Tillicum: GPU-Accelerated Research Computing Platform


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Tillicum poster with Top500 and Green500 results.

 

Data for image pulled on January 13, 2026. Tillicum debuted on the Top500 list in November 2025 at number 185, which is number 7 across supercomputers in United States higher education, and number 51 on the Green500. 
 

Overview

Tillicum is the University of Washington’s next-generation, GPU-accelerated computing platform designed to support cutting-edge research, teaching, and learning in AI, machine learning, data science, and scientific simulation. Operated by UW-IT Research Computing, Tillicum provides scalable, high-throughput, GPU-accelerated computing without requiring hardware ownership. 

Tillicum is part of the integrated research cyberinfrastructure at UW, offering a flexible, usage-based access model for time-bound projects requiring GPU performance at scale. 

Named after the Chinook Jargon word Tillicum, meaning "the people", the platform celebrates the collaborative spirit of research at UW and honors the Coast Salish peoples on whose land we learn and work. 

Key Features 

Tillicum is built for GPU-accelerated performance and large-scale scientific workflows. Key features include:

Business Model and Pricing

Tillicum operates under a usage-based allocation model, offering researchers access to GPU-accelerated computing and storage for defined project periods. Researchers only pay for the compute time they used under a pay-as-you-go model. Unlike Hyak Klone, there are no slot fees or hardware purchases - pricing reflects on-demand, project-based compute access. Tillicum is exempt from indirect (F&A) costs. 

Pay-as-you-go by the GPU Hour

On Tillicum, computing units are "GPU Hours" and are applied to all jobs scheduled with Slurm including debugging and testing.

Tillicum Usage Rates
 
GPU Hour = Elapsed Time x N GPUs
 
Usage Rate: $0.90/GPU Hour - Billing is monthly and handled as a subscription in UW-IT's ITBill system.
 
Every scheduled job on Tillicum is subject to a the usage rate and requires at least 1 GPU (141GB RAM).
  • Jobs are bound by a maximum of ~200GB system RAM and 8 CPUs.
  • If more system RAM or more CPUs are required, additional GPUs must be added.
 

Tillicum processes not subject to charge:

Storage Policy

Tillicum provides high-speed, temporary storage designed for active computation. Every user has a home directory by default, project/lab dedicated storage, and scrubbed storage for temporary overflow use.

We will constantly evaluate this policy based on user feedback.

Get this Service

  1. Submit a Tillicum Access Intake Form.
  2. Provide a description of:
    • Research goals
    • Required compute resources
    • Expected timeline

Our team will review your request and get back to you with next steps. Tillicum access is typically delivered within 7 business days after a billing worktag has been received. 

Eligibility

Tillicum is available to:

Restrictions

Not supported:

HIPAA-regulated data

By default, UWIT Research Computing services are not approved for use with HIPAA-regulated Protected Health Information (PHI), as data stored on our systems is not encrypted at rest. Use of PHI for research may be permitted only after a formal approval process reviewed and authorized by the UW Medicine Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), and any workflow—including data transfer or encryption applied by the user—must be approved in advance. Researchers should consult and use the UW Medicine–approved HIPAA Authorization template and review the COMP.103 Use and Disclosure of PHI policy for full requirements before requesting approval.

Complete UW Medicine Patient Information Privacy Policies

Support and Availability

User support

Service Team Support

Related Services

Questions