Time on Rivanna is allocated as Service Units (SUs). One SU corresponds to one core-hour. Multiple SUs make up what is called an allocation (e.g., a new allocation = 100K SUs). Allocations are managed through MyGroups groups that are automatically created for Principal Investigators (PIs) when they submit an allocation request.
All UVA faculty, staff, and postdoctoral associates are considered PIs and therefore eligible for an allocation on Rivanna. Students—both graduate and undergraduate—cannot request allocations, but they are allowed to use Rivanna as members of a MyGroups group controlled by a PI. The same applies to researchers with sponsored accounts.
Eligibility and Account Creation
University of Virginia tenure stream and academic general faculty, research faculty, research scientists, and postdoctoral associates may request any type of allocation. The different types of allocations are explained below. UVA graduate and undergraduate students are not permitted to request allocations—this must be done by their faculty advisor[s]. Researchers with sponsored accounts are also prohibited from requesting allocations, but they may use Rivanna as members of a MyGroups account controlled by a PI. UVA staff may request allocations, but are required to provide a detailed project proposal with each request.
Each PI should create his/her own MyGroups group using the ITS MyGroups Management Service. The PI may designate one or more group administrators but must remain a member of the group. Collaborators with UVA Eservices accounts, regardless of status, can be added to the MyGroups group once it has been created. (Collaborators outside of UVA must request a temporary, sponsored Eservices account.) MyGroups group names should consist of lowercase letters, digits, or underscores only and must begin with a letter. Please do not use spaces in the group name.
Each PI is ultimately responsible for managing the roster of users in his/her group although PIs may delegate day-to-day management to one or more other members. When users are added or deleted, accounts are automatically created.
Allocation Pricing
| Type |
SU Limits |
Cost |
SU Lifetime |
| Standard |
100,000 per application; renewable (400K SUs max per fiscal year) |
Free |
12 months |
| Deans' Allocations |
None |
Free |
12 months by default, negotiable |
| Purchased |
None |
$0.015 (<1M SUs); $0.01 (>=1M SUs) |
Forever |
| Instructional |
25,000 |
Free |
2 weeks after last teaching session |
|
** Non-UVA personnel are charged at a rate of $0.07/SU
|
Allocation Types
Standard Allocations
Standard allocations are for 100,000 SUs and require a brief summary of the research project along with an explanation of the computations to be performed. Standard allocations can be renewed as long as each renewal request includes a synopsis of results from the original allocation. The maximum number of standard allocations–either new or renewal–a PI can receive in a single fiscal year is 4 (or 400K SUs max). There cannot be more than 1 PI per MyGroups group. Standard allocations expire 12 months after they are disbursed.
Available to: Faculty and post-docs using Rivanna for research.
Deans' Allocations
Deans' Allocations are granted by the research deans who provide funding for Rivanna. A minimum one-page proposal must be included with any type of Deans' Allocation request. Dean sponsored allocations expire by default 12 months after they are disbursed.
Available to: Faculty and postdocs who require very large allocations. Choose one of the following request options based on your school/college/organizational affiliation:
Allocation Purchases
Time on Rivanna can also be purchased using a PTAO. Purchasers are given a higher priority in the queue and their SUs never expire.
Available to: Faculty and postdocs with grants; researchers who need priority access and premium service.
Instructional Allocations
Instructional allocations provide limited access to Rivanna and are available to UVA instructors who are teaching a class or leading a training session. Faculty who wish to request an instructional allocation should choose a MyGroups account name using the class rubric, e.g. cs5014. Instructional allocations come with 50GB of temporary project storage space. Class data and service units will be automatically purged 2 weeks after the class ends unless the instructor requests an extension. Instructors are required to submit a fresh instructional allocation request—either a new request or a renewal request—at the start of each semester.
Read the full policy and guide for instructors.
