For Researchers

Computational researchers of all experience levels use advanced computational resources to take their research to the next level. If you’re new to ACCESS, learn more.

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I'm a researcher
”ACCESS saved us both time and money. Using local university resources at the scale needed for our research would have been prohibitively expensive while the availability of a large number of cores via ACCESS machines meant that we could run thousands of simulations in parallel.”

– DENISE KIRSCHNER University of Michigan Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Source: https://access-ci.org/using-simulations-to-find-the-best-treatment-plan/

Learn More About ACCESS

What type of resources are available?
ACCESS Resource Providers from across the United States provide you free access to advanced computing systems and services.

Some of the many resources in the ACCESS portfolio include:

Compute resources – High-performance computing clusters (GPU and CPU based) accessed by logging in to front-end nodes. Researchers can install their application software and run batch computing jobs under a scheduler on these resources.
Storage resources – Data storage systems for storing and managing large amounts of data.
Cloud resources – Cloud infrastructure where researchers can launch and run virtual machines.
Specialized support – Tools to streamline your research: science gateways, hosted workflow, remote access web portal, and more.

Explore the ACCESS Resource Catalog for a list of current resources

What are ACCESS project types and credits?
There are four different ACCESS project types to choose from: Explore, Discover, Accelerate and Maximize. You select a project type based on your research needs – from small-scale use up to large-scale research activities. Each project type has different requirements, duration, review process and credit amounts to use.
About project types
Using and exchanging credits

How do I find the right resources for my research needs?
Use the ACCESS Resource Advisor (ARA) to find appropriate infrastructure for your research, search our software database, or explore available resources in the Resource Catalog.
ACCESS Resource Advisor
Software Documentation Service
Resource Catalog

Where can I find training and documentation?
ACCESS is a large ecosystem and can be overwhelming. We're here to help every step of the way.
Attend events and trainings
Get documentation
Explore the Knowledge Base

Get Started With ACCESS

How do I begin using ACCESS?
To use ACCESS resources and manage your project, create an account.
Register for an ACCESS ID
ID Management FAQ

How do I prepare and request an allocation?
With your ACCESS ID, apply for an allocation and receive credits to use a resource. You’ll select a project type based on the scale of your resource needs. EXPLORE ACCESS is a good place to start. Apply and get access in as little as 1–2 business days.
Get your first project

Are there tools available to run my project?
ACCESS is “self-serve.” You connect directly to the resource you need and run the software necessary to complete your task. For new users, ACCESS OnDemand is an easy-to-use web interface. Get remote access from any device. No client software installation required. For those who need workflows/pipelines or cross-site runs, Pegasus is an easy to use workflow management tool managed from within Jupyter Notebook.

Are ACCESS support services available?
ACCESS has a ticketing system to get your questions answered by experts; or submit your question to http://Ask.CI . Need more help? Get matched with a consultant, student or mentor to help solve your research problems.
Submit a ticket
Ask.CI
Explore MATCH services

Grow With ACCESS

How do I manage my project and add other users?
PIs, co-PIs and Allocation Managers can request/manage projects and add users.

How to manage your project
How to add users

How do I track my project’s performance quality?
Use ACCESS XDMoD to improve your job and allocation-usage efficiency. Log in and click on the Job Viewer tab. Enter your job number and resource in the search box to see how efficiently your job is running.
Log in to ACCESS XDMoD

Are reports and citations required by ACCESS?
Progress reports are required in order to receive the second half of your ACCESS credits. At this point, you may request a one-time increase in credits and/or an extension. Upon completion, a final report must be submitted summarizing the work and acknowledging ACCESS. Publications can be added using the My Publications tool.
How to add a publication
How to acknowledge ACCESS

How can I get involved in the ACCESS community?
There are many ways for researchers to get involved in ACCESS – as a reviewer, moderator, beta tester, mentor, and more.

Get Involved