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Requesting a Startup or Education Allocation: Step-by-Step for First-Time Users

Who Can Get a Startup or Education Allocation?

Startup and Education Allocations on TeraGrid are available to all new users, including faculty members and postdoctoral researchers at U.S. academic research institutions, as well as to K-12 teachers for classroom use.

How Much Time or Space Can You Get?

• Compute Allocations: Up to 200,000 Service Units (SUs) of computing time, depending on the chosen resource
• Data Allocations:
  • Up to 5 TB disk or database table space for data collections
  • Up to 25 TB for tape storage

(See the Allocations Types, Limits, and Deadlines table for a full list of request ranges for both Startup and Research Allocations.)

Where Can You Use Your Allocation?

The TeraGrid offers a wide range of storage and computation systems at many resource provider sites (RP sites). Choosing TeraGrid-Wide Roaming Access is an easy way to become familiar with the TeraGrid, or you can choose a Startup allocation from a specific RP site. For more information, see:

• The How Do You Make a Request? section below, for a preview of what is available through the request system.
• The TeraGrid Resource Catalog pages, where there are tables for viewing computation and data resources and forms for requesting side-by-side comparisons or for searching by specific criteria

For What Can You Use a Startup or Education Allocation?

Appropriate uses may include:

• Application development by principle investigators (PIs)
• Experimentation on TeraGrid platforms
• Use of TeraGrid systems for classroom instruction
• Developing a science gateway
• Hosting a data collection on disk or database table space or data storage on tape

When Can Allocations Be Requested?

Startup and Education Allocation requests are accepted continuously throughout the year. Requests usually can be reviewed within a few weeks. The allocation is available as soon as the user receives login information. See the Allocations Types, Limits, and Deadlines table for the complete calendar for Research Allocations (TRAC).

How Do You Make a Request?

To request a Startup or Education Allocation, submit a request via POPS. To complete the form, you will need the following information:

• An estimate of the computing time needed, in CPU-hours (also known as Service Units, or SUs), or an estimate of the amount of storage needed (in Terabytes, or TB). (See the Allocation Types, Limits, and Deadlines table for a full list request ranges.)
• A short abstract of your computational project
• A CV for the PI

On the POPS Web site, perform the following steps to submit your Startup or Education request:

1. If you do not have a TeraGrid User Portal login or a POPS login, select "Create POPS login" from the left column and create one.
2. Log in to POPS.
3. Select New.
4. Select 0 - 200,000 SUs and click Continue. (If you are requesting a data allocation, there is no need to convert TB or GB to SUs at this point, just choose this for requests up to 5 TB of disk/table space and up to 25 TB of tape storage space.)
5. Select Educational or Startup, depending on the purpose of your request.
6. Fill out the required fields in the following sections (each a separate page in POPS):
   • PI Information
   • Proposal Information
   • Resource Request
7. Upload the PI's CV on the Attachments screen.

That's it. No formal request attachment is required. Supporting grant information is helpful but optional. You can "Save to Date" at any time, or press "Final Submission". Your request will be reviewed and processed, usually within two weeks.

To begin using your Startup or Educational allocation immediately, go to https://pops-submit.teragrid.org and follow the procedure outlined above.

(For Research Allocations, a full request is required. The process is outlined on the Allocations and Accounts page.)