Research Computing & AI Solutions

UITS offers a variety of computing resources, including individual research workstations, high-performance clusters, and cloud services. Whether you're training a machine learning model, running large simulations, or hosting an application in the cloud, there's a solution to fit your research needs.

Quick Guide to Computing & AI Services

What You Need Recommended Option
More power than a standard laptop or desktop Desktop High-Performance Computing
Large-scale parallel computation or GPU clusters Local High-Performance Computing (HPC)
On-demand, scalable, or cloud-hosted workloads Commercial Cloud Services
AI/ML development and prototyping Desktop HPC or Commercial Cloud
Working with large external datasets or collaborators Local HPC or Commercial Cloud

 

Desktop High-Performance Computing

UITS provides high-performance desktops and laptops that are pre-configured for demanding research workloads. These systems offer significantly greater processing power, memory, and GPU capabilities than standard University-issued computers.

Is This Right for My Research? 

Desktop HPC may be a good fit if you need:

  • AI and machine learning development and inference
  • Data-intensive research, analytics, and visualization
  • Scientific modeling and simulation
  • GPU-accelerated computing
  • Dedicated resources without waiting in a shared compute queue
  • Development and testing before scaling to larger HPC or cloud

What We Offer

  • Research-ready desktop and laptop configurations at multiple performance tiers
  • Windows and Linux options; Intel and ARM architectures available
  • Purchase and select lease options
  • Expert guidance on system selection based on your research requirements
  • Streamlined procurement through approved KSU vendors

Explore Pre-Approved Desktop HPC Models

Local High-Performance Computing (HPC)

KSU's High-Performance Computing (HPC) environment provides access to powerful shared computing resources for research projects that require large-scale processing, parallel computation, GPU acceleration, or more capacity than a single desktop can provide. The HPC environment is managed by the Center for Research Computing and operates on a Linux-based platform.

How Can HPC Support My Research? 

HPC may be a good fit if your research involves:

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning training
  • Large-scale data analysis and scientific computing
  • Modeling, simulation, and engineering computation
  • Parallel and batch computing workloads
  • Research workflows that exceed the capabilities of a desktop or laptop

What is Available?

  • Shared computing environment using interconnected servers for parallel workloads
  • High-performance CPUs and GPUs for advanced research computing
  • Scalable research data storage for large datasets
  • High-speed interconnects for data transfer between compute resources
  • Automated job scheduling and resource optimization

Who is this service for? 

  • Faculty & Staff: Available to faculty and staff conducting research, typically in coordination with the Office of Research.
  • Student Researchers: Available to students engaged in approved academic or research projects under faculty sponsorship.

Cost

Local HPC resources are a research computing core with costs based on CPU, GPU, and memory usage. Students sponsored by a faculty member may be approved to receive free usage credits. See current rates through the Center for Research Computing.

Training & Documentation

Get Started: Request HPC Access from the Office of Research

Commercial Cloud Services

Commercial Cloud Services provide researchers with on-demand access to computing, storage, analytics, and AI resources in a scalable cloud environment. These services enable research teams to quickly provision infrastructure, support data-intensive workloads, and leverage advanced cloud technologies — without the need to purchase or maintain physical hardware.

  • UITS provides faculty and researchers with access to Microsoft Azure cloud services through dedicated university-managed tenant environments. Once project funding is secured, faculty can submit a request to initiate access. UITS will engage in a collaborative consultation to evaluate project goals, technical requirements, and anticipated workloads.

    Submit a Project or Service Request

  • KSU has partnered with World Wide Technology (WWT) to expand access to advanced AI learning and experimentation environments. Unlike other cloud services, WWT AI Labs are available to all faculty, staff, and students — no funded project required. This makes it an ideal resource for low-risk exploration, skill building, and early-stage prototyping.

    WWT Communities AI Proving Ground Insights

  • UITS is launching a secure Microsoft Azure cloud environment built specifically for research projects that must meet federal Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Level 2 standards. This environment is designed for projects involving Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) or subject to Department of Defense (DoD) contract requirements. Contact Research IT to evaluate your compliance needs.

When Should I Choose Commercial Cloud Services?

Commercial Cloud Services are a good fit when:

  • Your project requires resources that can scale up or down on demand
  • You need specialized GPU resources or cloud-based AI environments
  • Research workloads vary significantly over time
  • You want to avoid purchasing and maintaining dedicated hardware
  • Your project requires cloud-based collaboration or application deployment
  • You need rapid access to computing and storage resources

Cost

Commercial Cloud Services operate on a consumption-based model. Costs vary based on compute resources, storage requirements, GPU utilization, cloud services used, and project duration. Research IT can assist with budgeting and grant proposal estimates.

Features & Benefits

  • On-demand computing resources that scale to meet research needs
  • Virtual machines and GPU-enabled computing environments
  • Flexible storage options for large and growing datasets
  • Cloud-based AI, machine learning, and analytics services
  • Access to modern development and application hosting platforms
  • Reduced need for local hardware procurement and maintenance

Data, Security, & Compliance

Commercial Cloud Services support many research use cases; however, not all cloud environments are appropriate for regulated, controlled, or sensitive data. Projects with security or compliance requirements should consult Research IT to determine the appropriate cloud environment and applicable controls. Researchers working with federally regulated data may require alternative or CMMC-compliant cloud environments.