Costs
How much does the HPCC cost? The HPCC charges an annual lab registration: $1,000 per lab per year (HPCC Recharging Rates 2026/2027, as of Oct 2026). Use of the cluster is shared and subject to the HPCC's quotas and queue policies (384 cores per user, 768 cores per lab). See HPCC cluster.
What does Ursa Major cover without a recharge? Under current terms, three things, within limits: AI model access for research (with a per-lab allowance), exotic hardware the HPCC does not have (such as TPUs or Arm), by consultation, and archive storage. Other cloud work, including VMs, databases, analytics and GPUs, is recharged to a lab funding source. See KB005: Ursa Major service tiers.
What does archive storage cost? Under current Ursa Major terms, archive storage may be available without recharge, within limits and subject to eligibility. That depends on continued funding. See Cloud archive.
Storage
Where should I keep data I am computing on? On HPCC storage while it is in use. Project data that must stay online can go to CephRDS (pilot). See Storage for the full picture.
Can I put terabytes of sequencing data in Google Drive? Drive is built for documents and collaboration, and has quotas set by ITS (its.ucr.edu/storage). Large binary datasets belong in project storage or an archive.
Cloud and AI
Which AI tools can I use with research data? ITS maintains the list of campus AI tools and the guidance for each at AI at UCR. Check it, and your data's protection level, before using any AI tool with research data.
Can I run open-source language models? Yes. The HPCC's GPUs are usually the lower-cost place to run them yourself. For calling models from code, ask about Ursa Major Tier 1 AI model access. Cloud GPU workstations in Ursa Major are recharged. See Running local LLMs with Ollama.
How do I request an Ursa Major project? Contact us with a short description of the project. See KB021: Requesting an Ursa Major project.
Security
I work with HIPAA or NIST SP 800-171 data. Can I use the shared cluster? No. Regulated data needs a review, an approved data security plan, and an appropriate environment such as the secure research enclave. Contact us before you start.
Access
My work needs more than campus has. What are my options? National programs award allocations by application: NSF ACCESS, the NAIRR Pilot, NRP Nautilus and OSG. We can help you choose and apply.
How do I move from a cloud VM to the HPCC? See KB022: Migrating workloads from Google Cloud to HPCC.