UCR Research Computing Compute Resources

The University of California, Riverside (UCR) equips its research community with a comprehensive suite of computational resources to meet the varied demands of cutting-edge research. From local high-performance computing clusters to expansive national grid computing platforms and versatile cloud computing services, UCR ensures that researchers have the computational capabilities needed for their innovative projects.

The 4-Tier GPU & Compute Offload Hierarchy

When advanced compute or GPU workloads exceed the subsidized Tier 1 limits of our cloud environments, researchers are guided through a strategic 4-tier hierarchy to maximize the return on local infrastructure investments before utilizing national resources:

1. High-Performance Computing Center (HPCC) - Primary Offload

UCR’s HPCC is the preferred local destination for high-performance computing, equipped with thousands of CPUs and GPUs designed for demanding computational tasks and data analysis projects.

• Access for: UCR faculty, researchers, and graduate students.
• Cost Model: $1,000/year Flat Rate per Lab.
• Learn more about HPCC

2. Nautilus & Pacific Research Platform - Secondary

Nautilus enables fast data transfer and collaborative research, serving as a regional/national Kubernetes grid leveraging UCR hardware contributions. It is the best destination for containerized workloads that overflow the local HPCC.

• For: Researchers in collaborative projects within the Pacific Research Platform.
• Learn about Nautilus

3. NAIRR Pilot (National AI Resource) - Tertiary

For specialized, high-end AI allocations when local/regional capacity is insufficient (e.g., massive H100 arrays, exotic accelerators like Cerebras or SambaNova).

• Cost: Free (Competitive Proposal).
• Learn about NAIRR Pilot

4. NSF ACCESS - Quaternary

The ACCESS program provides UCR researchers with access to traditional national supercomputing grids reserved for massive-scale jobs requiring thousands of compute nodes.

• Application: Through the NSF.
• Discover more about NSF ACCESS

Ursa Major & Cloud Computing

In collaboration with Google Cloud Platform, Ursa Major offers state-of-the-art cloud computing resources. Basic compute and strategic AI services are subsidized, while advanced compute and GPUs are strictly routed to the hierarchy above or provisioned via Direct Recharge.

• How to Access: Contact Research Computing.
• Explore Ursa Major’s offerings

Open Science Grid (OSG)

OSG provides distributed high-throughput computing resources across various scientific domains, facilitating a broad spectrum of research projects.

• Available to: All UCR researchers.
• Discover the Open Science Grid

GCP and AWS Enterprise Discount Program (EDP)

Secure cloud computing services at reduced rates from Google Cloud Platform and Amazon Web Services, enhancing your research with cloud capabilities.

• How to Utilize: Reach out to Research Computing.
• More on GCP and AWS EDP

Cloud Credits for Research

GCP and AWS Cloud Credits offer financial support for your research, providing credits for cloud services to fuel your projects.

• Apply for Credits: Through specific GCP and AWS programs.
• GCP Cloud Credits
• AWS Cloud Credits

For guidance on selecting the right compute resource for your research or to request access, please contact the UCR Research Computing team at research-computing@ucr.edu. Our experts are here to support you in utilizing these computational tools for your research endeavors.