Embedded Tech Support – Spring 2025 Call!

Call is Open for Embedded Technical Support program

The Embedded Technical Support program is designed to assist researchers in any discipline at Atlantic Canadian post-secondary institutions to adopt or improve their use of advanced computing techniques and resources in their research. 

These tools have the potential to accelerate discovery in almost any discipline. However, the expertise necessary to optimize code, successfully migrate workflows from a desktop to an HPC cluster, build a cloud platform, or simply explore the capabilities and benefits of advanced computing may not be readily available, especially in smaller projects.

This program pairs our technical experts with innovative projects that have high potential for success and impact, and that require advanced computing resources, programming support and/or in-depth technical expertise. Some examples of areas we can help are:

  • Code parallelization and performance optimization for HPC systems 
  • Scientific or data visualization
  • Data analytics
  • Workflow migration from the desktop to a cluster
  • Applying research data management best practices
  • Tailored training

Successful projects under this program are able to access focused and dedicated support from one or two of ACENET’s research consultants for a period of two to four months. During this period, the ACENET staff member will spend up to 50% of their time working on the project.

The current call is open from 14 April until 18 May, 2025.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at applications@www.ace-net.ca.

More information and application form

Running an Efficient Molecular Dynamics Simulation

A poor choice of job submission or simulation parameters leads to poor performance and a waste of computing resources when running molecular dynamics simulations.

A common mistake is requesting too many CPUs or GPUs to run a simulation as fast as possible. However, the fastest simulations may be inefficient due to poor parallel scaling. As a result, such simulations use excessive resources and negatively impact priority, resulting in longer queue times and reduced productivity.

To help you improve your productivity, read our Highly Qualified blog post, and learn about our Molecular Dynamics Performance Guide

New Embedded Tech Support for Your Research

We’re launching our new Embedded Technical Support program with an inaugural Call for Proposals

The Embedded Technical Support program is designed to assist researchers in any discipline at Atlantic Canadian post-secondary institutions to adopt or improve their use of advanced computing techniques and resources in their research. 

These tools have the potential to accelerate discovery in almost any discipline. However, the expertise necessary to optimize code, successfully migrate workflows from a desktop to an HPC cluster, build a cloud platform, or simply explore the capabilities and benefits of advanced computing may not be readily available, especially in smaller projects.

This program pairs our technical experts with innovative projects that have high potential for success and impact, and that require advanced computing resources, programming support and/or in-depth technical expertise. Some examples of areas we can help are:

  • Code parallelization, profiling and optimization for HPC systems 
  • Scientific or data visualization
  • Data analytics
  • Workflow migration from the desktop to a cluster
  • Research portal creation on a cloud platform
  • Incorporation of advanced computing into research programs

Successful projects under this program are able to access focused and dedicated support from one of ACENET’s research consultants for a period of two to four months. During this period, the ACENET staff member will spend up to 50% of their time working on the project.

The current call opens 1 May, 2023, with a deadline for submissions of 12 June, 2023.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at applications@www.ace-net.ca.

More information and application form

Compute Canada Operations Move to the Digital Research Alliance of Canada (the Alliance)

As many of you will already be aware, Compute Canada is ceasing its operational responsibilities for supporting Canada’s national advanced research computing (ARC) platform on March 31, 2022, and will be shutting down entirely as a corporation later this year. With this message, we are confirming that this change is not expected to cause any disruption to your services and that no action from you is required at this time. 

While Compute Canada may be disappearing, it has been working hard with its institutional and regional partners, as well as its new partner, the Digital Research Alliance of Canada (the Alliance) to ensure that your services will continue to be delivered by the same talented and supportive team members with whom you already work.

You will continue to access your services in the same way that you always have. To log in to the national host sites, you will continue to use your current user id and password on the Compute Canada Database, access help from the help desk by emailing support@computecanada.ca, and access the Documentation Wiki as you do today, with no changes. 

What will be different?
When you renewed your account last year, you gave us permission to share your information with the new organization. Starting April 1st, your contact information will be transferred to the Alliance from Compute Canada. This was covered under the consent to disclose personal information form to which you consented and your personal information will be safeguarded. 

Compute Canada’s social media accounts will also close. We encourage you to follow the Alliance on LinkedIn and Twitter where they will ensure that you have all the latest news on Canada’s digital research infrastructure (DRI) ecosystem. In addition, the Alliance will send you messages from
communications@alliancecan.ca, please take the appropriate measures in your email client to prevent these messages from being rejected from your inbox.

What does this mean for researchers and the DRI ecosystem? 
The Alliance and our institutional and regional partners will continue their transition work over the coming year, including working through the design and implementation of a new service model that will harmonize the three pillars of DRI (advanced research computing, research data management, and research software). They will also undertake the task of rebranding all Compute Canada branded materials, such as the Documentation Wiki. 

As this work progresses, the Alliance and our institutional and regional partners will communicate important details about changes and any action required on your part. In addition to information about services that was previously found on the Compute Canada website, the Alliance website will provide up-to-date information on the ongoing transition activities. 

A thank you from the Compute Canada team
On behalf of the entire Compute Canada team, I would like to thank you for your support over the last decade. It has been our privilege to serve and work alongside the research community.  The passion, commitment, and incredible talent that you bring to your work has motivated us to do better and has gifted us a sense of pride when we have been able to contribute to your success along the way.  

While we will miss working with you, the good news is that we are leaving you in very capable hands. The Alliance and our regional and institutional partners have committed to minimizing any disruption of service and we know that they will continue to provide the same high-quality services that you have come to know and expect from us.

Robbin Tourangeau
President and CEO
Compute Canada