“Federating everything, everywhere, all at once” – exploring the potential inclusion of Tier-3 services in the UKRI federated DRI

This NFCS funded project aims to develop a clear, evidence-based picture of the UK’s Tier-3 research computing landscape and its readiness for federation across institutions. Through a targeted national survey, follow-up interviews, and a community workshop, it will capture how Tier-3 systems are currently operated, governed, and used, alongside the technical, organisational, and cultural barriers to greater collaboration.

The findings will inform a practical roadmap for Tier-3 federation, outlining achievable models for shared access, coordination, and interoperability that complement existing national infrastructure, support diverse research communities, and strengthen the resilience and sustainability of UK research computing through to 2027.

We would welcome responses from:

• Controllers or operators of current Tier-3 HPC facilities, and
• Institutions that are actively considering investment in a Tier-3 facility.

The survey is open until end of day on the 3rd of April 2026.

Survey link: Tier 3 HPC Federation Survey – Fill in form