1. Positioning the University of Minnesota’s Research CyberInfrastructure: The Research CyberInfrastructure Alliance as a Virtual Organization CSG Spring 2008

2. Presentation Objective ‘Alliance Thinking’ as a means to a Virtual Organization (VO). Common Vision and Purpose. Objective Researcher Consultation Current Activity Summative Thoughts

3. RCA: Technical team Academic Health Center College of Liberal Arts Minnesota Supercomputer Institute Libraries Office of the VP for Research Office of Information Technology Consultant

4. Alliance Indicators Develop the right working relationship Create “means” metrics Information sharing Speed of decision making / clarity Embrace differences Document strengths/competencies of each group Enable collaborative behavior Share information Emphasis on inquiry rather than judgment Communicate issues jointly to senior execs for resolution Manage internal stakeholders From: “Simple Rules for Making Alliances Work.” J. Hughes & J. Weiss. Harvard Business Review, November 2007.

5. Alliance Indicators: Assessing Readiness 1.Readiness 2.Build the Blue-Print Vision – Greater social good? Description – What and how will this affect my institution? Beliefs – What are the guiding foundational principles? Assumptions – What can my institution assume we can achieve together as an outcome? Operations – How will it work? Is it feasible? -Duin & Baer, 2005

6. Alliance Indicators: Assessing Readiness cont. Blueprint Cont. Commitment – Are multiple levels committed to it? Are levels of trust and covenants in place? Collaboration – Are collaboration and cooperation more important than hierarchy and competition? How do we know this? Control – Who has control? Who has the authority? Where are clear lines drawn? Adaptation – Are we willing to alter the direction, structure, and operations to support the partnership? Can partners adapt in order to accept and operate in a blended environment of values, purposes, missions and outcomes? -Duin & Baer, 2005

7. What is Cyberinfrastructure? Information Technology resources used by researchers, clinicians, engineers, and artists in the creation of new knowledge.

8. What is Cyberinfrastructure? Used as a term by the National Science Foundation and a host of nationally-prominent agencies, cyberinfrastructure includes the information technology resources used by researchers, clinicians, engineers, and artists in the creation of new knowledge. It includes the instruments, sensors, high performance computational systems, massive storage systems, data resources, and visualization facilities, tied together by high speed networks and made to work together by advanced software to accomplish goals that would not be possible by any single information technology system. It also includes the people, processes, training, security, policies, and capabilities to sustain the systems and networks over time.

9. RCA Goal To position the University to enable computationally intensive, interdisciplinary research for the 21st Century.

10. RCA Principles Align with NSF Preserve positive local ownership while leveraging expertise across the U Open channels of communication Create a coordinated research approach Provide a consistent outstanding faculty (researcher) experience

11. RCA Alignment Exceptional Faculty: to make this a “win” for faculty –Create a robust culture of collaboration that encourages and rewards boldness, imagination, and innovation. Exceptional Innovation: –Align resources to support strategic priorities Exceptional Organization: –Foster an environment of creativity that encourages evolution of dynamic fields of inquiry

12. Research Cyberinfrastructure Support prior to Fall 2007 Photo Credit: Eggs by sir chalkysir chalky

13. Pre-Fall 2007 Model

14. Initial Vision for RCA Photo Credit: Free Range by andrew dowsettandrew dowsett

15. Proposed Vision Photo Credit: Aspen Grove by kris247kris247

16. Role of RCA Other Institutions & Resources RCA MSI OITCLA LIB AHC etc knows resources needs help External Resources Peer Institutions

17. Role of RCA Other Institutions & Resources RCA MSI OITCLA LIB AHC etc knows resources needs help External Resources Peer Institutions

18. Researcher Consultation: Interviews PI & IT these are all very busy people

19. biological macromolecules in solution a biological simulations research group Photo Credit: Desi Refridgerator by VIjay PandeyVIjay Pandey

20. a biological simulations research group 12members 250GBdrives 1TBRAID bound2researcher jointstudent inheritance RNAdb code backupadmin queues supercomputing msi Photo Credit: Desi Refridgerator by VIjay PandeyVIjay Pandey

21. magnetic resonance imaging a medical imaging laboratory Photo Credit: 4604_0621_Magnets by podiluskapodiluska

22. Photo Credit: 4604_0621_Magnets by podiluskapodiluska a medical imaging laboratory alltrades auditor centralservers littlesupport webapps osstoolkits virtualization cmrr5TBlimit bottleneck tossthemiddle AFS

23. saving the world with bill and melinda a worldwide data harvest project Photo Credit: Wheat by Bern@tBern@t

24. Photo Credit: Wheat by Bern@tBern@t a worldwide data harvest project betterdatasets hosting thirdparties development storage tens2hundredsTB CSdept bibdata commercialoption agilepartner followon

25. counting the world from minnesota a large social science research center Photo Credit: Crowd! by Tar_zanTar_zan

26. Photo Credit: Crowd! by Tar_zanTar_zan a large social science research center grant2grant claoit digitaldata networkstorage 35TB + scrubprivate integration giganet newonoldrefresh trust dimarchive partnership organic

27. Photo Credit: VIjay Pandey, podiluska, Bern@t, Tar_zanVIjay Pandey, n@t, Tar_

28. Photo Credit: VIjay Pandey, podiluska, Bern@t, Tar_zanVIjay Pandey, n@t, Tar_ accessible storage scaleable sharable domainaware assistance sysadmin engineering development planningstage grant2grant flexifunding nopayasyougo seed collaborate ready campuslevel partner

29. The Interviews Suggest Layered approach core tech, interfacing staff CLA-OIT model University not in a vacuum

30. From Here to Enterprise: Major Gaps Infrastructure and Coordinated Services Capacity that Scales to Demand Expertise Leveraging and Alignment Economic Models

31. Hubs and Nodes: Coordinated Tiered Services Share what makes sense to share Global and research domain networks Institutional College, Center, PI “Servers vs. Services” Servers o Hardware, system administration, network administration, database administration Services o Shared applications and databases, information systems, service management, compliance, data life cycle management (expertise in metadata and data archiving, data access and re-use).

32. Sponsor Advice Meaning – communications and nomenclature Structure – think pyramidally Core services – identify and move forward, faster Economies of scale imperative Structural barriers – contrasting funding models, operating policies and practices across units Value proposition – “eyes of the researchers” Harness what we have – leverage the expertise and resources in all corners of the organization

33. Common Service Portfolio Consulting Services Study design, programming, data analysis, data privacy and security, survey development, website development, performance measurement, specialized technical assistance, …etc Application Support Services Server administration, application administration, research applications support…etc. Infrastructure Services Data centers, server hosting, data storage and back-up, data security, super- computer access, high-performance research network access…etc

34. RCA Service Portfolio Behavioral Sciences Social Sciences Physical Sciences Life Sciences Infrastructure Services Application Support Services Consulting Support Services

35. Current Activities Building Common Service Portfolio Outreach and Education Piloting Approach Building Integrated Strategic and Near-Term Work-Plans Developing Measures

36. Lessons Learned… Coalition thinking rather than control Articulate Shared Goals and Principles No Crystal - Clear Financing / Funding Model Value of Face Time Complimentary Expertise and Missions Shared Leadership is not Easy