Author: Lucia Demovičová

The project HPC-Europa project is based on a program of visits, in the form of traditional transnational access, with researchers visiting HPC centres and/or scientific hosts who mentor them scientifically and technically for the best exploitation of the HPC resources in their research. The visitors are financially supported for travel, accommodation and subsistence, and provided with an amount of computing time suitable for the approved project (PLEASE NOTE: the provided funding is not a salary and not meant to cover ALL costs but it is meant to be an help to support the visiting period).

The calls for applications are issued 4 times per year and published online on the HPC-Europa3 website. The next closing date will be on 09th Sept 2021 (23:59 CEST). The programme will end in April 2022 so do not miss the last calls!

It is recommended that researchers apply between 2 and 4 months before the start of their visit. Successful applicants will visit for between 3 and 13 weeks.

A web-based interface has been set-up to submit applications. Detailed guidelines and on-line FAQs are provided to assist the applicants with the process.

If you wish to apply for a visit grant and if you intend to spend a research period in one of the 9 countries of the HPC centres part of the project, please read the guidelines and then fill in the online form. If you have any question concerning the project or the application procedure feel free to contact the project coordinators.

The Supercomputing centres participating in the Transnational Access activity are: CINECA (Bologna – IT), EPCC (Edinburgh – UK), BSC (Barcelona – SP), HLRS (Stuttgart – DE), SurfSARA (Amsterdam – NL), CSC (Helsinki – FIN), GRNET (Athens, GR), KTH (Stockolm, SE), ICHEC (Dublin, IE).

SHAPE offers European SMEs the opportunity to:

• Use HPC for business innovation
• Increase competitiveness
• Benefit from the expertise and knowledge developed within the top-class PRACE Research Infrastructure.

The Thirteenth Call for Applications to SHAPE (SME HPC Adoption Programme in Europe) invites applications from European SMEs with an interesting idea that would benefit from High Performance Computing for increasing their competitiveness. SHAPE aims to work with selected SMEs to introduce HPC-based tools and techniques into their business, operational, or production environment. The selected solutions should bring a potential tangible Return on Investment to the SME’s business.

The SHAPE process is as follows:

The SME applies to the programme via the online or downloadable form HERE. At this stage assistance is available from PRACE if required, but the form also includes guidelines on the expected content.

The applications are then reviewed and rated, based principally on the strength of the business case and technical feasibility of the proposed work. The successful SMEs can then receive machine time on a PRACE system, and most importantly effort from a PRACE expert to work alongside the SME in evaluating and/or developing the HPC-based solution. In return the SME provides in-kind effort, publicity of their participation in SHAPE, and together with the PRACE expert, produces a public white paper on the work achieved in the project at its conclusion.

PRACE experts will work with the selected SMEs in order to develop their solutions, providing the participating SMEs with knowledge that will allow them to make an informed decision on the selected HPC solution. 

For more information and to apply please visit PRACE SHAPE.