Computing Time on National Computer Facilities Call for proposals - Science - NWO
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Computing Time on National Computer Facilities Call for proposals Science 2020
Contents
1 Introduction 1
1.1 Background 1
1.2 Available budget 1
1.3 Validity of the call for proposals 1
2 Aim 2
3 Guidelines for applicants 3
3.1 Who can apply 3
3.2 What can be applied for 3
3.3 When can applications be submitted 5
3.4 Preparing an application 5
3.5 Conditions on granting 5
3.6 Submitting an application 8
4 Assessment procedure 9
4.1 Procedure 9
4.2 Criteria 10
5 Contact details and other information 12
5.1 Contact 12
5.2 Other information 121
Chapter 1: Introduction / Computing Time on National Computer Facilities
1 Introduction
1.1 Background
NWO Science (NWO Exacte en Natuurwetenschappen) is responsible for providing access to the National Computer
Facilities and expertise, managed and performed by SURFsara. This call for proposals invites applications for access to
national computing facilities and associated data services and expertise for the purposes of research calculations for
which the computer facilities provided by the individual institutes themselves are inadequate. NWO Science currently
provides access – through the call for Computing Time on National Computer Facilities – to the national computer
systems HPC Cloud, Lisa, supercomputer Cartesius (or successor), Custom Cloud Solutions, and Data Processing
(Grid).
This brochure gives information on the procedures and possibilities with regard to applications for access to these
national computing facilities.
This call applies to applications for large amounts of computing time on the National Computer Facilities: more than
50,000 SBU on HPC Cloud, more than 100,000 SBU Custom Cloud Solutions, more than 100,000 SBU on Lisa, more
than 500,000 SBU on supercomputer Cartesius (or successor) and more than 500,000 SBU Data Processing (Grid). A
grant for access to the national computer systems for large applications runs for 2 years.
For small applications – up to 50,000 SBU on HPC Cloud, up to 100,000 SBU Custom Cloud Solutions, up to 100,000
SBU on Lisa, up to 500,000 SBU on supercomputer Cartesius (or successor) or up to 500,000 SBU Data Processing
(Grid) – you can apply directly to SURFsara, via: surf.nl/research (see compute services). A grant for access to the
national computer systems for large applications runs for 1 year.
The original Dutch-language text of the brochure is the authoritative version. Where the English-language text is
open to a different interpretation, no additional rights may be derived from it.
1.2 Available budget
The available budget for 2020 (for large and small applications combined) is:
− 402.7 million SBU computing time;
− 53,951 TB data storage.
Of which:
− HPC Cloud: 20.1 million SBU (of which CPU: 19.3 million SBU and GPU: 0.8 million SBU), with 1,040 TB
online storage;
− Custom Cloud Solutions: 6.6 million SBU, with 233 TB online storage;
− Supercomputer: 276 million SBU (of which 275 million SBU on Cartesius - CPU and GPU - and 1 million
SBU on the Lisa Cluster), with 6,157 TB Cartesius project space and 14,000 TB offline storage;
− Data Processing (Grid): 100 million SBU, with 21,526 TB online storage and 10,995 TB offline storage.
Only applications rated as excellent or very good are eligible for funding. Proposals of lesser quality are ineligible for
funding.
1.3 Validity of the call for proposals
This call for proposals is valid up to and including 31 December 2020.2
Chapter 2: Aim / Computing Time on National Computer Facilities
2 Aim
The aim of this programme is to make the National Computer Facilities which the Netherlands has built for scientific
research purposes available to researchers so that they can perform high-quality research that requires these
advanced computing facilities and associated expertise.
Researchers can apply for computing time on any of the National Computer Facilities, including the associated data
services and expertise.
