Call Advanced Computing Projects (3rd ed): A1 Preparatory or Development Access (round D)

The Foundation for Science and Technology, I. P. (FCT) manages the National Network for Advanced Computing (RNCA) and seeks to aggregate the national advanced computing resources, promoting cooperation between the various centers involved and developing national and international partnerships with other entities. Under the terms of the Regulations for Advanced Computing Projects, published under no. 10/2022 at Diário da República, the allocation of RNCA computing resources is carried out following a competitive call whose terms are published at the FCT website.

• High Performance Computing (HPC)
• Scientific Cloud Computing (SCC) or Virtual Research Environment (VRE)

These advanced computational models (HPC,SCC,VRE) aim to support applications in various areas, such as bioinformatics, climate, materials and life science, computational chemistry, physics, and civil engineering, among others, thus supporting research and enhancing the competitiveness of the national industry.

Are beneficiaries, individually or in co-promotion:

• R&D (Research and Development) institutions;
• Collaborative laboratories;
• Technological interface centers;
• Science and technology infrastructures;
• Science and technology networks and consortia;
• Private non-profit institutions whose main objective is R&D activities;
• Digital Innovation Poles;
• Other public and private non-profit institutions that develop or participate in research, development, or innovation activities;
• Companies developing advanced computing projects in research, development or innovation activities;
• Individuals operating in Portugal and who wish to develop advanced computing projects in any scientific area.

Regarding applications from companies as beneficiaries, the advanced computing projects should:

• occur within the scope of pre-competitive research and innovation, without market value;
• not exceed 50% of the total computational allocation to be allocated in this competition.

• A0 –Experimental Access recommended for teams with no previous experience or history of using RNCA resources or for using visualisation resources.
• A1 –Preparatory or Development Access recommended for software performance testing, code optimisation, scalability testing, benchmarking, re-factoring or for short duration projects.
• A2 –Project or Regular Access recommended for scientific or innovation projects whose team has consolidated previous experience.

See more details on the limits and maximum duration for each type in section 3 of the Call Notice - check supporting documentation in the sidebar.

Technical Suitability

• T1: Technical suitability to RNCA resources (25%)
• T2: Computational resources planning and reasonableness (50%)
• T3: Work Plan (25%)

Applications for A1 type of access must be submitted in English in its own form at myFCT platform

At the end of the deadline the applications will be subject to technical evaluation and subsequent allocation on the platforms. If the resource quota (15%) is not exhausted in that round, new rounds of submissions will be opened. Planned calendar:

Round of applications | Submission dates

A | 25 October 2022 (1:00 pm) - 13 December 2022 (1:00 pm) 

B | 13 December 2022 (1:00 pm) - 7 February 2023 (1:00 pm) 

C | February 7, 2023 (1:00 pm) - 4 April 2023 (1:00 pm) 

D | 4 April 2023 (1:00 pm) - 31 May 2023 (1:00 pm) 

For other types of access:

A0: Applications must be submitted in English from 25 October 2022 (13h) and until 31 May 2023 (13h), in its own form at RNCA website.

A2: Applications must be submitted in English from 25 October 2022 (13h) and until 15 December 2022 (13h), in its own form on the myFCT platform (Closed Applications)

Information about applications can be requested through the email address: rnca@fccn.pt 

No information published on this page replaces or supersedes the Regulation and the Call Notice.