University Resources

Computing & Research Technology

Research Computing Center (RCC)

Full-service high-performance computing center. Provides visualization resources, access to software, workshops, one-on-one consulting with domain experts, and data-management strategies.

Social Sciences Computing Services (SSCS)—serves SSD only; other units and schools also have in-house computing support

SSCS’s four interconnected teams address a spectrum of academic computing endeavors with Research Support for both qualitative and quantitative disciplines, server-based statistical software & computing, and secure storage; Operations Support for purchasing and managing end-user-devices; Teaching and Technology Support to advance researchers’ pedagogical and communication objectives; and a Divisional Security Officer to facilitate data and process management appropriate to research. 

SSCS works in close collaboration with the RCC (see above) and other partners to ensure best-in-class computational solutions are available to our researchers. 

SSCS also works extensively with the University of Chicago's IT Services to ensure physical and logical protections for data, and in supporting networking, mail services, Disaster Recovery, and administration. Contact SSCS at 773-702-0793 or sscs@uchicago.edu.

IT Services
Provides access to University-licensed software, web hosting, and discounted rates on cloud storage, software, and equipment.

Secure Data Enclave
Provides enhanced security measures and robust computing resources to UChicago researchers working with sensitive data. The SDE cluster, Midway-R, provides UNIX-based distributed computing power; non-UNIX computational tools are provided via Virtual Desktop Infrastructure. The SDE also provides an air-gapped facility for researchers and their hardware.

UChicago Sensitive Data Usage Guide
Assists the University community in making informed decisions about where and how to store and share sensitive University data securely. Includes a reference table on where sensitive data should and should not be stored.

Argonne Leadership Computing Facility (ALCF)
ALCF resources include leadership-class supercomputers, visualization clusters, advanced data storage systems, high-performance networking capabilities, and a wide variety of software tools and services to help facility users achieve their science goals. ALCF has various allocation programs (including the Director’s Discretionary Allocation Program, often the on-ramp for accessing ALCF) as well as training opportunities on computational resources, methods, and opportunities. SSD researchers interested in connecting with Argonne should begin by contacting Social Sciences Computing Services (see above).

Shared Research Facilities

 

Biological Sciences Division Core Facilities include: Advanced Electron Microscopy, Animal Resources Center (ARC), Biomolecular Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biophysics, Biostatistics, Cellular and Tissue Based Processing cGMP Facility, Cellular Screening Center, CRI Bioinformatics Core, Cytometry and Antibody Technology, Cyclotron Facility, Sanger Sequencing, Electronics Development Group, Engineering + Technical Support Group, Fly Kitchen, Genomics Facility, Howard T. Ricketts Laboratory, Regional Biocontainment Laboratory, Human Disease and Immune Discovery, Human Imaging Research Office (HIRO), Human Immunological Monitoring (HIM) , Human Tissue Resource Center (HTRC), Integrated Light Microscopy, Integrated Small Animal Imaging Research Resource (iSAIRR), Mass Spectrometry Facility, Metabolomics, MRI Research Center, MRSEC Materials Prep & Measurement Lab, NMR Facility (Chemistry), Organoid and Primary Culture Research Core (OPCR), PaleoCT, Pritzker Nanofabrication Facility (PNF), Proteomics, Searle Cleanroom and Nanofabrication Facility, Single Cell Immunophenotyping Core, Soft Matter Characterization Facility, Statistics Consulting Program, Survey Lab, Transgenic Mouse Facility, X-Ray Facilities, XROMM, and UChicago Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN). The Office of Shared Research Facilities (OSRF) manages BSD Core Facilities by providing financial, administrative, IT, and communication support. BSD provides boilerplate language about BSD core facilities for grant proposals.

Physical Sciences Division Core Facilities include: Analytical Services (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Facility, X-Ray Crystallography, Mass Spectroscopy, and FIB-SEM); Engineering and Technical Support (EFI Electronics Shop, Engineering and Technical Support Group, and Mechanical Design and Fabrication Lab); Cleanroom and Nanofabrication Facility; Cylinders Gas Operations; Graphic Arts Studio; and Materials Research Center Shared Facilities.

Priztker School of Molecular Engineering has the Pritzker Nanofabrication Facility and the Soft Matter Characterization Facility.

