Intensive computing, processing, dissemination and preservation of scientific data are now at the heart of research activities. There is no discipline that escapes the explosion or complexity of data volumes or the need to use large computing resources to simulate, model, analyze, process, etc.

GRICAD (Grenoble Alpes Research Scientific Computing and Data Infrastructure) is a support unit (UAR 3758) linked to CNRS (INSMI), to Grenoble Alpes University, to Grenoble Institute of Engineering and to INRIA (French national research institute for the digital sciences). GRICAD was created in 2016 to to meet computing and data needs of researchers at the Grenoble site.

These challenges are part of a context of very rapid technical evolution of the various High Performance Computing (HPC), cloud and data technologies (storage, digging, processing, etc.), and of growing importance of energy efficiency and the eco-efficiency of digital infrastructures.

The creation of GRICAD in 2016 is part of a global site strategy for digital technology in which all the structures concerned are involved ( Information Systems Department of the institutions, DSIM (ex-SIMSU)).

GRICAD's main missions are:

• Support and advice to researchers on their computating and data needs.
• Provision of all researchers and research support staff of infrastructure advanced and shared for intensive computing and the exploitation of research data.
• Participation in the site infrastructures in terms of hosting, storage and virtualization.