For researchers requiring a secure compute environment for sensitive data, Northwestern has partnered with the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) to provide access to Nightingale, a high-performance compute (HPC) cluster compliant with:
• HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
• PHI (Protected Health Information)
• CUI (Controlled Unclassified Information), such as the NIH policies for dbGaP.
Available to
Eligibility Requirements
Northwestern researchers with an active NetID who pass a background check through their School or Department Human Resources Department are eligible to use this service; external collaborators are not.
Researchers need to complete training specific to the type of data that they will be handling on Nightingale and submit a training certificate. Northwestern University must attest to training completion. HIPAA training is available via the Data Security and Privacy Training for Feinberg School of Medicine researchers and through myHR Learn for other Northwestern schools. CUI-level training is available through the Department of Defense.
All devices that researchers use to connect to Nightingale, such as laptops and workstations, must be Northwestern-managed and meet additional security requirements that align to a NIST 800-171 baseline. Northwestern researchers cannot access this service through their personal devices.
Cost
Researchers are charged per month for the amount of CPU hours and storage used on the Nightingale system. Northwestern negotiated rates will be available soon.
How to Request Service
Click the "Request a Consultation" button to the right.
Researchers interested in using Nightingale should set up a consultation with Research Computing and Data Services to discuss the project and assess whether Nightingale is an appropriate fit. Details about getting Nightingale accounts, onboarding, and requesting support are coming soon.