Application if you are employed by an Ohio Academic Institution
Use of computing resources and services at OSC is subject to the Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC) Code of Ethics for Academic Users. Ohio Academic Clients are eligible for highly subsidized access to OSC resources, with fees only accruing after a credit provided is exhausted. Clients from an Ohio academic institution that expect to use more than the credit should consult with their institution on the proper guidance for requesting approval to be charged for usage. See the academic fee structure FAQ page for more information.
Eligible principal investigators (PIs) at Ohio academic institutions are able to request projects at OSC, but should also consult with their institution before incurring charges. In order to be an eligible PI at OSC, you must be eligible to hold PI status at your college, university, or research organization administered by an Ohio academic institution (i.e., be a full-time, permanent academic researcher or tenure-track faculty member at an Ohio college or university). Students, post-doctoral fellows, visiting scientists, and others who wish to use the facilities may be authorized users on projects headed by an eligible PI. Once a PI has received their project information, he/she can manage users for the project. Principal Investigators of OSC projects are responsible for updating their authorized user list, their outside funding sources, and their publications and presentations that cite OSC. All of these tasks can be accomplished by contacting using the client portal. Please review the documentation for more information. PIs are also responsible for monitoring their project's budget (balance) and for requesting a new budget (balance) before going negative, as projects with negative balances are restricted.
OSC's online project requests through our Client Portal is part of an electronic system that leads you through the process step by step. Before you begin to fill in the application form, especially if you are new to the process, look at the academic fee structure page. You can save a partially completed project request for later use.
If you need assistance, please contact OSC Help.
Application if you are NOT employed by an Ohio Academic Institution
Researchers from businesses, non-Ohio academic, nonprofits, hospitals or other organizations (which do not need to be based in Ohio) who wish to use the OSC's resources should complete the Other Client request form available here. All clients not affiliated with and approved by an Ohio academic institution must sign a service agreement, provide a $500 deposit, and pay for resource usage per a standard price list.
Letter of Commitment for Outside Funding Proposals
OSC will provide a letter of commitment users can include with their account proposals for outside funding, such as from the Department of Energy, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation (limited to standard text, per NSF policy), etc. This letter details OSC's commitment to supporting research efforts of its users and the facilities and platforms we provide our users. [Note: This letter does not waive the normal OSC budget process; it merely states that OSC is willing to support such research.] The information users must provide for the letter is:
- address to which the letter should be directed (e.g. NSF, Department, mailing address)
- name of funding agency's representative
- name of the proposal, as well as names and home institutions of the Co-PIs
- budget amount per year you would apply for if you were to receive funding
- number of years of proposed research
- solicitation number
Send e-mail with your request for the commitment letter to OSC Help or submit online. We will prepare a draft for your approval and then we will send you the final PDF for your proposal submission. Please allow at least two working days for this service.
Letter of Support for Outside Funding Proposals
Letters of support may be subject to strict and specific guidelines, and may not be accepted by your funding agency.
If you need a letter of support, please see above "Letter of Commitment for Outside Funding Proposals".
Applying at NSF Centers
Researchers requiring additional computing resources should consider applying for allocations at National Science Foundation Centers. For more information, please write to oschelp@osc.edu, and your inquiry will be directed to the appropriate staff member.:
We require you cite OSC in any publications or reports that result from projects supported by our services.
