Fees and Services

All the fees below are the costs for University of Illinois users and collaborators with a university funding account number (CFOP). Contact NCSA via a support request for rates applied to account numbers outside the University of Illinois.

Allocation/access cannot be shorter than four months. Decisions to terminate allocation/access must be provided three months before the termination date. Costs are the same across all node types. Rates are reviewed and recalculated biennially to ensure superior infrastructure and services. Billing will occur monthly for the prior month’s allocation/use. License fees for some software may be passed on to the user.

Interactive Computing

  • Option 1 (Dedicated Node)

    Per Dedicated Node: $1,337.50 per month

    Access to a dedicated node with the number of users specified by the Principal Investigator.

  • Option 2 (Shared Node)

    Per User on a Shared Node: $267.50 per month

    Access to a shared node with up to 5 users from across the system. Security between a user’s files and users from other groups is maintained with Unix directory permissions configured by the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP). Users can access the node simultaneously. There is no “speed of service” guarantee, although the powerful nodes should be sufficient for most users. NCSA will consult with users who create a significant high load on the system – options such as reassigning nodes or requiring additional allocation will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Batch Computing

Per core hour used: $0.027

Billed monthly for the prior month’s use. For consistent billing, users can pay for a set threshold of core hours per month, regardless of whether they use all the core hours they anticipated.

Storage

Per 1 Terabyte allocated: $10.54 per month

Database Setup and Management Services

Per user, as needed: $80.71 per month

Services to support data storage and sharing/accessing relational databases on the system. Not all projects require this support. Options for providing “data as a service” to a broad user community are available; submit a support request for details.

Consultation and Development Services

Per project as needed: cost based on time and materials

NCSA provides software development, analytics, and computation expertise for a fee that covers staff time and materials. Submit a support request to discuss project needs and staff availability.

User Support

User support is included with all accounts at no additional charge. Types of support include:

  • Security administration (software security vetting, external audits, compliance with the University of Illinois HIPAA Privacy and Security Directive)

  • Compliance Consulting (security needs assessment, guidance on data transfer, use agreements, and approval processes)

  • Training and onboarding (management of onboarding protocols, required HIPAA training, and access to training materials)

  • System and security documentation (for proposals, contracts, agreements, and reporting)

  • Standard system administration (installs, updates, access management, infrastructure maintenance, and testing)