New Application Process for Merit & Postgraduate Allocations

Alongside the launch of our new platforms this year, NeSI is refining how researchers apply for Merit and Postgraduate allocations. Our aim is to enable a greater breadth of access across the platforms that is fair and equitable across sectors and institutions, and to support more efficient and effective use of our supercomputing resources.

What's New

Throughout the year, applications for Merit and Postgraduate allocations will be accepted in one of four Call for Applications periods:

This process will begin this August. Using this new call schedule, Merit and Postgraduate allocation applications will be accepted from:

• 01 August - 31 October
• 01 November - 31 January
• 01 February - 30 April
• 01 May - 31 July

Requests will be reviewed in the month following the call period and researchers will be notified by the third Monday of that month. Allocations will start on the first day of the next month and run for one year.


For example, if you apply in the Aug - Oct call period, your project will be reviewed in early November, you will be notified of your allocation by the third Monday in November, and your allocation will start on 01 December. 

Also under this new structure, Merit allocations will have a cap of 1 million core hours per year.
 

What Does This Mean

• This quarterly application schedule applies only to Merit and Postgraduate allocations. Subscriber, Proposal Development, and Institutional allocations can apply for an allocation at any time.
   
• Transition Period:
  • Requests submitted on or after 01 August 2018 will use the new schedule and process. Applications will be accepted until October 31 and will be reviewed in November. Approved allocations will start on 01 December 2018 and end on 30 November 2019.

• There is no change to the length of Merit and Postgraduate allocations. They will run for one year from the date they start. To renew an allocation, you must re-apply in a call period.
   
• There is no change to the eligibility criteria of the Merit and Postgraduate allocations:
  • Merit allocations are for researchers:
    • employed at NZ research institutions
    • supported through a peer-reviewed, national, or institutional level research project award
  • Postgraduate allocations are for research postgraduate courses only, for students studying at a NZ University where the NeSI allocation is required to support a thesis and the application has been approved by the students supervisor.

• Applications for all types of allocations can still be done online, through NeSI’s Apply for Access page.
   

Have Questions?
If you have questions about this new allocation application process, please contact support@nesi.org.nz.