About the service

An essential component of your research project is ensuring the integrity of your data through accurate and appropriate analysis. To help you with your research project we offer many internal and external tools and services to compute, analyse and visualise your data. This includes High Performance Computing (HPC) for the analysis of very large datasets, programming, scripting and database support, applications and software, programming workshops, and multi-screen visualisation tools.

Our High Performance Computing delivers a higher processing speed than one could get out of a typical desktop computer or workstation by aggregating computer power. We offer an in-house facility (Gowanda) and provide access to specialised (Flashlight) and national (NCI) HPC systems. These systems support analyses and simulations that require high-end computational capabilities, including parallel processing and use a wide-range of software such as C, C++, Fortran compliers, CUDA, MATLAB, Gaussian, R, FFTW, Intel MPI, SGI's MPT, and OpenMPI.

Our visualisation services will give you a unique perspective of being inside your data. You can easily interact and manipulate images or data to identify relationships, patterns and trends between multi-dimensional data sets. These include CT scans for medical imaging, 3D models for industrial design/building and construction, 3D graphs for scientific research and Geospatial data. To request access to these systems and programming assistance contact us via the online form.

For further information and access to these systems and programming assistance:

This service is available to

These services are available to researchers and HDR students.

  • High performance computing
    • Griffith is affiliated with the Queensland Cuber Infrastructure Foundation (QCIF).  Therefore, Griffith's HPC resources can be used by researchers from any QCIF-affiliated institution, and Griffith researchers can call upon HPC resources from other QCIF-affiliated institutions if required.
  • External eResearch resources
    • Support and maintenance of these services is undertaken by the external organisation.  Please visit the website associated with the resource for details.

Service Provisions

Service Includes:

  • High Performance Computing
    • Griffith operates two High Performance Computing (HPC) systems, which support analyses and simulations that require high-end computational capabilities, including parallel processing. Cluster resources can be allocated to meet specific project requirements, or deployed as a pool resource via a batch scheduling system. The cluster can run a number of different software packages crossing a number of diverse disciplines such as biochemistry, engineering, medicine, environmental science and Information Technology. Griffith also has access to external resources if required.
    • Programming support is available for Griffith researchers who would like to make use of this facility.
  • Scientific Software Support
    • Programming/scripting support is available for tasks such as:
      • Automating data processing tasks that need to be done repeatedly;
      • Processing of very large datasets; and
      • Complex data processing that requires advanced programming skills.
    • Support for database technologies is available to assist with tasks such as:
      • Database design
      • Importing datasets (e.g. from Excel spreadsheets)
      • Developing database queries
      • Exporting data for analysis with other software tools
    • Assistance with popular data analysis software (e.g. R, python, Matlab and ArcGIS) can be provided where an eResearch support staff member has the required skills.
    • Griffith has negotiated licensing agreements for many products used for data analysis, modelling and simulation. Products available free-of-charge or at subsidised rates include but are not limited to:
      • MATLAB - mathematical modelling and visualisation
      • Nvivo - qualitative analysis
      • SAS - statistical analysis
      • SPSS - statistical analysis
      • ArcGIS - geographical mapping and analysis
      • Ansys - engineering computation tool
      • Products and pricing can be obtained via the Software web site.
    • eResearch Services partner with researchers on projects and can supply skilled staff for short term projects. Situations will vary depending on the work and funding arrangements.
  • Consulting for other Research Computation
    • Requirement gathering and consultation to determine client needs for research.
    • eResearch Services partner with researchers on projects and can supply skilled staff for short term projects. Situations will vary depending on the work and funding arrangements
  • Visualisation of Research Data
    • Facilities and expertise are available to help researchers visualise research data for various fields. Examples include environmental science, DNA research, construction engineering and chemical engineering.
    • Example products of this service include a multi-screen visualisation system and scripting in R to generate a chart from selected data.
    • eResearch Services partner with researchers on projects and can supply skilled staff for short term projects. Situations will vary depending on the work and funding arrangements.
  • Infrastructure Provisioning
    • Requirement gathering and provisioning of hardware, software, network resources and services required for the existence, operation and management of research and research related activities.
    • eResearch Services partner with researchers on projects and can supply skilled staff for short term projects. Situations will vary depending on the work and funding arrangements.
  • Discipline Specific Tools for Analysis, Computation and Visualisation
    • The team provide access and support for applications developed for specific disciplines to assist that area with their research impact and outcomes.
    • Biodiversity and Climate Change Virtual Laboratory (BCCVL): A “one stop modelling shop” that simplifies the process of biodiversity-climate change modelling. It integrates a suite of tools in a coherent online environment where researchers can access data and perform data analysis and modelling.
      • Website: http://www.bccvl.org.au/
      • This is offered as a self-service application and is free of charge
    • Terranova: A software system that acts as a central information hub for researchers in the Climate Change Adaptation research domain. Users can deposit research data, with associated metadata descriptions, into centrally managed storage infrastructure, which can be searched in a variety of different ways.
      • Website: https://terranova.org.au/
      • This is offered as a self-service application and is free of charge
    • Microscopy Portal: This service uses the software Columbus, from Perkin Elmer. It integrates tightly with the Opera and Operetta High Content Imaging Systems and is based on the OMERO system by Open Microscopy Environment. It can visualize images and microscopy media from most many microscopes via the Bioformats library. Analysis tools are available via building blocks. This allows you to easily create and customize algorithms to compare multiple samples, plates or batches. Visualized results can then be exported to formats such as Excel and PowerPoint and can interface with Accelrys Pipeline Pilot, IDBS ActivityBase and Volocity.
      • Website: http://microscopy.griffith.edu.au/
      • Support request webform http://microscopy.griffith.edu.au/gu_help
      • Request account webform http://microscopy.griffith.edu.au/gu_help?account=True
      • This is offered as a self-service application and is free of charge
    • External eResearch Resources
      • Several external organisations also provide resources and services to Australian researchers for their data computation, analysis and visualisation. These organisations include:
        • National eResearch Collaboration Tools and Resources (NeCTAR) - 'research cloud' services.
        • National eResearch Collaboration Tools and Resources (NeCTAR) – Virtual Laboratories.
        • Queensland Cyber Infrastructure Foundation (QCIF) - provides research computing infrastructure.
        • Queensland Facility for Advanced Bioinformatics (QFAB) - assists life science researchers with analysis of large datasets.
        • Research Data Storage Infrastructure (RdSI)  - national infrastructure able to hold collections of research data.
        • National Computing Infrastructure (NCI) - Australia’s national research computing facility, providing world-class services to Australian researchers, industry and government.
        • Australia’s Academic and Research Network (AARNet): AARNet delivers high-capacity leading-edge communications services to the nation's universities, research organisations, and many schools, vocational training providers and cultural institutions.
      • Support and maintenance of these services is undertaken by the external organisation. Please visit the website associated with the resource for contact details.

    Service Excludes:

    • Non-research and personal high performance computing, computation and scientific software support
    • Infrastructure provisioning for non-research based or personal websites
    • Support of scientific software provided by other organizational units at Griffith or external to Griffith.

Service Availability

This service is available 24X7 for self-service components.

Telephone support, onsite support and consultation is available Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm excluding public holidays.

Cost

Small application development is handled as a small project and scheduled depending on resource availability.

How do I get this service?

Phone

(07) 3735 5555 (Brisbane Campuses)

(07) 5552 5555 (Gold Coast Campus)

Feedback

We'd love to hear what you think of our services

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