The NWO Science Domain Board explicitly wishes to stimulate a number of aspects:
− the appropriate and efficient use of the National Computer Facilities;
− the support of high-quality scientific research with the National Computer Facilities;
− optimal access for researchers to the National Computer Facilities.3
Chapter 3: Guidelines for applicants / Computing Time on National Computer Facilities
3 Guidelines for applicants
3.1 Who can apply
Researchers may submit an application if they are employed (i.e. hold a salaried position) at one of the following
organisations:
− Universities established in the Kingdom of the Netherlands;
− University Medical Centres;
− NWO and KNAW institutes;
− Dutch universities of applied sciences;
− the Netherlands Cancer Institute;
− the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen;
− the DUBBLE beam line at the ESRF in Grenoble;
− the Princess Máxima Centre for paediatric oncology;
− NCB Naturalis;
− the institutes participating in the SURF Cooperative: KNMI, RIVM, TNO, the National Archives, the
National Library, University of Humanistic Studies and the Police Academy.
Additional conditions:
− Both researchers in permanent and temporary employment can submit an application as main
applicant. Additional conditions apply to researchers with a temporary employment contract;
− If the main applicant does not have a permanent employment contract, his/her appointment must
be at least as long as the duration of the project for which an application is submitted;
− If the main applicant does not have a permanent employment contract, the application must be
signed by a responsible scientific supervisor with a permanent appointment. By doing so, the
supervisor declares that he or she is acting as guarantor for the justification of the allocated
computing time at the end of the project;
− A responsible scientific supervisor with a permanent employment contract can guarantee several
computing time projects and/or several applicants with a temporary employment contract at the
same time;
− The requested computing time should mainly be used by researchers associated with one of the
above institutions;
− The representation and advancement of women in science lags far behind that of men. Women are
therefore explicitly invited to submit proposals.
3.2 What can be applied for
NWO Science accepts applications for access to the advanced National Computer Facilities.
This call concerns applications for large amounts of computing time:
− more than 50,000 SBU on HPC Cloud and/or more than 2 TB online storage;
− more than 100,000 SBU Custom Cloud Solutions and/or more than 2 TB online storage;
− more than 100,000 SBU on cluster Lisa;
− more than 500,000 SBU on supercomputer Cartesius (or successor) (CPU and/or GPU) and/or more
than 50 TB project space and/or more than 50 TB offline storage;
− more than 500,000 SBU Data Processing (Grid) and/or more than 200 TB online storage and/or
more than 300 TB offline storage.
For smaller amounts, applications for access to these computer systems can be made directly to SURFsara, through:
surf.nl/research (see compute services).4
Chapter 3: Guidelines for applicants / Computing Time on National Computer Facilities
3.2.1 Accounting units
Applications must include a specification of the required resources according to type, for which the number of
System Billing Units (SBU) is particularly important. 1 SBU is equivalent to the use of one core for one hour.
In the application form, various data storage services can be requested together with computing time. This concerns
only those data services that are directly necessary for the computing work during the granting period of the project.
The maximum amount of storage that can be requested depends on the capacity available at that time.
In addition to computing time and data storage facilities, additional hours of technical expertise may be required.
This can be requested via the application form. Hours of expertise are granted in consultation with SURF and depend
on the available capacity.
For HPC Cloud, Custom Cloud Solutions, and Data Processing (Grid), 1 SBU is equivalent to the use of one core for
one hour.
For Lisa, 1 SBU is equivalent to the use of one core for one hour. Lisa nodes possess 16 cores, so the use of a single
Lisa node for one hour therefore costs 16 SBU. Nodes must be used in their entirety.
For Cartesius CPU nodes, 1 SBU is equivalent to the use of one core for one hour. Cartesius CPU thin nodes possess
24 or 32 cores; Cartesius CPU fat nodes possess 32 cores. Cartesius GPU nodes possess 16 CPU cores; there are 2
GPU nodes in all. For Cartesius GPU nodes, the number of CPU cores used is multiplied by three to yield the number
of SBU. Nodes must be used in their entirety. This means that for supercomputer Cartesius:
− the use of a single CPU thin node for one hour costs 24 or 32 SBU;
− the use of a single CPU fat node for one hour costs 32 SBU;
− the use of a single GPU node for one hour costs 48 SBU.
For storage, both the unit TiB/PiB and TB/PB are used in pratice, depending on the system. 1 TiB (tebibyte) is 240
bytes, 1 TB (terabyte) is 1012 bytes. 1 tebibyte is about 10% larger than 1 terabyte, this difference increases with
larger units.
