Advanced Computing Project Call
5the edition
Ref.: FCT/CPCA/2024/01
Overview and objectives
The Foundation for Science and Technology, IP (FCT) manages the National Advanced Computing Network (RNCA) and seeks to aggregate national advanced computing resources, promoting cooperation between the various centers involved and developing national and international partnerships with other entities. Under the terms of the Regulation for Advanced Computing Projects, published under No. 10/2022 in the Official Gazette, the allocation of RNCA computing resources is made following a competitive process whose terms are published through the FCT page.
Computational models and platforms
- High Performance Computing (HPC) – Deucalion, MareNostrum 5, Cirrus
- Computing for Artificial Intelligence (AI) – Deucalion, MareNostrum 5
- Scientific Cloud Computing (Cloud) – Stratus
Access Types
- A0 – Experimental Access recommended for teams with no prior experience or history of using RNCA resources or using visualization resources.
- A1 – Access Development recommended for software performance testing, code optimization, scalability testing, benchmarking, refactoring or for short-term projects.
- A2 – Regular Access Recommended for scientific or innovation projects whose team has consolidated prior experience and that require resources on the Deucalion, Cirrus and Stratus platforms.
- A3 – Larger Access Recommended for scientific or innovation projects whose team has consolidated previous experience and that require large amounts of resources on the Deucalion or MareNostrum 5 platforms.
Recipients and Eligibility
The following are beneficiaries, individually or in co-promotion:
- R&D (Research and Development) institutions
- Collaborative laboratories;
- Technological interface centers;
- Science and technology infrastructures;
- Science and technology networks and consortia;
- Private non-profit institutions whose main objective is R&D activities;
- Digital Innovation Hubs;
- Other public and private, non-profit institutions that develop or participate in research, development or innovation activities;
- Companies that develop advanced computing projects, in research, development or innovation activities.
- Individuals operating in Portugal who wish to develop advanced computing projects in any scientific field.
Regarding applications from companies as beneficiaries, advanced computing projects must:
- occur within the scope of pre-competitive research and innovation, the goods or services of which that research or innovation are the subject of do not yet have a commercial value attributed to them.
- not exceed the total computing budget to be allocated in this competition for all applications of this type.
Assessment
Under Articles 14 and 15 of the Regulation for Advanced Computing Projects All applications received will be processed in accordance with the criteria outlined and detailed in the evaluation guide.
- A0 – Experimental Access and A1 – Access Development subject only to administrative and technical validation.
- A2 – Regular Access and A3 – Larger Access submitted to scientific evaluation* and administrative and technical validation. *A2 and A3 applications that meet at least one of the following criteria: a) Be associated with project(s) of the PI or co-PI approved with prior evaluation of scientific merit in Advanced Computing Project Competitions (CPCA) in the last 3 years; and b) Each application is associated with a project approved by the PI or co-PI in another competition funded by the FCT in the last 3 years, with that same project being active at the time of the application; >>>> The following are exempt from this new scientific merit assessment competition:the.
If the previous criteria are not met, applications A2 and A3 will be subject to a new evaluation of scientific merit by “full means” with external evaluation panels invited by FCT, IP in accordance with the following evaluation criteria:
- S1: Scientific relevance (40%);
- S2: Innovation and impact (30%);
- S3: Project planning and implementation (30%);
All applications received will be subject to technical suitability validation carried out by the technical teams operating the computing platforms.
How to Enter
Applications must be submitted in English language and in the appropriate form.
- A0 – Experimental Access until September 10, 2025 (5 p.m.) in several lots.
- A1 – Access Development until September 10, 2025 (5:00 p.m.) in several batches.
- A2 – Regular Access from January 16th to March 11th, 2025 (5pm) – fast track or full track.
- A3 – Access Larger Dimension from January 16th to March 11th, 2025 (5pm) – fast track or full track.
Calendarization
| Applications A0 and A1 – lots | Submission dates |
| THE | September 10, 2024 (1 p.m.) – October 22, 2024 (5 p.m.) |
| B | October 22, 2024 (5 p.m.) – December 17, 2024 (5 p.m.) |
| W | December 17, 2024 (5 p.m.) – March 18, 2025 (5 p.m.) |
| D | March 18, 2025 (5 p.m.) – June 17, 2025 (5 p.m.) |
| AND | June 17, 2025 (5 p.m.) – September 10, 2025 (5 p.m.) |
| Applications A2 and A3 | Submission dates |
| 1st phase – fast track 2nd phase – fast and integral route | September 10, 2024 (1 p.m.) – October 10, 2024 (5 p.m.) January 16, 2025 (1 p.m.) – March 11, 2025 (5 p.m.) |
Documentation
No information published on this page replaces or overrides the Regulation and Notice of Opening of the Competition and the information available on the FCT website.
Contacts
Additional information and clarifications can be requested via the email address: advanced-computing@fccn.pt indicating in the subject “FCT/CPCA/2024/01”.