Media Arts, Data & Design Center (MADD), UChicago Arts

The Hack Arts Lab (HAL) hosts several models of 3D printers that are accessible via two modes of interaction: self-operated (aka DIY; FlashForge Finder and Adventurer 4) and staff-operated (Ultimaker S5). All of these printers use fused filament fabrication (aka fused deposition modeling or FDM) printing processes.

  • Flashforge Finder (build volume: 140 (L) x 140 (W) x 140 (H) / 5.5 x 5.5 x 5.5 in)
  • Flashforge Adventurer 4 (build volume: 220 x 200 x 250 mm / 8.7 x 7.9 x 9.8 in)
  • Ultimaker S5 (build volume: 330 x 240 x 300 mm / 13 x 9.4 x 11.8 in)*

*Note: This is Ultimaker S5's build plate size, but in reality its printable area is more like 300 x 210 x 207 mm / 11.8 x 8.2 x 8.1 in.

 

Fabrication Lab (Fab Lab), Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Chicago Booth

The Fab Lab, located at the Polsky Exchange, offers entrepreneurs opportunities to transform their ideas into physical objects to share, test and perfect. With a full suite of state-of-the-art equipment to create prototypes and translate ideas into physical objects, the Fab Lab gives members access to tools needed to translate between digital and physical design.

  • Lulzbot Mini 2 (build volume: 160 x 160 x 180 mm / 6.30 x 6.30 x 7.09in)
  • Lulzbot Taz5 (build volume: 298 x 275 x 250 mm / 11.7 x 10.8 x 9.8in)
  • Objet500 Connex3 3D Printer (build volume: 490 x 390 x 200 mm / 19.3 x 15.4 x 7.9 in)
  • Taz4 3D Printer (build volume: 298 x 275 x 250mm / 11.7 x 10.8 x 9.8in)
  • UPRINT SE Plus 3D Printer (build volume: 203 x 203 x 152 mm / 8 x 8 x 6 inch)

 

Materials Preparation and Measurement Laboratory (MPML), Physical Sciences Division

The MPML manages digital fabrication resources in the Materials Teaching and Design Lab when used for research purposes. A ULS VLS4.60 laser cutter, a Minitech CNC Micromill, 3D scanners, and a suite of 3D printers with complementary capabilities.

  • Stratasys J850 (build volume: 490 x 390 x 200 mm / 19.3 x 15.35 x 7.9 in)
  • Formlabs Form2 (build volume: 145 x 145 x 175 mm / 5.7 x 5.7 x 6.9 in)
  • Ultimaker S5 (build volume: 330 x 240 x 300 mm / 13 x 9.4 x 11.8 in)
  • Ultimaker3 (build volume: 230 x 190 x 200 mm / 9 x 7.4 x 7.9 in)
University Libraries

Center for Digital Scholarship
Resource hub for digital methods in research and learning. Provides consultations and services on digital projects, data, and research dissemination,and connects scholars and students to resources within the Library and on campus to enable their scholarship. Offers tools and services to:

  1. Find, Create, and Clean Data
  2. Mine, Analyze, and Visualize Data
  3. Store, Share, and Manage Research
  4. Publish and Exhibit Digitally
  5. Understand Copyright, Open Access, and Citation Tools
  6. Preserve Research (repositories)

Copyright Information Center
Provides copyright law insights and guidance.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Provides advice for getting started with GIS, links to software and tools, curated online training and tutorials, and resources for teaching with GIS.

Crerar Library GIS Hub
Seven workstations offering GIS software, including QGIS, GeoDa, and ArcGIS. The workstations all have large, high-resolution monitors. Instructional technology and a large screen are also available in the Hub for geospatial workshops and demonstrations. Rob Shepard is the GIS Librarian.

Open Access Resources
The library has an extensive guide about open access, with sections on author rights, open access journals and books, the university's repository, and transformative agreements (also known as Read and Publish agreements), which enable UChicago faculty, students, and staff to publish their research as open access (OA) without the need to pay an article processing charge (APC).

Spatial Data Resources
Provides guidance on getting started with spatial data, links to spatial data portals, quick links to find spatial data in the library, and information on citing spatial data.

Research Data Management and Sharing
Outlines good practices for research data management and sharing, with links to further information on data management plans, data formats and naming, data description, data storage, and the NIH data management and sharing policy.

Consortia and Memberships
UChicago scholars have access to materials from other libraries through a variety of consortial agreements and memberships. For more information on library privileges in the Chicagoland area, please visit the Chicago Libraries page of the SSRC website.