The Computing Time on National Computer Facilities programme distinguishes between the following types of
application:
3.2.2 Individual applications
Individual applications are applications submitted for the use of one or more of these computer facilities for a single
project.
3.2.3 Group applications
Group applications are applications submitted for the use of one or more of these computer facilities for a number of
projects that have been bundled into a single application by a research group. The advantages of this approach are
that submitting a group application is a lighter burden for applicants than submitting individual applications, as well
as giving the assessment committee better insight into the links between the various projects being carried out
within a single research group. It also offers the research group the flexibility to move computing time between sub-
projects during the project, should this prove necessary.
3.2.4 Dutch Computer Challenge Projects (DCCP applications)
DCCP applications are those made for projects in which a large part of the available capacity of the supercomputer
Cartesius will be used over a short period of time. The duration period of DCCP projects is therefore shorter than that
of ordinary projects. DCCP applications can be made only for computing time on Cartesius and are subject to an
upper limit of 30 million SBU.5
Chapter 3: Guidelines for applicants / Computing Time on National Computer Facilities
3.2.5 Continued applications
Continued applications are applications to follow-up on an existing or previous project under the same name. They
may be individual or group applications. Continued applications must always be accompanied by a report on the
earlier funded project. Reports of projects for which the computing time was allocated by NWO must be submitted
to the appropriate project area in ISAAC within three months of the expiration date of the project. Reports of
projects for which the computing time was not allocated by NWO, for example if access has been obtained via SURF
for a previous small project, must be provided as an appendix to the continued application submission. Reports of
previous projects serve, among other things, as extra information for the assessment committee for a better
assessment of the follow-up application.
3.3 When can applications be submitted
Proposals may be submitted at any time. There are no deadlines.
3.4 Preparing an application
− Download the application form from the NWO website (at the bottom of the webpage of the
relevant funding instrument).
− Complete the application form.
− Save the application form as a pdf file and upload it in ISAAC.
− You are expressly requested to use the most recent application form; application forms from
previous years are outdated and will not be processed. The application form for 2020 can be found
on the funding page of this programme on the NWO website.
− The application must be written in English.
− If the application is a continued (follow-up) application, you must also submit a report on the
previous project. The report form can be found on the funding page of this programme on the
NWO website.
− Reports of projects for which the computing time has been granted by NWO must be submitted to
the relevant project in ISAAC within three months of the expiration date of the project.
− Reports of projects for which the computing time has not been granted by NWO, but for example if
a small application has been granted via SURF, must be sent as an appendix when submitting a
continued application. For this purpose, you can use the same reporting form, which can be found
on the funding page for this programme on the NWO website.
− It is not permitted to add information other than project reports, publications, and/or, where
relevant, approved NWO project applications in the form of appendices (i.e. no manuscripts,
support letters, etc.).
3.5 Conditions on granting
All applications are subject to the 2017 NWO subsidy regulations.
3.5.1 Specific subsidy conditions
The specific subsidy conditions that apply to the allocation of access to the National Computer Facilities
are the following:
Starting time and duration
If an application is approved, the research concerned must have begun within two months of this
approval. If this is not the case, NWO Science reserves the right to take appropriate action.6
Chapter 3: Guidelines for applicants / Computing Time on National Computer Facilities
An approval for access to the National Computer Facilities is valid for at most two years. If funded
research extends beyond this period, NWO Science reserves the right to take appropriate measures. If
an applicant wishes a project to run for a longer period than two years, a reasoned request for this
extension must be submitted to NWO Science for a decision. NWO Science will take a decision on that in
consultation with SURF. Large computing projects for which access to the computer facility has been
obtained via NWO can be extended a maximum of one time and for a maximum of one year.
Definitions
The following definitions apply to any approval of an application:
By ‘system’ we mean the computer system to which access has been granted, including any related front-end
machines, peripherals, data communication equipment and the related software and support made available.
By ‘user’ we mean the person to whom the subsidy or computing time has been allocated, as well as those to whom
this person allows access to the system under his or her own responsibility.
