ACM/IEEE-CS George Michael Memorial HPC Fellowship Now Accepting Applications

DENVER, CO — The fellowship named for pioneering computational scientist George Michael is now accepting applications from exceptional PhD students whose research focus is on high-performance computing applications, networking, storage, or large-scale data analysis using the most powerful computers currently available.

Recipients of the George Michael Memorial HPC Fellowship receive a $5000 honorarium, travel and registration for SC13, and recognition at the SC13 Awards Ceremony.  Sponsored by the ACM and the IEEE Computer Society, the fellowship seeks to address the critical issue of training the next generation of high performance computing scientists and engineers.

“The vitality of the HPC community depends on a flow of young talent and the new ideas they bring that advance high performance computing,” said Bruce Loftis, chair of the 2013 George Michael Memorial HPC Fellowship Committee. “Injecting new blood into the community is especially important as we look to develop next generation technologies and applications at a time of intense global competition.”

To qualify, applicants must be enrolled in a full-time PhD program at an accredited college or university and are expected to have completed at least one year of study in their doctoral program. Women, minorities, and all who contribute to workforce diversity are encouraged to apply. 

The application includes:

• Description of current research and its connection to HPC
• Academic progress to date, including classes taken, presentations made, and publications
• Description of a plan of study to enhance HPC-related skills
• Description of current and future use of HPC resources

Past George Michael Fellows report that the recognition offered them a multitude of benefits during a key time in their professional development. Ryan Gabrys, a student at UCLA and a 2012 George Michael Fellow, reports that the fellowship has allowed him to further pursue his interests. “The George Michael Fellowship has provided me with more freedom to pursue the areas of research I find the most exciting,” said Gabrys, who specializes in coding for HPC storage systems. “Coupled with the opportunity to display my research at well-attended conference, the Fellowship has had a tremendous impact on my future work.”

For Ignacio Laguna, a 2011 fellow who earned his doctorate in probabilistic failure detection and diagnosis in large-scale applications at Purdue University in 2012, the fellowship allowed him to meet and get feedback from experienced researchers doing similar work. “Attending SC gave me the opportunity of presenting my work to a community of experts in HPC. I received constructive criticism of my work which I used to improve.”

Xinyu Que, another 2011 fellow, agrees noting that the fellowship helps students make the most of what can be an “overwhelming” experience at SC. “Not only did I have a chance to present and demonstrate my doctoral research to well-known, senior researchers, but I also learned about future challenges and opportunities in my research areas. It was very stimulating,” said Que, who at the time was a doctoral candidate in Parallel Architecture and System Laboratory in the Department of Computer Science & Software Engineering at Auburn University.

Abhinav Bhatele, a 2009 fellow from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, found the fellowship an effective vehicle for spreading the word about his research. “The fellowship award has been instrumental in disseminating my research and dissertation work on ‘topology aware task mapping’ within the field of HPC,” Bhatele said.  “It also has helped me to connect with others in the field and I have become good friends with other George Michael fellows.”

The late George Michael, a computational physicist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, was a founder of the annual supercomputing conference (SC), which now in its 25th year. Michael, who died in 2008, is remembered for his ability to bring together diverse talent from academia, industry and national labs to advance HPC.

For more information and access to the application, visit the SC13 site http://sc13.supercomputing.org/content/acmieee-cs-george-michael-memorial-hpc-fellowship. Submissions opened in early March and will close on May 1 (Extended one week to May 8).

Send questions to:  hpc-fellowship-questions@info.supercomputing.org

About SC13

SC13, sponsored by the ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) and the IEEE Computer Society, offers a complete technical program, programs for students and educators in HPC, and an exhibition that together showcase the many ways high performance computing, networking, storage and analysis lead to advances in scientific discovery, research, education and commerce. This premier international conference includes a globally attended technical program, workshops, tutorials, a world class exhibit area, demonstrations and opportunities for hands-on learning.

Contact: SC13 Communications: communications@info.supercomputing.org