Strategic Support for Computer Science Research at TU Delft: A Tailored Approach by the Research Engineering and Infrastructure Team

In response to the evolving needs of research groups across computer science (CS) departments in TU Delft, the Research Engineering and Infrastructure Team (REIT) was established as a dedicated support pillar for CS research activities. Unlike other support teams at the university, REIT is uniquely dedicated to providing personalized, low-barrier research support that spans a broad spectrum of expertise—from high-performance computing (HPC) and infrastructure technology to specialized fields such as artificial intelligence (AI) and data-intensive applications. This presentation sheds light on REIT's strategic engagements and activities aimed at enhancing infrastructure support and fulfilling various other research support roles. Our approach focuses on identifying and aligning with stakeholders: engaging with individual CS research groups to understand and meet their specific needs, partnership with ICT teams to align on infrastructure policies, and coordinating the technical implementation of solutions and procurement of resources. We also liaise with other research groups requiring similar compute infrastructure to ensure that our developments meet the specialized demands of AI research across the university; while maintaining ties with other TU Delft support teams to share lessons learned and best practices. Through these comprehensive efforts, REIT not only supports but actively accelerates innovation, catering to the nuanced needs of researchers of CS@TUDelft. We will reflect on the lessons learned since REIT's inception and highlight key projects that have significantly advanced the research landscape at our institution. A recording of this session is available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1muDXRrka0E