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This paper uses accounting concepts—particularly the concept of Return on Investment (ROI)—to reveal the quantitative value of scientific research pertaining to a major US cyberinfrastructure project (XSEDE—the eXtreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment). XSEDE provides operational and support services for advanced information technology systems, cloud systems, and supercomputers supporting non-classified US research, with an average budget for XSEDE of US$20M+ per year over the period studied (2014–2021). To assess the financial effectiveness of these services, we calculated a proxy for ROI, and converted quantitative measures of XSEDE service delivery into financial values using costs for service from the US marketplace. We calculated two estimates of ROI: a Conservative Estimate, functioning as a lower bound and using publicly available data for a lower valuation of XSEDE services; and a Best Available Estimate, functioning as a more accurate estimate, but using some unpublished valuation data. Using the largest dataset assembled for analysis of ROI for a cyberinfrastructure project, we found a Conservative Estimate of ROI of 1.87, and a Best Available Estimate of ROI of 3.24. Through accounting methods, we show that XSEDE services offer excellent value to the US government, that the services offered uniquely by XSEDE (that is, not otherwise available for purchase) were the most valuable to the facilitation of US research activities, and that accounting-based concepts hold great value for understanding the mechanisms of scientific research generally.

 

Supporting Pacific Indigenous Computing Excellence (SPICE) is based on unique expertise and proven models established through a partnership between the Texas Advanced Computing Center at the University of Texas at Austin, Chaminade University of Honolulu and Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). The SPICE program leverages shared partnership experiences to address two goals: 1) Perform original research and program development to bridge computation and culture -- developing culturally-consistent conceptual and practical frameworks for thinking about big data problems and communicating student outcomes and attainment to family, community and kupuna (Hawaiian wisdom figures); and 2) Implement an in situ Data Science, Analytics and Visualization (DSAV) Summer Immersion Experience (SIE) as a summer program in Hawai‘i to provide a month-long summer immersion program in data science, visualization, and virtual reality to Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) and disadvantaged students. In this paper, we present the framework for this effort, with relevant educational, and cultural research to justify decisions made to date.