CC* Networking Infrastructure: Improving Science Data Flows with Advanced Networking and Cyberinfrastructure at Manhattan College

This project re-architects the campus network at Manhattan College to drive, enable, and advance scientific data flows and discovery across multiple disciplines, including engineering, mathematics, chemistry, and sociology utilizing advanced cyberinfrastructure to eliminate barriers to research and STEM education currently encountered by faculty, researchers, and students in respect to the flow of scientific data.

The campus network is rearchitected to optimize scientific data flows via the construction of a campus-wide IPv6-native Science DMZ, enabling frictionless paths for science data accessible across campus. This Science DMZ utilizes recognized best practices for research cybersecurity, balancing network performance and security, and establishes data transfer nodes to facilitate data transfers between Manhattan College researchers and their collaborators via Globus.

It connects the College to external research and education (R&E) networks statewide via NYSERNet and nationally through Internet2, and monitors network performance using perfSONAR to tune the Science DMZ to ensure optimal performance. The re-architected network, designed and tuned for scientific data flows, advances and drives research, scientific discovery, and education.

Additionally, this project is the foundation for future cyberinfrastructure improvements, including high performance computing and storage infrastructures to further R&E capabilities of the College’s researchers and students. This network will support and grow these activities to advance research and STEM education programs that educate students, contribute to new scientific discoveries, inform public policy, facilitate institutional partnerships, and provide a better STEM education to train the next generation of scientists and engineers to be capable of tackling complex challenges in the world ahead.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.