High performance computing
Applying for Resources
We welcome new applicants for HPC resources. All applicants must contact the relevant consortia leader prior to submitting an application (details below).
It is essential that applicants indicate on the Je-S form - in the section "Summary of Resources Required for Project" - that use of Research Council Facilities will be required, otherwise NERC cannot guarantee access to HPC. Those who have stated a need for Research Council Facilities will have priority of access to HPC.
Please also read the guidance documents at the bottom of this page. More general queries can be directed to the HPC manager.
Consortia leaders
Existing users of HPC resources also gain access to the national service through one of the following four consortia:
Atmospheric & Polar Sciences Consortium
Dr Grenville Lister
National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS)
Department of Meteorology
University of Reading
Shelf Seas Consortium
Dr Jason Holt
Marine Systems Modelling Group
National Oceanography Centre (NOC) Liverpool
Mineral & Geophysics Consortium
Professor John Brodholt
Department of Earth Sciences
University College London (UCL)
Oceanography Consortium
Dr Andrew Coward
Ocean Modelling and Forecasting Group
National Oceanography Centre (NOC) Southampton
Large grant applications
Please refer to the guidelines below and the Research Grants Handbook. These applications must:
- be discussed with the relevant consortia leader (details above);
- state an estimate of the total HPC use in Allocation Units (AU);
- be accompanied by the 'new' HPC form (below)when more than 38 million Allocation Units are required in any one year.
Research grants - Following success of your NERC funded award
Once your application has been approved for funding, and following receipt of your award letter, you will need to submit the 'new' HPC form. Please use the links below to access the correct forms and guidance.
Forms and guidance
Current policy on access to HPC (36KB)
Accompanying HPC 'new' form guidance notes (46KB)
Applying for dCSE
Information about Distributed CSE 
(dCSE) is available on the HECToR website.
Details of how to apply for dCSE and the suitability of your application are also available.
Contacts
Service enquiries
HECToR helpdesk
Tel: 0131 650 5029
General NERC HPC enquiries
Frances Collingborn
HPC Manager
Tel: 01793 411981