CC* Regional Networking: Connectivity through Regional Infrastructure for Scientific Partnerships, Innovation, and Education (CRISPIE)
NEWARK, NJ, June 4, 2024 –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.
“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.”
— Dr. Forough Ghahramani
Assistant Vice President for Research and Innovation
Edge
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.
For full details about the NSF grant are available here. To learn more about Edge’s commitment to initiatives of this nature, visit https://njedge.net/research/resources-featured-research-reports/.
About Edge
Edge serves as a member-owned, nonprofit provider of high performance optical fiber networking and internetworking, Internet2, and a vast array of best-in-class technology solutions for cybersecurity, educational technologies, cloud computing, and professional managed services. Edge provides these solutions to colleges and universities, K-12 school districts, government entities, hospital networks and nonprofit business entities as part of a membership-based consortium. Edge’s membership spans the northeast, along with a growing list of EdgeMarket participants nationwide. Edge’s common good mission ensures success by empowering members for digital transformation with affordable, reliable and thought-leading purpose-built, advanced connectivity, technologies and services.
