CC* regional: SD-redi: the south dakota research and education data interchange

This $998,750 project grant from the National Science Foundation's Computer and Information Science and Engineering program will fund the South Dakota Research and Education Data Interchange (SD-REDI) through June 2024. SD-REDI creates a statewide high-speed network connecting public higher education institutions across South Dakota to advanced computing and data storage resources. The network links critical infrastructure and cyberinfrastructure capabilities at the University of South Dakota, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Black Hills State University, Northern State University, South Dakota State University, and Dakota State University via a secure, high-performance regional network. It will upgrade Northern State University's connectivity to 100 Gbps and address gaps in institutional capabilities to ensure uniform experience and access to advanced cyberinfrastructure resources within the region and nationally. The project also cultivates a workforce proficient in cyberinfrastructure and advanced digital resources to support STEM education and research innovation across participating institutions. South Dakota State University and the University of South Dakota will serve as centralized cyberinfrastructure providers for researchers throughout South Dakota's public higher education system under this model. Subawards are provided to Northern State University, South Dakota State University, and Dakota State University to support their roles in the network.

Abstract

This award is funded in whole or in part under the american rescue plan act of 2021 (public law 117-2). The south dakota research & education data interchange (SD-REDI) project creates a statewide friction-free network for high-speed access to advanced computing and data storage resources from all public higher education institutions in south dakota. The project seeks to connect a broad set of constituent schools to a secure, high-performance science DMZ regional network across south dakota. Participating institutions include university of south dakota, south dakota school of mines and technology, black hills state university, northern state university (NSU), south dakota state university, dakota state university. NSU will be upgraded to 100GBPS connectivity as part of this project as well. The project will support research innovation and advancing education across their science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) portfolios. SD-REDI creates a structure of opportunity to accelerate the adoption and utilization of advanced cyberinfrastructure (CI) and elevate STEM research and education productivity throughout south dakota. Led by a cross-institutional team of technology and research leaders, SD-REDI accomplishes the following key objectives: (1) links together critical resources and CI capabilities at all participating institutions via a secure, high-performance regional DMZ, using the extant SD reed (research, education, and economic development) network as a backplane, ensuring secure and performant data movement for research and distance learning applications; (2) addresses institutional capability gaps and augmenting campus network capacity to ensure uniform experience and access to advanced CI within the region and outward to national resources; (3) cultivates a workforce literate in CI and advanced digital resources for STEM; and (4) supports streamlined end-to-end distance learning experiences for STEM education. The project supports an emerging model in which south dakota state university and the university of south dakota will serve as formal CI providers for researchers and other constituents throughout south dakota?S public higher education system. This centralized CI model is critical in expanding research and STEM education opportunities at south dakota institutions. This project is funded through the collaborative efforts of the office of advanced cyberinfrastructure (OAC) and the established program to stimulate competitive research (EPSCOR). This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.