Call for Expressions of Interest:  Collaborate and learn with Chalmers e-Commons Digital Research Engineers in projects on AI/ML or HPC

The (advanced) use of computation-based methods is becoming increasingly important in many research fields at Chalmers. To strengthen Chalmers researchers in this regard, e-Commons offers advanced research support. We invite Expressions of Interest (EoI) for partnering with Chalmers e-Commons Digital Research Engineers in pilot projects starting from late 2024. The Digital Research Engineers provide expertise in the following areas:

• Use of Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning in research
• Use of High Performance Computing in research

The deadline for the EoI is 2024-10-04.

Mode of collaboration

The Digital Research Engineers participate in the pilot projects with an effort of up to 50% over six months. To ensure knowledge transfer and enable the continuation of the project after the pilot phase, the main applicant or a designated team member must allocate dedicated time to actively collaborate with the DRE(s) to build competence on the relevant methodologies. One ways of preparing for a collaboration might be the course “Introduction to using digital resources in research” provided by e-commons in the fall of 2024 (https://www.chalmers.se/en/infrastructure/ecommons/education/).

Interested researchers are invited to contact Chalmers e-Commons (e-commons@chalmers.se) as soon as possible to discuss potential collaborations.

EoIs are evaluated according to criteria including scientific impact, feasibility, and long-term impact for the research group. We encourage proposals fostering new collaborations between different research communities, for example, across different Areas of Advance.

Fee

There are no user-fees associated with a pilot project. Pilot projects where the Digital Research Engineer is fully or partly financially supported by e.g. a project grant will have higher priority. Proposals that build on earlier projects with participation of e-Commons Digital Research engineers or Data Science Research Engineers (DSRE) require that the participation of the Research Engineer(s) is fully funded by the research project.

More information on the background, the EoI and the process can be found below.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About Chalmers e-Commons

Chalmers e-Commons is Chalmers’ digital research infrastructure with a mandate to support Chalmers researchers, research groups and other research infrastructures in all aspects of research data and computing, from data collection, large-scale computing and analysis of data, to storage, sharing and publishing of data. Chalmers e-Commons integrates earlier efforts, e.g. the HPC center C3SE and the Data Science Research Engineers (DSRE) group. Chalmers e-Commons also hosts digital research infrastructure efforts, e.g. the Chalmers node in InfraVis, a national infrastructure for visualization in research. Through Chalmers e-Commons, researchers at Chalmers have access to local, national, and international digital expert functions and resources.

About Digital Research Engineers

The group of Digital Research Engineers is a central resource in Chalmers e-Commons. The focus is on building and developing contacts with Chalmers research and supporting the research activities in several different ways. As their main task, the Digital Research Engineers partner in in selected research projects where their expertise is requested by a Chalmers research leader. To a large degree, this advanced support function is building on experiences drawn from earlier, similar efforts by the DSRE group (now integrated in Chalmers e-Commons). An overview of some previous projects can be found here: https://www.chalmers.se/en/infrastructure/ecommons/research-support/

About the format of the EoI

The EoI should be a maximum of 3 pages long. A one-page CV of the research leader/main applicant should be attached. If relevant, additional one-page CVs of other project participants may also be attached. For projects with an important research data component, it is recommended that a Data Management Plan[1] is also attached already to the EoI. The EoI should include:

1. Project title and a project acronym.
2. Research leader/main applicant: Name, e-mail and department.
3. Preferred starting date and ending date.
4. A short overview of the proposed project, with its research challenges and objectives and  a description of the type, size, and availability of the data to be used in the project, including any restriction of use from e.g. IPR restrictions.
5. An overview of what different types of expertise are needed and what novel possibilities you see in partnering with the Digital Research Engineers, as well as the proposed effort for one or more of the Digital Research Engineers (% of full time).
6. Concrete descriptions of the commitment provided by the research group (% of full time of own work, financial support for work by Digital Research Engineers), your group’s current status of AI/ML/HPC knowledge and how you plan to further incorporate these aspects in your group.
7. A description of what digital resources that will be needed to perform the project. Depending on the project, this includes resources for computing/data analysis and other e-infrastructure.
8. The expected outcome (including a dissemination/publication plan) and the potential for further research/activities based on the proposed pilot project.
9. Permission to share the proposal for evaluation purposes: Please indicate if you are comfortable with your application being shared with other Chalmers-related institutes, e.g. Chalmers industriteknik for the evaluation process.

The application is submitted as one single PDF document to  e-commons@chalmers.se.

About the process – from writing the EoI and onwards

The deadline for the EoIs is 2024-10-04. It is highly recommended to discuss the contents of the EoI with the group of e-Commons Digital Research Engineers before the submission deadline. The goal of early discussions is to isolate the potential benefits of partnering with the Digital Research Engineers and to ensure that the research described in the EoI matches the resources and expertise available.

The submitted EoIs will be reviewed by the Chalmers e-Commons Management Group, which will propose a selection of projects to support to the Chalmers e-Commons Steering Board.

For the supported proposals, a project plan - including a data management plan and required skill development - is set up jointly by the research leader and the involved Digital Research Engineers. The selected projects will also benefit from the complementing expertise and resources in Chalmers e-Commons, including the e-infrastructure support team (“C3SE”), the InfraVis experts and Chalmers Data Office. Specifically, these groups can help in analyzing the computing/storage needs, visualization options, and working with a Data Management Plan. At the end of the project period the progress/results of the project are jointly documented in a short report.

About the continuation of previously supported projects

Experience from the work in the DSRE group shows that research leaders often want to extend the project period, e.g. for an additional six months. This will be possible if the participation of the Digital Research Engineers is fully funded by the research project. It is encouraged that suitable grant applications submitted during the pilot phase of the project include a budget line for this.