High Performance Computing (HPC) Initiative

Research has evolved over time and in this regard, we have seen demand for High Performance Computing (HPC) by researchers. KENET provides access to HPC through collaborations with its international partners. KENET has setup a Certification Authority (CA) which issues researchers with digital certificates which they can then use to access the research infrastructures (HPC & Storage). In addition to the CA, KENET runs the IDP (Identity Provider) which issues researchers with identities they use to access Science Gateways that expose applications used by researchers in various disciplines. KENET is actively engaging with various players in HPC to secure access for Kenyan researchers at no fee for the use of these services.

Special Interest Group (SIG) on Computational Modeling and Materials Science (CMMS)

Researchers benefited from a workshop organized by KENET in conjunction with the CMMS special interest group on 6 - 7 July 2017 at the Sheywe hotel in Kakamega town. The workshop objectives were to provide a platform for networking among researchers and postgraduate students in the area, as well as to embark on joint proposal writing for the National Research Fund (NRF) call for grant proposals later in the year. The workshop was very well attended with over 30 researchers from various universities in Kenya. The participants identified four major research needs; national center for materials science research; hybridization of new materials for photovoltaic application; DFT theoretical investigation of Fp complexes of Platensimycin and its analogs; and materials for waste energy recovery. The researchers also identified research areas and developed proposal frameworks. They also requested for additional training events and indicated that they would require support in accessing software like Quantum Expresso.

Workshop participants of the Special Interest Group (SIG) on Computational Modeling and Materials Science (CMMS) workshop

SIGS and SIG workshops as vehicles for research collaboration and creating awareness of research services

Special Interest Groups (SIGs) in the Science, Technology, Education and Mathematics (STEM) areas are increasingly important in the face of globalization. KENET as part of its research services is actively supporting SIGs are groups of researchers with a common disciplinary and / or research interest. These groups have the potential to impact teaching, research and practice in their areas through activities such as workshops, seminars, collaborative research, advocacy and curriculum writing. KENET already has several SIG's in place namely; SIG in Educational Technologies, SIG in Engineering and SIG in Computational Methods and Material Sciences (CMMS).

In the past one year, the SIG on CMMS led by Prof George Amolo of Technical University has been very active. One of the major outcomes of the SIG on CMMS group was a successful submission of a KSh 100 million infrastructure grant proposal to the National Research Fund (NRF) in November 2016. The grant proposal was for setting a national HPC center at KENET.

KENET also sponsored two members of the Engineering Deans Council, Prof. Bernard Ikua (Principal, College of Engineering and Technology) and Eng. Martin Nzomo (Dean, School of Engineering and Technology) to attend the Global Deans Council Conference held in Cananda in October 2017 as part of the activities of the SIG in Engineering.