NSF CC* Regional Networking: Connectivity through Regional Infrastructure
for Scientific Partnerships, Innovation, and Education (CRISPIE)
“This initiative creates diverse research collaboration opportunities for faculty across New Jersey, enabling further data-intensive research in disciplines including physics, astronomy, biology, genomics, earth and environmental sciences, data science, and cybersecurity. The project includes a robust training and support program to enhance professional IT support and ensure proper adoption and success for researchers and educators at participating institutions. I’m excited to work in concert with my esteemed colleagues and Co-Principal Investigators to bring this initiative to life.”
Forough Ghahramani, Ph. D.
Assistant Vice President for Research and Innovation, Edge
“Regional research and education network providers such as Edge do more than just offer internet connectivity—they are essential partners in advancing research and education at many academic institutions. With National Science Foundation funding to enhance regional network connectivity and build a statewide ScienceDMZ, CRISPIE is a game changer, giving students and faculty unprecedented access to regional and national cyberinfrastructure resources that were once out of reach.”
Barr Von Oehsen, Ph. D.
Vice Chancellor for Research Computing; Director, Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, University of Pittsburgh
Research Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University
“I am thrilled that Rowan University is joining the CRISPIE initiative. This collaboration will enable us to expand access to our research computing resources, network our laboratory instruments—especially high-end equipment like the scanning electron microscope—and stream or store content for our VR center and planetarium. These advancements will significantly enhance our capabilities in teaching, learning, and research. We look forward to participating in this work with Edge and the other partner institutions.”
Tabbetha Dobbins, Ph.D.
Dean of the Graduate School, Professor, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Rowan University
Edge has been awarded an $857,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to enhance network connectivity and access to advanced research networks and related cyberinfrastructure for seven higher education institutions in New Jersey, including a community college and several Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). The partner institutions include Brookdale Community College, Kean University, Montclair University, Ramapo College, Rider University, Rowan University, and Saint Peter’s University.
The project will improve access to advanced research networks and related cyberinfrastructure, aiming to reduce disparities for smaller and less resourced institutions. The initiative offers specialized training programs for IT personnel, faculty, and students, and establishes essential infrastructure elements using tools like perfSONAR for deploying network monitoring and optimization capabilities, leveraging globus file transfer and sharing service, a regional, centrally managed Data Transfer Node (DTN) for efficient data transfers and Science DMZ for direct access to regional and national resources, secured by the InCommon Federation for remote access to instruments and HPC resources.
Dr. Forough Ghahramani, Assistant Vice President for Research and Innovation at Edge, serves as the principal investigator for the project. She highlights that by improving connectivity and cyberinfrastructure access, the project empowers institutions, fosters regional collaborations, and facilitates data-driven research and education. “This initiative creates diverse research collaboration opportunities for faculty across New Jersey, enabling further data-intensive research in disciplines including physics, astronomy, biology, genomics, earth and environmental sciences, data science, and cybersecurity,” explains Dr. Ghahramani. She continues, “The project includes a robust training and support program to enhance professional IT support and ensure proper adoption and success for researchers and educators at participating institutions. I’m excited to work in concert with my esteemed colleagues and Co-Principal Investigators to bring this initiative to life.”
Co-Principal Investigators include:
Dr. James Barr von Oehsen, Vice Chancellor for Research Computing; Director, Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, University of Pittsburgh|Pitt Research; Research Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University
Dr. Tabbetha Dobbins, Dean of the Graduate School, Rowan University
Dr. Stefan Robila, Professor of Computer Science and the Director of the Computational Sensing Laboratory, Montclair State University
Dr. Balamurugan Desinghu, Senior Scientist, Office of Advanced Research Computing, Rutgers University
As New Jersey’s research and education network, Edge’s mission is to advance research, science, innovation, and discovery through initiatives like this one. “By focusing on underserved institutions, Edge supports small MSIs with connectivity, technical support, and collaboration opportunities. This initiative strengthens and diversifies the academic community by enabling a wide range of research and education endeavors. It aims to improve current capabilities and lays the groundwork for future expansion to include other institutions.” shares Dr. Ghahramani. “This project will contribute to advancing the New Jersey AI Hub’s goals by enhancing network connectivity and providing critical resources for AI research and development, keeping New Jersey at the forefront of AI innovation.”
The NSF prioritizes proposals that support traditionally underserved institutions through partnerships with regional entities experienced in high-performance research and education networking, such as Edge. Special emphasis is placed on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), tribal colleges and universities, and other minority-serving institutions.
To learn more about Edge’s commitment to initiatives of this nature, visit njedge.net/research/resources-featured-research-reports/.
“Today, Montclair State University researchers employ a diverse set of computing resources that are not limited to our campus, are highly interconnected and must conform to various standards when it comes to security, reliability, or reproducibility. The CRISPIE project is highly responsive to this, and will broaden the access to advanced research cyberinfrastructure not just at Montclair but across
New Jersey colleges and universities.”
— Stefan Robila, Ph.D.
Professor of Computer Science and the Director of the Computational Sensing Laboratory, Montclair State University