The user must accept the terms of use applicable to the system used, which contain rules on the correct use of the
system, by signing a user agreement. Instructions to this effect are given in the grant letter. This user agreement
includes, among other things:
− The user will not use the system for any purposes other than the project for which access has been
given.
− The user will make no attempt to obtain access to, or make use of, programs or files owned by
others or to which no access has been expressly given.
− The user will adhere to the requirements and procedures of the computer center providing the
system services.
− The user will immediately inform the computer center involved of any faults detected in system
software, compilers, data communications, etc., as well as any observed malfunctions.
− The user is responsible for any misuse of his or her user name and account by third parties, and will
therefore protect his or her passwords to the best of their ability against such misuse.
− The user is responsible for the consequences of any overrun in the allocated computing time.
− NWO Science and the computer center concerned can accept no responsibility for any loss or
damage incurred by the use of the system or resulting from any faults therein.
The user shall mention, in all publications and public deliveries, the fact that the research was supported by a NWO
Science subsidy for the use of the National Computer Facilities. The correct method of referral can be found on the
NWO website: https://www.nwo.nl/en/funding/funding+process+explained/acknowledgement
Information
The information that you provide with this application will be shared with SURF so that SURF can provide the
requested service in the best possible way.
Reporting
The granting of an application for computing time on a computer system is subject to the condition that the applicant
submits a project report to NWO Science no more than three months after the expiration date of the project. For this
report, you must use the ‘Report Template for Granted Computing Time’ form that can be found on the funding page
of this programme on the NWO website.
This report, and all publications arising from this grant-approved research, must be submitted exclusively via the
appropriate project section within NWO’s ISAAC system.7
Chapter 3: Guidelines for applicants / Computing Time on National Computer Facilities
3.5.2 General subsidy conditions
Open Access
As a signatory to the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowlegde in the Sciences and Humanities (2003), NWO is
committed to making the results of scientific research funded by NWO freely available in open access on the
internet. In doing so, NWO is implementing the ambitions of the Dutch government to make all publicly funded
research openly available. All scientific publications of research funded on the basis of this call for proposals should
therefore be available in open access immediately (at the time of publication). NWO accepts various routes:
- publication in an full open access journal,
- deposit a version of the article in a repository or
- publication in a hybrid journal covered by one of the agreements between the VSNU and
publishers. See www.openaccess.nl.
For more information on the NWO's open access policy, see: www.nwo.nl/openscience .
Data management
The results of scientific research must be replicable, verifiable and falsifiable. In the digital age this means that, in
addition to publications, research data must also be freely accessible. As much as possible, NWO expects that
research data resulting from NWO-funded projects will be made publicly available for reuse by other researchers. “As
open as possible, as closed as necessary” is the guiding principle in this respect. As a minimum, NWO requires that
the data underpinning research papers should be made available at the time of the article’s publication. The costs for
doing so are eligible for funding and can be included in the project budget. In the data management section, and in
the data management template if the project is awarded funding, researchers explain how they plan to manage the
data expected to be generated by the project.
1. Data management section
The data management section is part of the research proposal. Researchers are asked to prospectively
consider how they will manage the data the project will generate and plan for which data will be preserved
and be made publicly available. Measures will often need to be taken during the production and analysis of
the data to make their later storage and dissemination possible. If not all data from the project can be made
publicly available, the reasons for not doing so must be explained in the data management section. Due
consideration is given to aspects such as privacy, public security, ethical limitations, property rights and
commercial interests.
2. Data management plan
After a proposal has been awarded funding, the researcher should elaborate the data management section
into a data management plan. In this plan, the researcher describes whether use will be made of existing
data, whether new data will collected or generated, and how the data will be made FAIR: Findable,
Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable. The data management plan must be completed in consultation with a
data steward or equivalent research data management support staff at the home institution of the project
leader. The plan should be submitted to NWO via ISAAC within four months after the proposal has been
awarded funding. NWO will approve the plan as quickly as possible. Approval of the data management plan
by NWO is a condition for disbursement of the funding. The plan can be adjusted during the research.
Further information on the NWO data management protocol can be found at www.nwo.nl/datamanagement-en.
