DOE enhances capabilities for its researchers

A five-year agreement between FETC, West Virginia University (WVU), Carnegie Mellon University, West Virginia's Governor's Office and the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC) will provide the region better access to 21st century information technology, while advancing scientific research. For FETC and its partners, this can mean designing cleaner, more efficient combustion engines and power plants, reducing the time to develop life saving drugs, or gaining new insights into the fundamental nature of matter.

"The networking that will result from this Memorandum of Agreement will open up new scientific horizons for the institutions in this region. Computer-based scientific simulation is one of the most significant developments in the practice of scientific enquiry," Ernest Moniz, Under Secretary of the Energy Department said during the signing ceremony held at the FETC office in Morgantown, W.Va.

"We are entering an era in which computer-based large scale simulations of nature will provide a new tool of discovery. The Department of Energy, together with its laboratories and partners, have pioneered this development. We are very pleased that this partnership will have the opportunity to join the front ranks of this critical activity." Moniz said.

The partnership, known as the Super Computing Science Consortium (SC)2, will facilitate FETC's and WVU's access to the supercomputer and scientific Internet hub at PSC.

"Success lies in cooperation," said FETC Director Rita Bajura. "By leveraging resources, each of the diverse partners in (SC)2 can better fulfill its mission. For example, access to world-class computational facilities means FETC will be able to simulate virtual energy plants of the future, thereby helping us to fulfill our mission of solving national energy and environmental problems."

The partners in the (SC)2 will work to bring a high speed data transmission line from northern West Virginia to Pittsburgh, Pa. This 155 megabyte/second fiber-optic cable will enable researchers at FETC and WVU to conduct complex modeling and computer simulations studies on PSC's CRAY T3E supercomputer . For the first time, scientists, engineers, and software developers in northern West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania will have real time access to computers that make trillions of calculations in a second. High speed data lines will also enable the technical community to access scientific information around the world via a link with the second generation Internet hub at PSC.