Access to NOVA DAH follows a simple three-step process designed to ensure that resources are allocated fairly and according to project needs.

1. Submit your access request

Start by opening a support ticket through the NOVA IMS Support Platform using the request type: DAH request for compute resources.

In your request, please include:

• Project title and short description
• Expected computational requirements, such as RAM or GPU needs
• Supervisor or project lead, when applicable
• Estimated duration of the allocation
• Any additional technical details relevant to the request

Submitting the form formally starts the allocation process and confirms acceptance of the NOVA DAH usage rules.

2. Validation and resource allocation

Once submitted, the request goes through scientific and technical validation.

This may include:

• Supervisor approval, where applicable
• Technical assessment by IT Services
• Verification that the requested resources match the project’s needs

Based on the project scope and computational requirements, the request is assigned to the most appropriate environment:

• NOVA DAH 01 for high-performance workloads
• NOVA DAH 02 for large-scale and AI-intensive workloads
• NOVA DAH WS for workstation-based development and teaching projects

This process supports efficient and proportional resource allocation across the NOVA DAH ecosystem.

3. Access confirmation and setup

After approval:

• Access credentials are activated
• The allocation period officially begins
• You receive confirmation of the assigned infrastructure
• Technical tutorials are shared to support configuration and access

Guidance may include SSH, SCP, JupyterHub, and SLURM instructions, where applicable.

Once setup is complete, you are ready to start using NOVA DAH.

Find the materials you need to get started with NOVA DAH:

• Tutorial – NOVA DAH 01
• Tutorial – NOVA DAH 02
• NOVA DAH Brand Kit

The NOVA Data & Analytics Hub operates under a governance framework that promotes responsible, ethical, and equitable use of computational resources.

Access to NOVA DAH implies full compliance with the following principles.

• Complementarity
  NOVA DAH operates as a complementary infrastructure to national, European, and international computing resources. It strengthens institutional capacity while remaining aligned with the broader scientific ecosystem.
  
  
• Openness
  NOVA DAH supports activities in teaching, research, technological development, and collaboration with external partners. Access may be granted to both internal and external entities under the applicable allocation and usage framework.
  
  
• Ethics
  All projects must comply with the scientific and ethical standards of NOVA IMS and NOVA University. Access may be suspended or revoked in cases of unlawful activity, ethical breaches, or non-compliance with institutional or national regulations.
  
  
• Accountability
  Users are responsible for ensuring that their use of NOVA DAH complies with legislation, institutional policies, security requirements, and data protection rules, including GDPR.
  
  
• Open Science
  Research projects developed by NOVA IMS researchers should align with NOVA University’s Open Science principles, promoting transparency, reproducibility, and responsible data sharing.
  
  
• Equity and Fair Use
  Resource allocation follows a fair-use principle to ensure balanced access across the community. No single user may hold more than 50% of available resources, and load management or queuing mechanisms may be applied where necessary.

All NOVA DAH users are expected to act with professionalism, integrity, and technical responsibility.

• Credential security
  Users are responsible for protecting their login credentials. Accounts must not be shared, and any suspected compromise must be reported immediately.
  
  
• Legal and licensing compliance
  Users must ensure that all software complies with licensing terms and that no illegal, malicious, or unlawfully distributed content is stored or executed on NOVA DAH resources.
  
  
• Data responsibility and backups
  Users are fully responsible for managing and backing up their own data, removing it within the defined allocation period, and ensuring adequate redundancy where needed. NOVA IMS assumes no liability for data loss or service interruptions.
  
  
• GDPR and sensitive data
  When processing personal or sensitive data, users must ensure full GDPR compliance, apply anonymization or pseudonymization whenever possible, and follow institutional data governance standards.
  
  
• Acknowledgement of support
  All academic or scientific outputs resulting from the use of NOVA DAH must include the following acknowledgement: “This work benefited from access to the resources of the NOVA Data & Analytics Hub (NOVA DAH), hosted at NOVA Information Management School (NOVA IMS), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa.”
  
  
• Monitoring and compliance
  NOVA IMS reserves the right to monitor usage, maintain activity logs, suspend allocations in cases of inappropriate use, and terminate access where corrective measures are not implemented.