The Coalition for Academic Scientific Computation (CASC) has a long-standing mission to create a robust and sustainable ecosystem that supports academic research computing and data services, enabled by a vibrant community of professionals.

The CASC was established in the 1980s to advocate for the importance of high-performance computing (HPC) in academia and to promote the use of computational science in education and research. They advocate for public and private investment in research computing and data services, advise federal agencies on relevant funding programs, engage in policy discussions on research computing and data services, foster a community of leaders in this field, and provide a forum for sharing strategic ideas and best practices.

In an effort to support the HPC community, the CASC has released two position papers on regional HPC collaboration, and guidance on the NIST SP 800-171 confidentiality requirements for all government contractors. The papers, described below, are freely available to the HPC community.

Teaming Up for Impact: Regional Collaborations for Research Computing and Data

As the CASC states, “Research is not a solo endeavor.” In a recent position paper, they make a case for Research Computing and Data (RCD) collaborations as an essential element of those research-based systems. RCD centers are hubs of activity at research universities, government labs, and business research and development centers, providing infrastructure, resources, and expertise to support high-end computing, visualization, artificial intelligence, data analysis, simulation, and modeling. As the paper points out, “Collaborations mean new sources of funds and new opportunities for innovative research, data storage, software tools, and applications, as well as training and consulting services.”

This paper highlights the benefits of RCD collaborations, particularly at the regional level. It shares the experiences of some collaborations and highlights the common elements people need to consider to make a regional collaboration work. Examining the current landscape offers guidelines to help people at RCD centers plan, secure funding, and implement regional collaborations.

The CASC “Collaborations” paper can be found here.

NIST Guidance for Research Computing and Data Centers

In a second paper, the CASC discusses the introduction of NIST SP 800-171 requirements that reinforce the need for researchers to understand that, while their institution holds ultimate responsibility for compliance, they also have individual responsibilities to operate within the compliance framework.

NIST SP 800-171 is a NIST Special Publication that provides recommended requirements for protecting the confidentiality of controlled unclassified information (CUI). For instance, defense contractors must implement the recommended requirements contained in NIST SP 800-171 to demonstrate their provision of adequate security to protect the covered defense information included in their defense contracts. If a manufacturer is part of a DoD, General Services Administration (GSA), NASA, or other federal or state agencies’ supply chain, the implementation of the security requirements included in NIST SP 800-171 is a must.

The paper also states that 800-171 compliance cannot be addressed solely through technical or architectural designs. Achieving compliance often requires a culture shift among Research Computing and Data (RCD) center staff, faculty, and the broader institution.

The paper highlights that cultural change can be particularly challenging in large organizations. Several interconnected challenges face institutions when implementing and sustaining compliant environments for regulated research. Some challenges are technical, but many are organizational, requiring cross-functional collaboration and strategic alignment among leadership, IT, information security and privacy offices, legal counsel, research administration, and faculty stakeholders.

This paper addresses pressing issues and proposes potential solutions for leaders and managers of RCD center infrastructure and support organizations who are tasked with understanding and implementing 800-171 compliance.

The NIST 800-171 “Guidance” paper can be found here