Nagoya Protocol
The Nagoya Protocol became effective on 12 October 2014 and ensures an honest and reasonable distribution of
benefits emerging from the use of genetic resources (Access and Benefit Sharing; ABS). Researchers who make use of
genetic sources from the Netherlands or abroad for their research should familiarise themselves with the Nagoya
Protocol (www.absfocalpoint.nl). NWO assumes that researchers will take all necessary actions with respect to the
Nagoya Protocol.8
Chapter 3: Guidelines for applicants / Computing Time on National Computer Facilities
3.6 Submitting an application
An application can only be submitted to NWO via the online application system ISAAC. Applications not submitted via
ISAAC will not be taken into consideration.
A principal applicant must submit his/her application via his/her own ISAAC account. If the principal applicant does
not have an ISAAC account yet, then this should be created at least one day before the application is submitted to
ensure that any registration problems can be resolved on time. If the principal applicant already has an NWO-
account, then he/she does not need to create a new account to submit an application.
For technical questions please contact the ISAAC helpdesk, see Section 5.1.2.9
Chapter 4: Assessment procedure / Computing Time on National Computer Facilities
4 Assessment procedure
4.1 Procedure
The NWO Code for Dealing with Personal Interest applies to all persons and NWO staff involved in the assessment
and/or decision-making process. See also: https://www.nwo.nl/en/code.
The data management section in the application is not evaluated and therefore not included in the decision about
whether to award funding. However, both the referees and the committee can issue advice with respect to the data
management section. After a proposal has been awarded funding, the researcher should elaborate the data
management section into a data management plan. Applicants can use the advice from the referees and the
committee when writing the data management plan.
NWO will award a qualification to all full proposals and will make this known to the researcher with the decision
about whether or not the application has been awarded funding. Only applications that receive the qualification
"excellent" or "very good" will be eligible for funding. For more information about the qualifications please see
www.nwo.nl/en/funding/funding+process+explained/nwo+qualification+system.
Admissibility
The first step in the assessment procedure is to test whether an application is admissible. Only those proposals that
satisfy the criteria stated in Chapter 3 are admissible and will be taken into consideration. Applicants whose
applications fail to meet these requirements will be informed of this decision.
Assessment committee
Applications submitted within the ‘Computing Time on National Computer Facilities’ call are assessed by the
Committee on Scientific Use of Supercomputers (Wetenschappelijk Gebruik van Supercomputers, WGS). The WGS is
composed of experienced users of the National Computer Facilities and represents its most important user groups.
Details of the composition of the WGS are given on the NWO website.
Application assessment
For each admissible application the WGS is asked to provide the Domain Board of NWO Science with a pre-advice.
This screens the proposal against the criteria listed in section 4.2, and its purpose is to determine whether the
proposal is eligible for partial funding. Partial funding concerns the approval of up to 10% of the total requested
budget, given in advance of the decision to either approve or reject the entire proposal. If the WGS has given a
positive advice, NWO aims to issue the partial funding within a month of the application submission.
Partial funding is not given for DCCP applications.
For the assessment of the remaining requested budget, the application is put before a SURFsara technical advisor,
who examines, amongst other things, whether the computer facility for which computing time is being requested is
the best system, in their opinion, for the computational issue concerned.
Applications are not, in principle, subjected to external scientific review. However, in cases of doubt, or in
exceptionally large requests, the WGS reserves the right to have the application assessed by one or more
independent reviewers. If necessary, the WGS can formulate its own questions in a review report.
The technical advice, together with any review reports, is then sent to the applicant, who has five working days to
respond to their contents in a rebuttal. If no rebuttal has been received within five working days, the applicant loses
the option of responding to these reviews.10
Chapter 4: Assessment procedure / Computing Time on National Computer Facilities
The application – together with SURFsara’s technical advice, any review reports, and the applicant’s rebuttal – is
assessed by the WGS at the next committee meeting. The WGS then gives the Domain Board of NWO Science a
recommendation either to approve or to reject the application.
