NHERI SPARC Program
Strategic Program to Accelerate Researchers in Computing (SPARC)
The 2022 NHERI Hackathon winning team, the Disaster Doctorates (from left: Te Pei, Shitao Shi, Louis Lin, Saanchi Singh Kaushal, and Shayan Razi)
Overview
The Strategic Program to Accelerate Researchers in Computing (SPARC) trains early-stage natural hazards researchers to run end-to-end computational workflows on DesignSafe. The 2026 program will take place August 11-13 and is built around guided projects. Each participant will work through the same set of hands-on workflows with experts from DesignSafe, SimCenter, RAPID, and TACC, building skills to apply to their own research.
SPARC is for you if you want to answer questions like:
- How do I scale simulations beyond my laptop?
- How can an AI surrogate model replace my slow numerical simulation?
- How do I tag thousands of post-disaster reconnaissance images?
- How do I move from a single-structure analysis to a regional hazards assessment?
The in-person event runs three days at the Texas Advanced Computing Center in Austin. Participants will receive:
- Guided projects that take you from data to results using DesignSafe, SimCenter, and RAPID tools.
- Hands-on training with the people who build and support these tools.
- One-on-one time with experts to connect the workflows to your own research.
Agenda
Day 1 (August 11): Computational Workflows
Run simulations on TACC high-performance computing (HPC) resources at scales that would not fit on your laptop, and incorporate them in an uncertainty quantification workflow.
- Accelerating computational pipelines (e.g., parallel OpenSees jobs).
- Uncertainty quantification (e.g., quoFEM).
Day 2 (August 12): AI Workflows
Use AI in natural hazards research for speeding up simulations with surrogate models and for post-disaster reconnaissance and regional-scale assessments.
- AI-based surrogate models trained on OpenSees simulation data.
- Post-disaster imagery: AI-based segmentation, classification, and tagging.
Day 3 (August 13): Regional-Scale Hazard Analysis
Move from single-structure analysis to regional assessment and visualization.
- SimCenter R2D for regional resilience assessment.
- GIS workflows and visualization on DesignSafe.
Eligibility
APPLICATION DEADLINE: May 15, 2026, 5:00pm CT
SPARC 2026 is designed for early-stage researchers who are about to take on, or are in the early stages of, a computationally intensive natural hazards research project. Preference is given to:
- Final-year MS students with a confirmed PhD offer.
- PhD students in their first or second year.
Later-stage PhD students and post doctoral researchers may also apply. Applications will be reviewed by DesignSafe, SimCenter, and RAPID staff.
Applications are being accepted through May 15, 2026, and successful applicants will be notified by May 29, 2026. Seats are limited.
Travel Award
A travel award of up to $2,600 will be provided to offset domestic travel expenses for participants from US academic institutions. Researchers from international academic institutions are welcome to apply but due to National Science Foundation policies are not eligible for travel awards, and thus cannot be reimbursed for their travel expenses.
Travel days will be August 10 and 14, with the program being all day each day August 11-13.