The High End Computing (HEC) Interagency Working Group (IWG) coordinates Federal R&D that extends U.S. leadership in advanced computing and enables transformative research to support the Nation’s economic competitiveness, security, and leadership in science and engineering. Enabling R&D for High-Capability Computing Systems (EHCS) ensures the development of technologies critical to preparing for the next computing revolution and to overcoming challenges critical to ensuring continued progress in computing capabilities while ensuring that these technology advancements support national priorities. Advances in high-capability computing (HCC) impact the full spectrum of devices and open innovation prospects in areas such as precision medicine, advanced manufacturing, and autonomous machines.
In addition to coordinating EHCS R&D, the HEC IWG coordinates Federal activities to provide HCC systems and infrastructure (including expertise necessary to effectively use the HCC systems) and develop algorithms and applications to accelerate scientific discoveries and technological innovations in areas such as advanced weapons, materials discovery and design, energy applications, Earth and space science, early-stage research of advanced technologies, detection and treatment of diseases, forecasting and hazard response planning, and many other S&E applications vital to our Nation. The HEC IWG reports investments to the Enabling R&D for High-Capability Computing Systems and High-Capability Computing Infrastructure and Applications (HCIA) Program Component Areas.
Overview
The HEC Interagency Working Group (IWG) was created in 1991 and currently coordinates Federal HEC R&D across 14 participating agencies and supports activities that extend U.S. leadership in high-capability computing (HCC). Guided by Pioneering the Future Advanced Computing Ecosystem: A Strategic Plan, the IWG focuses on the development of technologies that anticipate future needs, overcome current challenges, and ensure the effective use of HCC systems to support the Nation’s economic competitiveness, security, and leadership in science and engineering. EHCS investments drive innovation in areas such as precision medicine, smart and connected communities, and the next wave of autonomous machines.
The HEC IWG also coordinates the operation and modernization of HCC infrastructure and applications to accelerate scientific discoveries and technological innovations. HCIA investments provide researchers from academia, government, and industry tens of billions of computing hours annually on the Nation’s most powerful computing platforms and provide the ecosystem and expertise the United States needs in areas such as materials discovery and design, earth and space science, detection and treatment of diseases, and other applications of national interest.
Strategic Priorities in Enabling R&D for High-Capability Computing Systems
- Research and develop innovative approaches and technologies critical to delivering extreme-scale computing systems to enhance scientific insight, accelerate discoveries, and reinforce decision-making in support of national priorities.
- Research and develop technologies to make breakthroughs in HCC’s most pressing challenges and pioneer new frontiers in computing, fueling innovations and discoveries that will shape the future computing ecosystem – both inside and outside the data center – and strengthen technological competitiveness.
- Research and develop new approaches and techniques aimed at improving the programmability, portability, reliability, and usability of high-capability computing, broadening the impact and applicability of the HCC.
- Develop, foster, and broaden a diverse and inclusive HEC workforce for computing R&D to bolster technological competitiveness.
Strategic Priorities in High-Capability Computing Infrastructure and Applications
- Acquire, operate, and provide leadership-class and production-quality HCC systems required to meet critical national needs, including AI, and support research and education across all S&E areas.
- Develop, improve, and maintain algorithms, applications, and supporting software to advance capabilities vital to the Nation’s security, economy, and individual well-being.
- Develop resources and tools to lower barriers to HCC access, improve usability, and support collaborations to promote community-engaged R&D.
- Develop, enhance, and provide an HCC ecosystem to a diverse user community needed for effective use of advanced computing to support U.S. leadership in S&E, enable open science and community engaged R&D, and strengthen U.S. competitiveness.
Co-Chairs
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Varun Chandola Program Director Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (CISE/OAC) U.S. National Science Foundation |
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Hal Finkel Program Manager Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science |
Technical Coordinator
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Ji Hyun Lee |
Activities
- HEC IWG members are currently collaborating with the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Subcommittee on Future Advanced Computing Ecosystem (FACE) to address goals and objectives in the FACE strategic plan. The current focus is the development of an implementation roadmap of planned Federal investments.
- Federal High End Computing Information Portal, HEC IWG agencies. June 2023.
- SC19 Birds of a Feather “U.S. Strategic Computing – An Update”, Denver, Colorado. November 20, 2019.
- Future Computing Community of Interest Meeting, Washington DC. August 5-6, 2019.
- SC18 Birds of a Feather “What the heck is HEC?” Dallas, Texas. November 13, 2018.
- The Convergence of High Performance Computing, Big Data, and Machine Learning, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD. October 29-30, 2018.
Publications
- FY 2021-2023 Progress Report On Pioneering The Future Advanced Computing Ecosystem: A Strategic Plan, Subcommittee on Future Advanced Computing Ecosystem; Committee on Technology; High End Computing Interagency Working Group; Subcommittee on Networking and Information Technology Research and Development; Committee on Science and Technology Enterprise; National Science and Technology Council. June 14, 2024.
- High End Computing (HEC) Software Sustainability Efforts: Examples of Federal Activities, High End Computing (HEC) Interagency Working Group (IWG). March 2023.
- Software in the Era of Extreme Heterogeneity Workshop Report, High End Computing Interagency Working Group; Software Productivity, Sustainability, and Quality Interagency Working Group. June 2022.
- Future Advanced Computing Ecosystem Strategic Plan FY2022 Implementation Roadmap, Subcommittee on Future Advanced Computing Ecosystem; Committee on Technology; High End Computing Interagency Working Group; Networking & Information Technology Subcommittee; Committee on Science & Technology Enterprise; National Science and Technology Council, May 2022.
- Pioneering the Future Advanced Computing Ecosystem: A Strategic Plan, FACE; Committee on Technology; NSTC. November 2020.
- National Strategic Computing Initiative Update: Pioneering the Future of Computing, Fast Track Action Committee (FTAC) on Strategic Computing; NITRD; NSTC. November 2019.
- The Convergence of High Performance Computing, Big Data, and Machine Learning, Big Data IWG; HEC IWG; NITRD; NSTC. September 2019.
- Future Computing Community of Interest Meeting, FTAC on Strategic Computing; NITRD; NSTC. September 2019.
Resources and Reference Documents
- HPC Performance Improvements Through Innovative Architecture, NSA, DOE/SC, and DOE/NNSA, November 18, 2019.