DAWN Phase 1 FY2023-2024: A UK Industry Academic Co-design Partnership Delivering a Pre-Exascale Research Cloud for AI and Simulation

Dawn Phase 1 is an exciting opportunity to double the UK's open-access GPU capability for AI and simulation by the Autumn of 2023, in line with the recommendations of the Future of Compute review. The proposed service will be open to all UKRI researchers and UK industry - industry usage will be facilitated by presenting the service as a cloud to lower the barriers to access. Direct investment by Dell and Intel will cover 100% of the £35m capital cost of the GPU computing system. In this proposal we request STFC funding for essential Data Centre infrastructure work, storage and power for the Dawn Phase 1 project in FY 2023-2024.