The Infrastructure Spotlights are interview-style features that put African compute and data infrastructure in the spotlight — covering the resources a facility provides, the team that builds and operates it, and the researchers who rely on it.
There is no selection process — every submission gets featured. When you submit, we’ll also ask whether you’d like your facility listed in the Compute/Data Infrastructure Catalogue — there are no criteria, any facility is welcome, with or without a public homepage.
The process has two steps. First, you complete a short submission form with the basic details about the facility. We then follow up with the interview questions below. Most responses are a few sentences to a short paragraph. We edit for clarity and length, and you’ll have a chance to review before anything is published.
Not every question will apply to every facility — skip anything that isn’t relevant. And if there’s something important about the facility that we haven’t asked, please include it.
What the submission form asks for#
These details are used for the spotlight article and, if you’d like, for the Compute/Data Infrastructure Catalogue.
- Facility name
- Website or wiki URL (optional — not every facility has a public homepage)
- One-sentence description of what the facility provides
- Type — National facility, Regional consortium, Institutional facility, or Other
- Host institution or operator
- Country or region
- Resources offered — e.g. compute clusters, GPUs, cloud, storage, data services
- Access model — e.g. open application, PI-based, consortium membership
- Your contact details so we can send you the interview questions
Interview questions#
1. Introduce the facility — what does it provide, and what research or computational need does it address?
We’re looking for a clear, jargon-light explanation that any researcher could understand.
2. What inspired its development, and how has it evolved since coming online?
The origin story — what gap existed, what motivated the team, and how the facility has grown or changed over time.
3. Who operates and maintains it? Tell us about the team.
Names, affiliations, roles, and how the team came together. We also include team profiles alongside the article.
4. Who uses this infrastructure, and how does it support their research? Can you share a specific example?
Real use cases make spotlights compelling. If you can name a project, institution, or researcher who has benefited, that’s ideal.
5. What has been the most challenging aspect of building, operating, or sustaining it?
Technical challenges, funding constraints, capacity building, keeping pace with demand — whatever has been the hardest part.
6. How is it funded and sustained — and how can researchers gain access?
Funding sources, partnerships, operational model, and the practical steps for a researcher to apply for or request access.
7. What impact has it had — on research, on the institutions and communities it serves, or on the wider African research ecosystem?
Think beyond formal metrics. What research has it enabled that wouldn’t otherwise have been possible? Has it supported training or capacity building? Any evidence of reach or value — however measured — is welcome.
8. What’s next for the facility?
Planned upgrades, expansions, funding bids, or new services — what does the future look like?
Anything else you’d like to share?
If there’s something important about the facility, the team, or the context that the questions above didn’t capture, please add it here.
Ready to get featured? Submit via GitLab issue or email team@rsse.africa.