{"id":2620,"date":"2026-04-17T10:55:33","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T08:55:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uscc.inaf.it\/?page_id=2620"},"modified":"2026-07-09T12:30:28","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T10:30:28","slug":"about-uscc","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/uscc.inaf.it\/en\/about-uscc\/","title":{"rendered":"About USC-C"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">L&#8217;<strong>The Central Scientific Computing Unit (USC-C)<\/strong> is the<strong>INAF<\/strong> (National Institute for Astrophysics) structure responsible for defining, implementing, and managing the Institute's digital strategies and technological infrastructures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our mission is to provide the Italian astrophysical community with the computational tools and IT services necessary to compete at the highest levels within the international research landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\">our mission<\/h6>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The USCC\u2019s vision is founded on providing direct support to scientific research and technological innovation. From managing astronomical Big Data to developing advanced cloud solutions, our goal is to ensure that INAF\u2019s information assets and computing capacity remain secure, scalable, and cutting-edge resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-left is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-1ca8f994 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-left is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-c6dd8652 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--large)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-100 is-style-fill\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-link-color-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color has-custom-font-size wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/uscc.inaf.it\/en\/missione\/\" style=\"border-top-left-radius:12px;border-top-right-radius:12px;border-bottom-left-radius:12px;border-bottom-right-radius:12px;background-color:#83c8eb3b;padding-top:12px;padding-right:16px;padding-bottom:12px;padding-left:16px;font-size:14px;line-height:1;text-transform:uppercase\"><em>Read more about our mission<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Operational Sectors<\/h6>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"padding-right:0;padding-left:0\">To respond thoroughly to the Institute's diverse needs, the Unit is organized into <strong>4 specialized Operational Sectors<\/strong> :<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-1b899887 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--medium);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--medium)\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span class=\"wp-rich-text-font-awesome-icon wp-font-awesome-icon\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-prefix=\"fas\" data-icon=\"chevron-right\" class=\"svg-inline--fa fa-chevron-right fa-fade\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"0 0 320 512\" style=\"font-size:1em\" color=\"#83c8eb\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M310.6 233.4c12.5 12.5 12.5 32.8 0 45.3l-192 192c-12.5 12.5-32.8 12.5-45.3 0s-12.5-32.8 0-45.3L242.7 256 73.4 86.6c-12.5-12.5-12.5-32.8 0-45.3s32.8-12.5 45.3 0l192 192z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span> <strong>Computing and Storage:<\/strong> HPC infrastructure and storage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span class=\"wp-rich-text-font-awesome-icon wp-font-awesome-icon\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-prefix=\"fas\" data-icon=\"chevron-right\" class=\"svg-inline--fa fa-chevron-right fa-fade\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"0 0 320 512\" style=\"font-size:1em\" color=\"#83c8eb\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M310.6 233.4c12.5 12.5 12.5 32.8 0 45.3l-192 192c-12.5 12.5-32.8 12.5-45.3 0s-12.5-32.8 0-45.3L242.7 256 73.4 86.6c-12.5-12.5-12.5-32.8 0-45.3s32.8-12.5 45.3 0l192 192z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span> <strong>Scientific Archives and IA2:<\/strong> Data preservation and distribution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><span class=\"wp-rich-text-font-awesome-icon wp-font-awesome-icon\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-prefix=\"fas\" data-icon=\"chevron-right\" class=\"svg-inline--fa fa-chevron-right fa-fade\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"0 0 320 512\" style=\"font-size:1em\" color=\"#83c8eb\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M310.6 233.4c12.5 12.5 12.5 32.8 0 45.3l-192 192c-12.5 12.5-32.8 12.5-45.3 0s-12.5-32.8 0-45.3L242.7 256 73.4 86.6c-12.5-12.5-12.5-32.8 0-45.3s32.8-12.5 45.3 0l192 192z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span> Network Infrastructure and Security:<\/strong> Monitoring and protection of digital assets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span class=\"wp-rich-text-font-awesome-icon wp-font-awesome-icon\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-prefix=\"fas\" data-icon=\"chevron-right\" class=\"svg-inline--fa fa-chevron-right fa-fade\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"0 0 320 512\" style=\"font-size:1em\" color=\"#83c8eb\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M310.6 233.4c12.5 12.5 12.5 32.8 0 45.3l-192 192c-12.5 12.5-32.8 12.5-45.3 0s-12.5-32.8 0-45.3L242.7 256 73.4 86.6c-12.5-12.5-12.5-32.8 0-45.3s32.8-12.5 45.3 0l192 192z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span> <strong>IT Services and INAF Cloud:<\/strong> Collaborative platforms and cloud services. