Bahar Asgari Receives $1M NSF Grant to Advance High-Performance Computing

Bahar Asgari, assistant professor at the University of Maryland’s Department of Computer Science, has been honored with a prestigious Principles and Practice of Scalable Systems (PPoSS) award from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The funding comes from NSF's PPoSS Program, aimed at fostering interdisciplinary research covering the full spectrum of hardware and software interactions. This program also investigates the scalability and precision of contemporary applications, systems and toolchains developed for diverse architectures.

The awarded proposal, titled “Research into the Use and Integration of Data Movement Accelerators,” represents a collaborative effort involving four eminent researchers from Georgia Tech. The award will provide the team $5 million over a five-year period, with Asgari receiving $1 million as a principal investigator.

The interdisciplinary team spans the spectrum of hardware and software expertise, boasting proficiencies in architecture, algorithms, secure systems, high-performance computing (HPC) applications and software design.   

Only four such PPoSS NSF research awards are granted annually, and in 2023, Asgari and her team were among the select recipients.

“I'm deeply honored and incredibly excited to receive this award, especially as a member of this remarkable team that includes Dr. Hyesoon Kim, Dr. Haesun Park, Dr. Richard Vuduc and Dr. Jeffery Young,” Asgari said. “This award validates the potential impact of our research in high-performance computing on both scientific and societal fronts. This recognition empowers us to further our work, enabling groundbreaking discoveries in multiple domains and fostering educational development.”

Asgari further elaborated on the potential of the research, highlighting its potential to reshape the landscape of computing and its broader societal implications.

"The research significantly progresses high-performance computing with scalable solutions, enhancing applications like molecular dynamics simulations," Asgari said. "It not only boosts scientific research and education in computing but, by making the software open source and collaborating with academic and industrial sectors, it paves the way for broader advancements addressing global challenges."  

In addition to this, Asgari received a Department of Energy Early Career Award in mid-August this year. These accolades serve as a testament to her groundbreaking contributions within the realm of computer science.

—Story by Samuel Malede Zewdu, CS Communications