First open call for new UKSRC demonstrator cases

The UK SKA Regional Centre (UKSRC) is pleased to announce an open call for new demonstrator cases. The demonstrator cases aim to represent a diverse subset of the UK SKA community with leading researchers working on SKA-related projects, while also covering a wide range of use cases. These cases are meant to help the UKSRC test its capabilities including compute, software and user support. This initiative represents a key effort by the UKSRC aimed at co-developing the facility with the community. These cases will inform the development of the UKSRC facility and develop the UK SKA community as we prepare for the coming decades of SKA science.

Successful applicants could benefit from the following:

• UKSRC compute resources.
• Usable scientific workflows within the UKSRC architecture.
• Science, development, and technical support from UKSRC staff.
• Opportunities to shape the future direction of the UKSRC and the international SKA Regional Centre Network.
• Potential new science using UKSRC resources.

Eligibility

• UKSRC welcomes applications from all astronomy research fields. However, priority will be given to those that align with the SKAO science priorities and/or use the SKAO pathfinder/precursor instruments.
• The Principal Investigator should be associated with a UK institution. However, we welcome international co-investigators to participate in the demonstrator cases.

Deadline and submission process to register your interest, you must complete the intention to submit form by 18 April 2025. This will signal your desire to submit a demonstrator case. A member of the UKSRC team will contact you after the deadline to discuss the next steps. You will be asked to submit a complete application form by the 6 June 2025.

If your application is successful, resources will be granted for up to 12 months, starting Q3 2025. At the end of this period, you will be able to reapply for more resources.

Evaluation criteria

While UKSRC endeavours to support as many demonstrator cases as possible, the actual number of supported cases will be limited by resource availability. The assessment will be primarily based on whether the case engages a new UK community aligned with the SKAO science priorities and whether the UKSRC has resources (personnel and computing resources) available to host the project during this call period. The demonstrator cases will not be assessed by their scientific impact as they should have already been evaluated during telescope proposals. For detailed evaluation criteria, please refer to the application guidance.

For any enquiries, please get in touch with the UKSRC at uksrc-support AT manchester.ac.uk