Requesting Computing Resources

Access to Syracuse Research Computing resources begins with a consultation. This ensures you’re matched to the right resource and that we understand any compliance or data security requirements.

The Consultation Process 

📧 1. Email us at researchcomputing@syr.edu
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🤝 2. We schedule a consultation (remote or in-person)
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💬 3. We discuss your research, computational needs, and data requirements
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🎯 4. We recommend the optimal resource(s) for your work
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✅ 5. We set up your account with appropriate access and configurations
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🚀 6. We support you with examples, documentation, and troubleshooting

What to Include in Your Request

Research Overview

  • Brief description of your research project
  • Your department and PI/advisor (if applicable)
  • Timeline for when you need to start computing
  • Funding source (if requesting cloud resources)

Computational Requirements

Help us understand your computing needs:

  • CPUs: How many cores? One big job or many small jobs?
  • Memory: How much RAM per job? (e.g., 8GB, 64GB, 256GB)
  • Storage: How much data? How long to keep it?
  • GPUs: Do you need GPUs? For what type of work?
  • Runtime: Minutes, hours, days, or weeks per job?
  • Quantity: One job at a time or hundreds/thousands?

It’s okay if you don’t know exact numbers! We’ll help you figure this out during consultation.

Data Sensitivity & Compliance (Critical!)

We must know about any data sensitivity or compliance requirements upfront.

Tell us if your data involves:

  • Protected health information (PHI): HIPAA requirements
  • Student data: FERPA requirements
  • Export-controlled data: ITAR, EAR restrictions
  • Controlled unclassified information (CUI): Federal data requirements
  • Personally identifiable information (PII): Privacy requirements
  • Grant-specific requirements: NIH, NSF, DOD data agreements

Why this is critical:

  • Different resources have different security configurations
  • Some data types cannot be used on certain resources
  • Compliance violations can affect your research and the university
  • We need to configure appropriate access controls and logging

When in doubt, tell us! We’d rather discuss data requirements that turn out not to be applicable than miss critical compliance needs.

Workflow & Software Information

  • What software or tools will you use? (Python, R, MATLAB, custom code, etc.)
  • Do you need interactive access or can work be batch-submitted?
  • Are there specific software licensing requirements?
  • Have you used HPC/HTC clusters before?

Sample Request Email

To: researchcomputing@syr.edu
Subject: Research Computing Resource Request

Hi Research Computing Team,

I'm requesting access to research computing resources for my project.

Research Overview:
Project: [Brief description of your research]
Department: [Your department]
PI/Advisor: [Name, if applicable]
Timeline: [When you need to start]

Computational Needs:
- CPUs: [e.g., 4 cores per job, running 100 jobs]
- Memory: [e.g., 16GB per job]
- Storage: [e.g., 500GB dataset]
- GPUs: [Yes/No - if yes, what for?]
- Runtime: [e.g., 6 hours per job]

Data Sensitivity:
- Sensitive data: [Yes/No - if yes, what type?]
- Compliance requirements: [HIPAA/FERPA/None/etc.]
- Grant data agreements: [Any specific requirements from funding source]
- IRB approval: [If working with human subjects data]

Software & Workflow:
- Software: [Python, R, TensorFlow, etc.]
- Batch-friendly: [Can your work be submitted as jobs?]
- Previous experience: [New to clusters / have used HPC before]

Looking forward to discussing the best computing solution for my research!

Best,
[Your name]

What Happens Next?

  1. We’ll respond within 1-2 business days to schedule a consultation
  2. Consultation meeting (typically 30-60 minutes, remote or in-person)
  3. We’ll discuss:
    • Your research workflow in detail
    • Data compliance and security needs
    • Computational requirements
    • Recommended resource(s)
    • Timeline for getting started
  4. Account setup (typically 1-3 days after consultation)
  5. Welcome email with login credentials and getting-started instructions
  6. Ongoing support as you get up and running

What Makes a Good Consultation
Come prepared to discuss: What you’re trying to compute (not just what resources you think you need), your workflow from start to finish, any data sensitivity or compliance concerns, your timeline and pressure points, and previous computing experience. We’ll help you match to the right resource, understand batch computing, optimize your workflow, meet compliance needs, and get started successfully.