The University of Pennsylvania announces the Penn Advanced Research Computing Center (PARCC)
The University of Pennsylvania is pleased to announce the Penn Advanced Research Computing Center (PARCC) —a groundbreaking initiative aligned with the framework of the University’s strategic plan, “In Principle and Practice.” This collaborative effort between the provost and schools embodies Penn’s commitment to achieving impactful research outcomes by harnessing the University’s leadership in interdisciplinary excellence – a core principle of the strategic plan.
PARCC will be a key platform for computational and data-driven research across campus with hardware, software, system support, and research consulting services. Combining enhanced power, capacity, and speed previously unavailable, Phase I of PARCC includes a high-performance computing (HPC) data cluster housed at a regional colocation data center. PARCC will provide access to additional GPUs and CPUs built on shared high-speed storage and networking infrastructure that will double the current capacity at Penn. The center will advance a sustainable operational model that future-proofs new technology deployment and efficient resource allocation at significant cost savings and below cloud cost. As the locus of computational research on campus, PARCC will offer unparalleled support to researchers across all schools. PARCC will enable Penn’s research community to remain at the forefront of technology – with university-wide support and resources that provide the flexibility to adapt and the economies of scale essential for achieving breakthroughs in the university’s burgeoning data-driven and AI research. Centralized housing will transform the ability to collaborate across research teams with greater ease and efficiency. In time, PARCC will allow faculty and researchers to explore the best, most efficient research computing practices, including on-premises and cloud-based solutions.
Phase I of PARCC will be available to researchers in Spring 2025. The search for the inaugural Center Director and technical staff is underway, and a large team of IT specialists, faculty, and staff have been diligently working over the past six months to prepare the center for its launch. Please visit the website: http://www.research.upenn.edu/parcc for more details and to sign up for periodic updates that will include critical deadlines, pricing options, and additional technical specifications on the PARCC buildout. Researchers interested in PARCC can also contact their school’s IT team to learn more.
Looking ahead, Phase II of PARCC will provide additional resources to the computational research community on campus, including data science consulting and additional HPC services and increased capacity based on the need and growth of our computational research community.