When Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)launches Aurora, it will be one of the world’s most powerful public supercomputers. Despite the centrality of supercomputer development to maintaining the US’s global leadership position in the advancement of science and technology and substantial taxpayer investment, the public rarely has the opportunity to stand in the thrumming, chilly machine room among the rows and rows of towers of compute nodes that comprise a supercomputer. As a result, questions such as, “How do you build a supercomputer?” “What does a supercomputer do?”, “What do scientists and other staff do all day at the supercomputing center?”, “What does the supercomputer do that affects me?”, and “Why does the US need the fastest supercomputers?” don’t have concrete answers. This project is designed to answer those questions and deepen public understanding of massive supercomputing infrastructures for generating new forms of knowledge.
The researchers have been invited by the ANL Division Director Michael Papka to do on-site and remote observational and interview research with individuals and processes related to Aurora, including Argonne employees working on Aurora, scientists running projects on Aurora, and the technical documentation that makes Aurora possible. The project will proceed in two related phases: The first phase will focus on the everyday practices of supercomputing and how a big science project is used and maintained through the work of scientists, operations staff, and technical documentation processes; the second phase will move from analysis of the everyday practices of supercomputing to higher-level examinations of how the global competition for supercomputing leadership has been shaped by, and also shapes, the US’s identity as a leader in scientific and technological advancement. The project is designed to increase public awareness of the many hidden elements of supercomputing while also developing opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students at Portland State University and Clemson University to work with the US National Laboratory system and learn about the world of public supercomputing.
Position Requirements
Job Family
Visiting Faculty Appointment
Job Profile
Guest Faculty Research Participant
Worker Type
Long-Term (Fixed Term)
Time Type
Full time
As an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer, and in accordance with our core values of impact, safety, respect, integrity and teamwork, Argonne National Laboratory is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace that fosters collaborative scientific discovery and innovation. In support of this commitment, Argonne encourages minorities, women, veterans and individuals with disabilities to apply for employment. Argonne considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship status, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, marital status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.
Argonne employees, and certain guest researchers and contractors, are subject to particular restrictions related to participation in Foreign Government Sponsored or Affiliated Activities, as defined and detailed in United States Department of Energy Order 486.1A. You will be asked to disclose any such participation in the application phase for review by Argonne's Legal Department.
All Argonne offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes an assessment of criminal conviction history conducted on an individualized and case-by-case basis. Please be advised that Argonne positions require upon hire (or may require in the future) for the individual be to obtain a government access authorization that involves additional background check requirements. Failure to obtain or maintain such government access authorization could result in the withdrawal of a job offer or future termination of employment.
