A new facility integrating Curtin University’s information and communication technology (ICT) services with the supercomputing capacity of iVEC to enhance research outcomes was launched this week.
iVEC@Curtin was launched to provide a single point of contact for Curtin researchers requiring advanced ICT assistance, by creating an integrated team of staff from iVEC and Curtin IT Services, based on the University’s Bentley Campus.
iVEC is an unincorporated joint venture between CSIRO and the four Western Australian public universities, providing services such as supercomputing, cloud computing, data storage and visualisation to its partners. While Curtin already is a major user of iVEC services, iVEC@Curtin will provide the one-stop-shop for researchers to get the right advice on how best to proceed with their requirements.
Professor Graeme Wright, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Development, said as research shifts towards larger, more complex data sets and with simulation often replacing experimentation, iVEC@Curtin was essential to ensure researchers were getting the right ICT support from the beginning.
“We are currently in an infrastructure-rich environment, but the infrastructure is nothing without the staff behind it to implement good service,” Professor Wright said.
“iVEC@Curtin will provide the opportunities to pursue active research programs by focusing on investment on people rather than expensive laboratory infrastructure, and this will enable researchers to contend with the ever-growing volumes of data which has become the norm of contemporary research.”
Staff at the new facility includes a Director, three Curtin IT Services staff and 15 staff associated with iVEC programs and resources.
Mr Florian Goessmann, Director of iVEC@Curtin said the new facility would not only provide fit-for-purpose ICT tools and services, but would also be involved in supporting the uptake of cloud computing resources.
“Engagement and uptake of the latest ICT technology is going to become more important every year, and while radio astronomy, computational chemistry and physics are the main fields using supercomputing technology at Curtin, it is exciting to see an increase of other fields such as humanities and health sciences engaging in it too,” he said.
Curtin was one of the original partners when iVEC formed in 2000, and continues to be a major user of its infrastructure, last year enhancing research outcomes of more than 50 projects.
More information on iVEC and its services can be found at www.ivec.org
Contact:
Florian Goessmann, Director, iVEC@Curtin
T: 9266 2965, E: Florian.Goessmann@curtin.edu.au
Megan Meates, Public Relations, Curtin University
Tel: 08 9266 4241, Mobile: 0401 103 755, Email: megan.meates@curtin.edu.au