Teaching Technology and AV Support

Academic Technology Solutions offers training in Canvas, Zoom, Panopto, and other technologies related to digital pedagogy, as well as classroom AV. Curated digital tools include a variety of resources for implementation in courses, including tools that facilitate blogs, discussion platforms, grading of hand-written work, collaborative annotation, software instruction, video assignments, and more. ATS services include in-person and virtual office hours for one-on-one help with questions about technology and teaching, and instructional design consultations that can help structure courses to meet the demands of teaching in multiple modalities.

Audio-Visual Services (AVS)
AVS is available for individual consultations with faculty and teaching assistants, who can borrow and receive a tutorial on AV equipment for classroom use, including a range of projectors, screens, speakers, document cameras, dvd players, cables, and adapters. They also have a range of audio recorders, mixers, cameras, tripods, and microphones available. Reserve by calling 773-834-4499 or emailing avs@uchicago.edu.

Methods and Software

LinkedIn Learning at UChicago is a free service for the entire UChicago community, enabling learners of all levels to develop business, software, technology, and creative skills to achieve personal and professional goals. Learning modules provide on-demand, multimedia training on an array of topics of interest to researchers, including Python, R, Stata, MATLAB, ArcGIS, QGIS, Adobe, research ethics and human subjects protections, and more. With more than 16,000 courses, LinkedIn Learning can be challenging to navigate. If you want help finding a place to start, please visit the list of curated training opportunities (forthcoming) on the SSRC website.

The Center for Spatial Data Science (CSDS) thinks spatially about research problems: they develop state-of-the-art methods for geospatial analysis; implement them through open source software tools (e.g., GeoDa); apply them to policy-relevant research in the social sciences; and disseminate them through education and support to a growing worldwide community of over 330,000 spatial analysts. Contact Julia Koschinsky to connect to CSDS and Spatial@UChicago, the University’s spatial network.

Business Services (SSD Only)

The LBC provides financial and business support to departments and faculty members in budgeting and account administration, grant administration, procurement, and payroll support. The LBC’s list of resources for faculty provides additional information on research/start-up funds, grants/external funds, endowments/gift funds, expenses and reimbursements, account reconcilations and policies, and hiring/paying students and temporary staff.

Hiring Students
To hire students as hourly research assistants, contact Jasmin Johnson, who can share information on how to recruit candidates and how to submit the hiring request form, as well as guidance on first-time student workers, foreign international students, federal work study positions, and post-hiring concerns.

Post-Award Services
The PI should speak with their LBC Grant Specialist, who will establish all of the necessary accounts based on the parameters of the award (e.g., list of administrators, list of authorized signers, guarantee account, special budgeting requirements) and discuss a preferred method for account updates. The LBC Grant Specialist can produce a variety of reports regarding account balances, transaction histories, and payroll. These reports can be produced on-request or on a regular schedule.

Undergraduate Research Assistants

Career Advancement
Jeff Metcalf Internship Program provides paid, substantive internships for students in the College. The Micro-Metcalf Program is for paid short-term projects, often requiring 20-40 hours of total work across 2-4 weeks.

College Center for Research and Fellowships (CCRF)
Quad Faculty Research Program connects faculty and senior scholars with talented College students to support their research projects. It gives undergraduates the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with faculty mentors and to develop their research skills.

CCRF Quad Undergraduate Research Scholars Program supports scholarly undergraduate research and creative inquiry experiences through active participation in faculty-mentored research. {Students apply for funding; eligible if working on a faculty-driven project.}

CCRF Quad Summer Undergraduate Research Scholars Program supports summer scholarly undergraduate research and creative inquiry experiences through active participation in faculty-mentored research. {Students apply for funding; eligible if working on a faculty-driven project.}

Summer Institute in Social Research Methods (SISRM)
Research Assistantships offer UChicago undergraduates the opportunity to reinforce and extend their new research skills through paid positions working on faculty research projects. RAs are matched with faculty across the social sciences based on academic goals and interests as well as planned summer coursework.

Data Sharing

In order to access protected data, you will need to route a Data Use Agreement through University Research Administration for institutional approval. Your department’s grants administrator (see below) can assist you with this process. For more information on DUAs, visit the URA website.

Departmental Grants Administration Contacts