About NCSA

The University of Illinois' National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) contributes significantly to the worldwide cyberinfrastructure for science and engineering, operating some of the world's most powerful supercomputers and developing the software needed to efficiently use these systems. The center is an international leader in deploying robust high-performance computing resources and in working with research communities to develop new computing and software technologies. NCSA and its partners have been selected by the National Science Foundation to build and deploy a sustained-petascale compute system, dubbed Blue Waters, which will be available to the national research community in 2011.

The center focuses on:

• Developing and deploying powerful, reliable computing, data, and networking resources that enable researchers to solve the most demanding science and engineering problems in a timely manner. We develop and explore innovative architectures and techniques to achieve petascale science.
• Working with research communities to develop the tailored cyberenvironments that provide the means to fully exploit the extraordinary resources available on the Internet (computing systems, data sources and stores, and tools).
• Researching and developing software, techniques, and tools to improve national cybersecurity and to help law enforcement better respond to cyberattacks.
• Providing insights into complex systems and sharing the thrill of scientific discovery with the broadest possible audience through artful visualizations of scientific phenomena.
• Preparing the next generation of scientists and engineers to effectively use the growing national cyberinfrastructure.

NCSA is at the heart of the University's Institute for Advanced Computing Applications and Technologies.

NCSA, one of the five original centers in the National Science Foundation's Supercomputer Centers Program, opened its doors in January 1986. The National Science Foundation, the state of Illinois, the University of Illinois, industrial partners, and other federal agencies support NCSA.