The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced that approximately 1.6 billion supercomputing processor-hours have been awarded to 69 cutting-edge research projects through the Innovative and Novel Computational Impact on Theory and Experiment (INCITE) program. The INCITE program provides powerful resources to enable scientists and engineers to conduct cutting-edge research in just weeks or months rather than the years or decades needed previously. This facilitates scientific breakthroughs in areas such as climate change, alternative energy, life sciences, and materials science.
'Computation and supercomputing are critical to solving some of our greatest scientific challenges,' said Secretary Chu. 'This year’s INCITE awards reflect the enormous growth in demand for complex modelling and simulation capabilities, which are essential to improving our economic prosperity and global competitiveness.'
The 69 projects were selected based on peer review and computational readiness evaluations of their potential to advance scientific discovery. Each has been awarded time at the DOE’s Leadership Computing Facilities at Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois, and at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.
Projects receiving INCITE awards utilise complex simulations to accelerate discoveries in ground-breaking technologies such as lithium air batteries and nano solar cells. The awards also include projects designed to close the nuclear fuel cycle, develop advanced propulsion systems, improve DNA sequencing and explore phenomena on the tiny scale of nano-structured superconductors.
