NESAP, the NERSC Exascale Scientific Applications Program
In 2014, NERSC established the NERSC Exascale Scientific Applications Program (NESAP), a collaborative effort designed to give code teams and library and tool developers a unique opportunity to prepare for Cori’s manycore architecture. NERSC selected 20 projects to collaborate with NERSC, Cray and Intel and access early hardware, special training and preparation sessions with Intel and Cray staff. In addition, another 24 projects, as well as library and tool developers, are participating in NESAP via NERSC training sessions and early access to prototype and production hardware. NERSC subsequently selected six science application teams to participate in the NERSC Exascale Science Applications Program for Data (NESAP for Data) program.
Since the NESAP program was unveiled in 2014, NERSC has been partnering with code teams and library and tool developers to prepare and optimize their codes for the Cori manycore architecture. Like NESAP, the NESAP for Data program joins application teams with resources at NERSC, Cray and Intel; however, while the initial NESAP projects involve mostly simulation codes, NESAP for Data targets science applications that process and analyze massive datasets acquired from U.S. Department of Energy-supported experimental and observational sources, such as telescopes, microscopes, genome sequencers, light sources and particle physics detectors.
Like the initial NESAP program, NESAP for Data also includes a post-doc program in which early career scientists are hired to work closely with applications teams and gain valuable experience in the process.