Sponsor

Program

For More Information

• Resource Allocation Competition 2016 website [1]
• 2016 RAC Competition Guide [2]
• RAC Frequently Asked Questions [3]
• 2016 RAC Glossary [4]

Description

Compute Canada, in partnership with regional organizations ACENET, Calcul Québec, Compute Ontario and WestGrid, provides essential advanced research computing (ARC) services and infrastructure for Canadian researchers and their collaborators in all academic and industrial sectors. Each fall, Compute Canada hosts a national Resource Allocation Competition (RAC) for researchers who require greater than the default usage level [5] on any of its systems. The competition is open to projects from all disciplines — from humanities to engineering — and allocations are awarded based on scientific merit, quality of the research team, and development of highly-qualified personnel (HQP). This competition is peer reviewed and the allocations are available for one (1) year starting in early January 2016.

Eligibility

Any individual who is eligible to apply to national granting councils for funding is eligible to apply for an allocation. A lead Principal Investigator (PI) cannot submit more than one individual application but can be a participant in other submissions. Applicants must be registered users in the Compute Canada Database [6].

Funding Availability

Users who are applying for a resource allocation should verify that their application exceeds the default allocation available through the various Compute Canada sites (i.e., if you or your research group need more than twice the amount of a default allocation). A complete list of sites and default allocations can be found here [5].

Project Duration

The Resource Allocation Competition (RAC) is granted on a one-year basis and so applicants must re-apply for a new allocation every year.

How to Apply

Users must register for an account in the Compute Canada Database [6] (CCDB) or log in using an existing account to create a new application; RAC applications may be created as of September 1, 2015. PIs and co-PIs will be required to upload their Canadian Common CV with their application for resources on CCDB. It is strongly recommended that all applicants consult with Compute Canada technical staff [8] before completing a RAC proposal. These consultations must happen prior to September 30, 2015, to allow adequate time for follow up and support if needed. Applicants submit proposals to Compute Canada electronically through the CCDB.