National Science Foundation Funding Keeps Supercomputer Centers At Leading Edge Of Technology

National Science Foundation Funding Keeps Supercomputer Centers At Leading Edge Of Technology

WASHINGTON, May 15, 1989 -- PRNewswire -- Computer resources at four Supercomputer Centers, which provide research opportunities to scientists throughout the United States through access to the world's most powerful computers, will be upgraded through a National Science Foundation grant approval announced today.

Renewal of a five-year grant, from fiscal year 1990 through fiscal year 1995, was approved for Supercomputer Centers at Cornell University, the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign, the University of Pittsburgh-Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of California at San Diego.

Renewal of the grant to the John von Neumann Center near Princeton, N.J., will be considered in August. The center's primary vendor, Control Data Corp., has recently decided to drop production of its ETA supercomputer line, the line that is used at the von Neumann Center.

Average NSF funding from fiscal years 1985 through 1990 of $10 million per center will be increased to up to $14 million per center, allowing upgrading of facilities to the leading edge of technology and expansion of education and training aspects of supercomputing.

As cooperative projects, the centers are funded by NSF, states, universities, computer vendors and other industrial participants. Supercomputer resources are used primarily for non-proprietary work by academic, government, individual and industrial researchers.

The centers also have strong programs in education and training and software development, and frequently act as test sites for new computing hardware and software.

A wide variety of research disciplines are supported at the supercomputer centers, including biology, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, engineering geophysics, physics, social sciences, molecular modeling, fluid dynamics and economics.

/CONTACT: Cheryl Dybas of the National Science Foundation, 202-357-9498; or, at NSF Supercomputer Centers -- Cornell Center, David Caughey, director, 607-255-8686; University of Illinois Center, Larry Smarr, director, 217-244-0074; University of Pittsburgh-Carnegie Mellon University Center, Michael Levine or Ralph Roskies, co-directors, 412-268-4960; University of California at San Diego Center, Sidney Karin, director, 619-534-5000; or John von Neumann Center, Doyle Knight, director, 609-520-2000/