[AG-USERS] Funding model request

[Tom Coffin]

This has also become the single biggest deterant to
using the accessgrid and their facilities.

note: this is merely the opinion of a technical grunt 
in the trenches watching the wheels of power rotate...

Let's take my facility as a prime example. ACCESS is a
satellite facility of NCSA and the University of Illinois.
Because of political resaons we are not able to fund
the operations of ACCESS with NSF PACI funding. Many think
that ACCESS has been funded by NSF including many of the
principles at NSF. This is not the case and I believe that has 
been a huge mistake on their part. But they have their reasons.
Anyway, because of this funding problem. NCSA determined an 
equation based on square footage and operational costs. This 
5 yr. model was developed in order to provide a pay for use model
to 'recover' costs. The model also had to show that there 
would be no profit being made from the facility fee. This looks
great on paper.

This faciltiy fee model has been very detrimental to 
facility and subsequently accessgrid use here. Use of 
ACCESS would triple if not quadruple if this fee structure 
was not in place. It is a primo facility. (location location location)

I believe, that funding for operations of these types of 
facilities should be held transparent to the community which uses
them. Like the costs of the high speed connectivity and the
office space where we sit communicating on our phones and
through our workstations. Operational and facility costs
should be considered the as a part of the  price an organization 
pays to conduct buisness (like connectivity, rent and electricity)
Ever wonder how much it costs for each one of us to work
in our offices?

I strongly believe after watching the use of this facility over 4 years
that the benefit from free use will provide opportunities in
new programs to attract funding which will FAR exceed the costs of operation. 


__________________________________________________________
At 03:01 PM 3/5/2003 -0500, Jennifer Teig von Hoffman wrote:
   >This seems to be one of the single biggest issues that AG users are 
   >dealing with right now. This would be a great thing to write up for the 
   >AG Documentation Project (www.accessgrid.org/agdp/), if somebody had the 
   >time available to research which models are in place at different sites, 
   >and how things seem to be going.
   >
   >- Jennifer
   >
   >Ed Ritenour wrote:
   >
   >>Hello all
   >>
   >>We at Berkeley Lab are in the process of looking at various funding
   >>models to support lab wide use of our Access Grid room. Currently the
   >>room and operation is paid for and used mostly by Computing Sciences and
   >>we would like to promote its usefulness to other divisions and therefore
   >>looking at ways to share the expense. I am interested in how other
   >>institutions handle their operations. If you have a few moments could
   >>some of you provide information regarding AG operational funding for
   >>your sites. Any input would be greatly appreciated.
   >>
   >>Thanks
   >>Ed
   >>
   >>
   >>
   >>--
   >>Ed Ritenour
   >>Phone: 510-486-5754
   >>Data Communications/ Facilities                          Pager:
   >>510-539-1069
   >>Network & Telecommunications Department         Fax: 510-486-7000
   >>             Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
   >>             One Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA. 94720
   >>                         MS 50E-101
   >>
   >>  
   >>
   >
   >
   >