JLab to Head Energy Department’s Data-Intensive Science Facility

The Department of Energy has named the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility as the new lead for a center to provide resources for data-intensive science.

JLab will serve as the director of the High Performance Data Facility and host its infrastructure, the Energy Department said Monday. 

The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory will contribute to the science center’s creation. LBNL, JLab and other national laboratories of the Energy Department’s Office of Science competed to lead the HPDF.

The HPDF is meant to support Integrated Research Infrastructure, a program to drive scientific discovery by enabling researchers to utilize the Energy Department’s data, experimental facilities and computing resources.

According to the department, the science center also supports a White House directive to increase access to scientific data.

Office of Science Director Asmeret Asefaw Berhe said the HPDF will be vital to his organization’s plan to drive breakthroughs, science access and open science. It could also facilitate partnerships throughout the United States, he added.