Empire AI Project Allocation Request

Service Description

The Empire AI Project Allocation Request allows UAlbany faculty to submit a research project for consideration for an institutional Empire AI allocation.

Empire AI provides advanced computing resources for eligible research projects involving artificial intelligence, machine learning, large-scale data analysis, simulation, and other computationally intensive research activities. Available resources include the Empire AI Alpha and Beta computing environments.

Because UAlbany’s available Empire AI allocation is shared across multiple research projects, each request is reviewed based on the project’s research purpose, need for Empire AI, requested resources, technical fit, readiness to use the system, and UAlbany’s available allocation.

Submit a separate request for each research project. This allows UAlbany to evaluate and prioritize requests, assign resources, associate users and usage with the correct project, and track research outcomes by project.

What’s Included

  • Review of the research project for Empire AI eligibility and technical fit

  • Review of the project’s need for Empire AI

  • Review of the requested Service Units and assistance refining the estimate when needed
  • Review of the requested project period and preference for Alpha, Beta, either system, or both
  • Review of important software, data, storage, and support requirements
  • Technical consultation when additional information is required to evaluate the request
  • Consideration of the request alongside UAlbany’s existing allocations, available resources, and other pending projects
  • Prioritization and development of a recommended system, Service Unit allocation, and any applicable conditions
  • Referral of the project for institutional or SUNY review when required
  • Notification of the allocation decision or next step

What’s Not Included

  • Guaranteed approval or allocation of the full number of requested Service Units
  • Immediate Empire AI access before the project and allocation are approved
  • A single allocation request covering multiple unrelated research projects. Submit a separate request for each project.
  • Adding or removing members from an existing approved Empire AI project.
  • Problems accessing or using Empire AI. Use the appropriate Empire AI problem reporting request.
  • General technical assistance for an existing Empire AI project.
  • Guaranteed access to the preferred Empire AI system or the full requested allocation
  • Approval to store or process restricted, regulated, or otherwise sensitive data

Eligibility

Available to UAlbany faculty and faculty-led research groups requesting Empire AI resources for an eligible research project.

The faculty principal investigator is responsible for submitting or sponsoring the request. Graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, staff, and other research team members may be added to an approved project when their participation is sponsored by the faculty principal investigator and permitted under the applicable Empire AI access requirements.

Eligibility to submit a request does not guarantee that the project will receive an allocation.

Information Required

The request should include:

  • Project title

  • Faculty principal investigator
  • A clear description or abstract of the research project
  • The research purpose and anticipated outcomes
  • Why Empire AI is needed for the project
  • How the requested computing resources will be used
  • The estimated number of Service Units requested
  • The basis or workload assumptions used to develop the Service Unit estimate
  • A preference for Alpha, Beta, either system, or both
  • The anticipated project start and end dates
  • The names and NetIDs of the project team members who will use the system
  • Expected software, frameworks, containers, or development environments
  • Data-transfer and storage requirements
  • Any technical, onboarding, training, or support requirements
  • Any data classification, security, compliance, or agreement considerations that could affect the project
  • Expected research outputs, such as publications, presentations, datasets, models, grant deliverables, or other outcomes