Press Releases

Before launching the next Dedicated Programming competition in early 2026, SHARCNET is seeking expressions of interest (EOI) from Principal Investigators to get a sense for how many proposals may be awarded.

About the Dedicated Programming (DP) Competition:

DP provides support for computational projects of exceptional potential that will have lasting impact and value, that require high performance and advanced computing resources and significant programming support from SHARCNET to proceed. Applications are encouraged that satisfy the programme objectives and priority will be given to proposals that meet one or more of the following conditions:

• Propose an innovative project that will leverage the expanded capabilities of the national systems, such as “Nibi” and the cloud.
• Propose a programme of work that deals with the efficient processing of large, heterogeneous datasets (“big data”) using a variety of data mining, machine learning or other analytics software.
• Build new AI tools or leverage existing trained models to address specific computational research issues.

Eligibility:

The competition is open to all faculty holding a valid Alliance account.

Project Support:

Awarded DP time is anticipated to be from two – four months in duration, during which the allocated SHARCNET programmer will spend at most 50% of their working time on the project.

Expressions of Interest:

Expressions of interest should be emailed to research-support@sharcnet.ca and are due by December 14, 2025 at 11:59 pm EST. The submission should be no longer than two pages in length and should include the following information:

• Name of Principal Investigator
• Affiliation of Principal Investigator
• Name of the proposal
• Outline of the project proposal, potential outcomes and an outline of programing tasks
• Approx. length of the project
• Is there a specific SHARCNET staff member that you are interested in working with?

Next Steps:

Following a review of the EOIs, SHARCNET will issue a call for proposals with proposals to be submitted via SHARCNET’s web portal. We anticipate issuing a call in early January 2026. Please note that submitting an EOI is not a prerequisite to submitting a proposal.

Questions should be addressed to: research-support@sharcnet.ca.

The Digital Research Alliance of Canada’s annual Resource Allocation Competition (RAC) is open for submissions. This competition gives Canadian faculty and their collaborators the opportunity to access additional compute, storage and cloud resources than what is available through the Rapid Access Service.

Proposals to the 2026 Resource Allocation Competition must be submitted electronically through the CCDB by November 4, 2025, at 11:59 PM (EST).

The 2025 CO Summer School runs from June 2-20 and offers 40 free, online courses, at introductory to advanced levels, in AI, machine learning, bioinformatics, GPU programming, advanced research computing basics, high-performance computing tools, programming languages, neuroanalytics, visualization, research data management, and more. Learn more and register.

We are excited to announce that registration is now open for the highly anticipated 2024 Compute Ontario Summer School! Jointly organized by the Centre for Advanced Computing, SciNet, SHARCNET, and in collaboration with the Alliance and RDM experts from across Ontario and Canada, this virtual event promises to be an enriching experience for all participants.

Taking place from June 3-21, 2024, the Compute Ontario Summer School offers a comprehensive curriculum packed with 40 courses. Delivered by experts in the field, these sessions cover a wide range of topics including Advanced Research Computing (ARC), High Performance Computing (HPC), Research Data Management (RDM), and Research Software (RS). With presentations and workshops available at introductory to intermediate levels, there is something for everyone.

All courses are delivered online and registrants can pick-and-choose the course(s) they want to attend. Courses range in length from 1.5 hours to three days, many with a hands-on component. Specific topics include: AI, machine learning, bioinformatics, GPU programming, advanced research computing basics, high-performance computing tools, programming languages, visualization, research data management, and more.

Please note that space is limited, so we encourage you to register for your desired course(s) as soon as possible to avoid missing out.

SHARCNET is issuing a call for proposals for Dedicated Programming Support Round XXIV. Applications are encouraged that satisfy the programme objectives and priority will be given to proposals that meet one or more of the following conditions:

• Propose an innovative project that will leverage the capabilities of the national systems, such as the “Graham” cluster or the cloud.
• Propose a programme of work that deals with the efficient processing of large, heterogeneous datasets using a variety of data mining, machine learning or other analytics software.

Applications are submitted via SHARCNET’s webportal and are due by May 15, 2024 at 11:59 pm EST. A consultation with a SHARCNET HPTC prior to submission is a programme requirement. Note that the application deadline has been extended to May 31, 2024 at 11:59 pm EST.

For additional information, please refer to the application guidelines. Questions should be addressed to research-support@sharcnet.ca.