, SciDAC research projects have been funded in all five of the Office of Science’s program offices:

• Advanced Scientific Computing Research,
• Basic Energy Sciences,
• Biological and Environmental Research,
• Fusion Energy Sciences, and
• High Energy and Nuclear Physics

(Please click here to see the list of funded SciDAC projects.)

The overarching goal of the first SciDAC Principal Investigator (PI) meeting, in January 2002, was to familiarize all participants with the overall integrated SciDAC program and to initiate team building, both across DOE’s national laboratories and with academia to support that integration across projects.

Now, in March 2004, the SciDAC program has been under way for about two and a half years, so it is appropriate at this time to begin to assess our progress.

Accordingly, each funded SciDAC project has been requested to provide a two-page update that addresses the following questions as appropriate:

1. How is the SciDAC team approach to science changing the way you conduct your research?

2. What has your SciDAC project accomplished that has enabled scientists to better realize the potential of terascale computing? What science can be done now that was not previously possible? Please be specific about which application area(s) you have worked in and with whom.

3. What specific algorithmic or software tools or technology are you now able to provide to scientists to enable them to advance their research through the use of terascale computing?

4. What are your plans for the next year or two in accomplishing SciDAC goals? Be as specific as possible about your interactions with other SciDAC teams.

5. What computational resource needs do you anticipate, both high-end computing platforms and associated infrastructure (including networking), to accomplish your goals?

Following is a compilation of SciDAC project updates as of March 2004, organized by Office of Science program office. The March 2003 Updates may also be of interest to you.

March 2004 Updates on SciDAC Projects