In the past few years there has been a growing number of requests to the SRC from engineering departments for the provision of interactive computing facilities for individual research projects. This growth led the Engineering Board to appoint a Working Group to establish the needs of engineers in the universities and polytechnics and to see if a rational framework might be constituted for the provision of facilities to meet these needs.
The essential findings of the Working Group were that there was a pervasive requirement for interactive computing in engineering research, that the importance of the requirement was inadequately recognised in the facilities available to universities and polytechnics and that the provision of facilities on a piece-meal basis through individual grants was not cost-effective. The Working Group recommended inter alia that the SRC should set up a centre, based at an SRC establishment, to provide facilities for interactive computing to engineers in universities and polytechnics. The centre would moreover provide new stimulus for the promotion and development of research activities over a wide range of engineering disciplines where interactive computing has a powerful role to play.
The establishment of a central interactive computing service by the SRC was approved in principle by the Engineering Board and by Council. The Board was asked to arrange the preparation of detailed proposals for such a service compatible with the provision of general purpose facilities made by the Computer Board. A subsequent Technical Group has now made specific recommendations for the establishment of the service by the SRC. These are contained in the present report.
The facilities proposed in the report are specifically intended to help meet the needs of engineers for those programmes or projects which are supported by the SRC using the normal criteria for research grant support. They will not however be reserved exclusively for the use of engineers. Access to the facilities, in accordance with priorities that will be determined by the Council, will be approved through the normal subject committee structure.
The recommendations made by the Technical Group have been approved in principle by the Engineering Board and Council. The rate at which the initial phase of the programme (ie the recommendations covering the period 1976-78) can be implemented will depend on the funds made available by Council.
The Rutherford Laboratory will be responsible for the implementation and management of the programme within the SRC. Preparatory work by the Laboratory is now proceeding.
The report is published by the SRC to inform universities and polytechnics of its intentions in the establishment of a central interactive computing service and to provide a basis for dialogue between the Rutherford Laboratory and the user community. Views on the longer-term development of the service would be welcomed by the Council. These should be sent to the Joint Secretary, Interactive Computing Facilities Committee, Science Research Council, State House, High Holborn, London WC1R 4TR. Further copies of the report may be obtained from the same address.