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-left is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-1ca8f994 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-left is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-c6dd8652 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--large)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-100 is-style-fill\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-link-color-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color has-custom-font-size wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/uscc.inaf.it\/en\/i-4-settori-operativi\/\" style=\"border-top-left-radius:12px;border-top-right-radius:12px;border-bottom-left-radius:12px;border-bottom-right-radius:12px;background-color:#83c8eb3b;padding-top:12px;padding-right:16px;padding-bottom:12px;padding-left:16px;font-size:14px;line-height:1;text-transform:uppercase\"><em>Explore the 4 operational sectors<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\">organizational structure<\/h6>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The effectiveness of the USC-C lies in its structured governance, which coordinates technical expertise distributed across INAF\u2019s various territorial offices. This section outlines the organizational chart, sector managers, and the methods by which the Unit interfaces with the Scientific Directorate and the Institute's other bodies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-left is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-af11847c wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-left is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-c6dd8652 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--large)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-100 is-style-fill\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-link-color-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color has-custom-font-size wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/uscc.inaf.it\/en\/struttura-organizzativa\/\" style=\"border-top-left-radius:12px;border-top-right-radius:12px;border-bottom-left-radius:12px;border-bottom-right-radius:12px;background-color:#83c8eb3b;padding-top:12px;padding-right:16px;padding-bottom:12px;padding-left:16px;font-size:14px;line-height:1;text-transform:uppercase\"><em>Consult the organizational structure<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Time &amp; Space Allocation Committee (CAT&amp;S).<\/h6>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Access to high-level computing resources is regulated by <strong>CATS<\/strong>. This scientific committee evaluates requests to use the infrastructure (CPU time and storage space) based on criteria of excellence and project relevance, ensuring an equitable and efficient distribution of available resources. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-left is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-1ca8f994 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-left is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-c6dd8652 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--large)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-100 is-style-fill\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-link-color-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color has-custom-font-size wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/uscc.inaf.it\/en\/struttura-organizzativa\/comitato-allocazione-tempo-e-spazio\/\" style=\"border-top-left-radius:12px;border-top-right-radius:12px;border-bottom-left-radius:12px;border-bottom-right-radius:12px;background-color:#83c8eb3b;padding-top:12px;padding-right:16px;padding-bottom:12px;padding-left:16px;font-size:14px;line-height:1;text-transform:uppercase\"><em>Discover how CATS works<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>L&#8217;Unit\u00e0 di Scientifica Centrale per il Calcolo (USC-C) \u00e8 la struttura dell\u2019INAF (Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica) incaricata di definire, implementare e gestire le strategie digitali e le infrastrutture tecnologiche dell&#8217;Ente. La nostra missione \u00e8 fornire alla comunit\u00e0 astrofisica italiana gli strumenti computazionali e i servizi informatici necessari per competere ai massimi livelli nel panorama della [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":130,"featured_media":2042,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"uscc-pages","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2620","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uscc.inaf.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2620","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uscc.inaf.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uscc.inaf.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uscc.inaf.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/130"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uscc.inaf.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2620"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/uscc.inaf.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2620\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2626,"href":"https:\/\/uscc.inaf.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2620\/revisions\/2626"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uscc.inaf.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2042"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uscc.inaf.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2620"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uscc.inaf.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2620"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uscc.inaf.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2620"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}