If the WGS is of the opinion that the proposal should be approved, but in its current form does not fully meet the
requirements for quality or clarity, then the WGS may ask the applicant to revise the application accordingly. Revised
applications are not re-presented to external reviewers for assessment and are considered for approval at the first
WGS meeting following their submission. The WGS can also advise to only partially grant the application, e.g. for part
of the project or for part of the subprojects.
Final decision
The director of NWO Science is given the approval or rejection advice drawn up by the WGS. The director is
mandated to decide, on behalf of the Domain Board of NWO Science, whether to approve or reject an application.
Planning schedule
NWO aims to allocate any partial funding within one month of receipt of the application, and complete the
assessment procedure within four months. In the event of a delay in the procedure, applicants are entitled to apply
for a second partial funding.
Applications whose dossiers are complete, including SURFsara’s technical advice, any review reports, and the
applicant’s rebuttal, are considered at the next committee meeting of the WGS. NWO requires a complete
application dossier to be submitted a full week before a given meeting in order for the dossier to be made available
at that meeting. Applications whose dossiers will be complete after that week has begun may be held back for
consideration at the following meeting.
In 2020 the WGS will meet at the following moments:
− 181th WGS meeting, mid-February 2020
− 182th WGS meeting, mid-April 2020
− 183th WGS meeting, mid-June 2020
− 184th WGS meeting, late August 2020
− 185th WGS meeting, mid-October 2020
− 186th WGS meeting, mid-December 2020
NWO tries to ensure that applicants are given a definitive answer on the approval or rejection of their proposal
within two weeks of the WGS meeting at which the proposal was considered.
4.2 Criteria
Proposals submitted in this call will be assessed by reference to the following (equally-weighted) criteria:
Project organization
− The practicability of the study, given the available human research capacity.
− The research group’s expertise in the use of the computer facilities is in line with the scale of the
request.
Scientific aspects of the project
− The scientific quality of the project (whether fundamental or applied) to which the use of the
computer infrastructure contributes. If a proposal is being funded from indirect or contract funding,
then its scientific quality (whether for fundamental or applied research) is only marginally screened.
− Assessment of the applicability of the numeric methods and implementation aspects in relation to
the scientific aims of the project.
Necessity of access to the computer facilities
− Given the project aims, is the request for computing time and associated services justified?11
Chapter 4: Assessment procedure / Computing Time on National Computer Facilities
− Is the requested amount of computing time, storage and expertise proportional to the amount of
activity described in the project?
− Can the calculations not be performed on locally available facilities?12
Chapter 5: Contact details and other information / Computing Time on National Computer Facilities
5 Contact details and other information
5.1 Contact
5.1.1 Specific questions
For specific questions about Computing Time on National Computer Facilities and this call for proposals, please
contact:
Dr. Barbara van der Sar-Reumer, tel. +31 (0)70 3494602, e-mail: rekentijd@nwo.nl
5.1.2 Technical questions about the electronic application system ISAAC
For technical questions about the use of ISAAC please contact the ISAAC helpdesk. Please read the manual first
before consulting the helpdesk. The ISAAC helpdesk can be contacted from Monday to Friday between 10:00 and
17:00 hours CE(S)T on +31 (0)20 346 71 79. However, you can also submit your question by e-mail to
isaac.helpdesk@nwo.nl. You will then receive an answer within two working days.
5.2 Other information
Links to partner websites
Website SURF:
https://surf.nl/en
Small computing time requests can be made directly to SURF:
https://surf.nl/en/research (see compute services)
Technical (user)information:
https://userinfo.surfsara.nl
Information on HPC Cloud:
https://www.surf.nl/en/hpc-cloud-your-flexible-compute-infrastructure
Information on LISA:
https://www.surf.nl/en/lisa-compute-cluster-extra-processing-power-for-research
Information on Cartesius:
https://www.surf.nl/en/dutch-national-supercomputer-cartesius
Information on Grid:
https://www.surf.nl/en/grid-for-processing-and-storing-large-data-setsPublished by: Dutch Research Council Version: January 2020 Visiting address: Location The Hague Laan van Nieuw Oost-Indië 300 2593 CE The Hague The Netherlands Location Utrecht Winthontlaan 2 3526 KV Utrecht The Netherlands www.nwo.nl/en January 2020
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