University of Kentucky Center for Clinical and Translational Science Enterprise Data Center Expansion

NIH RePORTER · NIH · C06 · $7,548,058 · view on reporter.nih.gov ↗

Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The University of Kentucky (UK) proposes to significantly advance its secure research data infrastructure capacity within the Enterprise Data Center (EDC), an integral component of the Kentucky Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS). The CCTS currently supports more than $34.1 million in annual direct cost grant funding to support biomedical and population health projects with significant needs for secure research data infrastructure, including HIPAA-compliant data management and storage. Unprecedented advances in research computing and data capabilities are revolutionizing biomedical research and transforming discoveries in these research domains. New computationally and data-driven research approaches such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, omics, data mining and analytics, as well as computationally based simulations and modeling are enabling bold new directions in biomedical research and drawing in entirely new biomedical investigators whose studies are increasingly computationally based. Critical research data needs at UK reside in prominent NIH-supported centers, including the Markey Cancer Center, the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center within the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, and the Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, as well as within a wide array of individual NIH-funded researchers. Burgeoning needs have placed critical demands on the EDC to accommodate increased numbers of users, greater amounts of high-speed data storage, and greater demand for high performance computing infrastructure. The proposed facilities expansion will expand the 352 sq. ft. EDC, UK’s only HIPAA-secure data center (HITRUST Certification) by merging two vacant adjacent rooms to create a secure 1,155 sq. ft. data center and ADA-compliant entry corridor and provide requisite cooling, electrical distribution, and communication infrastructure to support the purchase and installation of 28 additional racks of high-density, high-performance computing equipment through university resources. The goal of the proposed 1,231 sq. ft. facilities renovation is to address a critical shortage of secure biomedical research data center space at UK by more than tripling EDC capacity to accommodate exponentially rising biomedical research volume and associated data infrastructure. The proposed expansion is consistent with overarching UK priorities to support rapid advances in clinical and translation discovery through enhanced capacity for secure, HIPAA-compliant data infrastructure and to continue to meet rapidly expanding demand presented by NIH-funded researchers involved in data-intensive biomedical and population health research. The proposed facilities expansion project is closely aligned with NIH priorities for data management and sharing and embeds clear national impact by meeting those priorities.

Key facts

NIH application ID
11016710
Project number
1C06OD037831-01
Recipient
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
Principal Investigator
Philip A Kern
Activity code
C06
Funding institute
NIH
Fiscal year
2024
Award amount
$7,548,058
Award type
1
Project period
2024-09-15 → 2028-08-31