HRSA grant funds supercomputer cluster for Meharry
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded Meharry School of Applied Computational Science $1 million to fund a supercomputer cluster to support student- and faculty-specialized genomics research.
The opportunity was made possible as a result of Rep. Jim Cooper’s (TN-05) support who included it as part of a $4,796, 812 spending package. Meharry SACS also completed a rigorous, peer-reviewed process to receive the HRSA award. Rep. Cooper also included funding for American Baptist College, and to construct the Jefferson Street Cap and Connector, an interstate cap located over I-40 from the D.B. Todd Blvd bridge to 17th Avenue North.
“We are truly grateful to Congressman Cooper for the support of $1M towards the purchase of a supercomputer cluster that will support students and faculty specialized genomics research as well as many other applications. The supercomputer cluster will provide much-needed storage capacity and computing power as we continue to build technology infrastructure for human genomic research, with a focus on underserved populations,” said Fortune Mhlanga, Ph.D., founding dean, School of Applied Computational Sciences at Meharry Medical College.
The HRSA and Meharry have a shared passion for advancing health equity. The HRSA’s mission is to improve health outcomes and achieve health equity through access to quality services, a skilled health workforce, and innovative, high-value programs.
The grant further fuels Meharry’s data-first mindset. The supercomputer cluster will help drive novel analytical approaches, create and support discoveries that will enhance Meharry’s ability to serve underserved populations and improve the health disparities among minority communities nationwide.
“The equipment will make an immediate difference, as a vehicle to stimulate knowledge discovery, and will directly benefit our students and faculty as they develop and deploy impactful and socially-responsible scientific knowledge and practical technologies that empower society to improve the quality of life,” says Dean Mhlanga. “We are now well on our way to purchase the supercomputer cluster and set it up for our faculty and students!”
The supercomputer cluster will be the third high-performance computing resource for Meharry. These resources are essential for student and faculty research using electronic health records, genomic, mobile health, and other massive health data sources.
