Abstract:
Significant improvements in Information and Communication
(ICT) infrastructure over the last decade put Sri Lanka
among the top developing nations for ICT-led economic and social
growth. While ICT has also contributed to increased research outcomes
through better access to world-class knowledge, research resources,
and other researchers, overall growth and significance of
research findings are not in par with most of the top developing nations.
In this research, through surveys and interviews, we explore the
current state of computing resources available for research, as well as
the needs and challenges faced by researchers. We identified a number
of challenges, including shortage of computational and storage
resources, cost of software licenses, limited awareness of alternative
tools, inadequate programing skills among graduate students, unavailability
of research computing support staff, unreliable infrastructure,
and organizational constraints. We further discuss potential solutions
to address some of these technical and nontechnical challenges.
