High performance computing (HPC)
We provide high performance computing facilities to environmental scientists. This service is managed in a similar manner to our other services and facilities.
Key Conclusions from the NERC HPC Strategic Review(2011) are available below.
HPC Strategic Review conclusions (13KB)
NERC provides access to the HECToR service, funded jointly by NERC, EPSRC, and BBSRC. EPSRC are managing agents for HECToR. The NERC HECToR Allocation for 2012-13 is 779·5 million Allocation Units (AU). NERC and the Met Office are providing a joint facility, MONSooN, launched December 2009. A MONSooN brochure One Year On 
has been produced for information.
NERC allocation and use of HECToR for 2011-2012
NERC allocation and use of HECToR for 2011-2012 (14KB)
The HPC Steering Committee prioritises and schedules available computing capacity in response to project-level applications, including small NERC consortium grant bids. It does not assess the science quality of projects / programmes that have already been peer-reviewed by NERC.
Applying for access to HPC facilities
Research programmes and grant applications that require access to HPC must indicate on the Je-S form that research council facilities are required and justify the anticipated resource request in their applications. Requests for large amounts of resource should be discussed with the relevant consortia leader prior to application. Please refer to the application procedure and guidelines.
To apply for time on MONSooN, please also state on your application that research council facilities are required and refer to JWCRP for the application procedure.
Non-NERC funded access to HPC
There is provision for direct access applications. These are competitively assessed with other bids. To reduce risk of disappointment, potential HPC users not directly funded by NERC, particularly those applying for European Union funds, are expected to secure the costs of their HPC needs from non-NERC sources. Please refer to the guidelines below.
Non NERC funded HECToR guidelines (17KB)
HPC community meeting announcement: Capturing user requirements for the next national HPC facility, ARCHER
Please see the document below for further details and information on how to register for this meeting.
HPC community meeting announcement (70KB)
Contacts
Dr Frances Collingborn
Tel: 01793 411981