Research Computing Club
About the Research Computing Club
The Research Computing Club (RCC) at the University of Washington is a student-led organization providing a platform for students interested in high-performance computing and research. They facilitate access to computing resources such as Hyak – UW and provide training to use cloud computing. The club also offers workshops, seminars, and other events to help students learn more about the field and develop their skills. Additionally, the RCC provides a supportive community for students who are passionate about research computing and helps connect students with researchers and professionals who can provide guidance and mentorship. The club collaborates with other organizations and departments at the university to help further research initiatives and support the development of research computing infrastructure.
About Hyak and the Cloud Credit Program
Hyak is a high-performance computing resource offered by the University of Washington’s eScience Institute. It provides access to advanced computing hardware and software for researchers, students, and staff. The Hyak cluster allows users to run large-scale, computationally intensive research projects in fields such as data analysis, machine learning, and scientific simulations. The Research Computing Club’s Cloud Credit Program provides members with access to the Hyak cluster and other cloud computing services by allocating computing credits. The credits can be used to run computer jobs on the Hyak cluster and other cloud resources such as Amazon Web Services (AWS). The program provides students with hands-on experience in using cutting-edge research computing infrastructure and helps foster a community of researchers who can collaborate and support each other. Additionally, the program helps students learn about the technical aspects of research computing, including job scheduling, data management, and software development.
How STF Helped
The Student Technology Fee provides an annual award of $45,000 in addition to a few one-time awards since 2016 totaling nearly $1 million. Through these awards, the Research Computing Club continues to offer, expand, and improve access to cutting-edge, high performance computing services for students and researchers.
The Impact
The Student Technology Fee’s support of the Research Computing Club has allowed dozens of UW researchers to access Hyak and cloud computing resources, contributing to more than 100 published papers and reports. Examples of incredible research conducted through Hyak and the cloud computing resources include building conversational health dialogue systems and conducting advanced machine learning training and modeling. The impact of the Research Computing Club goes beyond academics, however. Their mentorship program connects undergrads to graduates conducting computational research, guiding them to use the service and explore their own research questions. Occasional events and other opportunities hosted by the Research Computing Club connect other students, including high schoolers, to the excitement of computational research, helping support the next generation of researchers.
What Students Say
“Seeing undergraduates get paired with a lab through the mentorship program and having the opportunity to work with [several professors and staff] on RCC-related projects have been two highlights since joining.”
“Seeing undergraduates get paired with a lab through the mentorship program and having the opportunity to work with [several professors and staff] on RCC-related projects have been two highlights since joining.”
What's Next
The Research Computing Club is currently seeking new members to steward the future of the club and influence cloud computing resources on campus. If you are interested in taking on this work, contact hpcc@u.washington.edu.
More Stories
April 26, 2023
CIRCLE
The Center for International Relations and Cultural Leadership Exchange (CIRCLE) was established in 2019 with the mission to streamline customized information for international students and serve as the hub ....
April 26, 2023
Husky Flying Club
Three years ago, a group of cadets in the Air Force ROTC program at UW came together to share and explore their love of planes and aviation. Thinking beyond their ROTC community, these students expanded thei....
April 26, 2023
Career and Internship Center
LinkedIn Learning is an online educational platform with an expansive library of expert-led courses which students can use to learn new skills and subjects and ....
