RAI Lab resource guide

Request HiPerGator access with the right details in hand.

Use this guide when your work is supported by RAI Lab resources. Confirm your identity path, sponsor, and sponsored group before opening the official request form.

Open request page Start the checklist

Reviewed September 8, 2026. Official UFRC documentation controls if procedures change.

ACCESS PATH RAI LAB

Identity your institution

Public key SSH .pub file

Sponsor RAI Lab approval

HiPerGator group access

least-privilege access 01 / 04

Quick path

Five moves from preparation to access

The account request and the RAI Lab resource membership are connected, but they are not the same record.

Confirm sponsor

Ask your RAI Lab faculty lead or resource manager for the exact sponsor and sponsored group.

Create a key pair

Generate an SSH key pair locally and keep the private key on your own device.

Choose identity

Use your own institution's credentials and institutional email in the official request path.

Submit and verify

Complete the form, confirm the email, accept the terms, and wait for sponsor approval.

Test a small job

Verify your account, group, storage path, and login before launching a large workload.

Do not guess the group name. A sponsor, group, and allocation are related but distinct. Confirm the exact values with the RAI Lab resource manager before applying.

Choose your identity

Use credentials that belong to you

Your login identity and your RAI Lab resource sponsor are different things. Choose the path that matches your actual institution.

Recommended for FSU

FSU student or staff

Select Federated Account Request, choose Florida State University, and authenticate with your FSU credentials and FSU email.

Federated

Another federated institution

If your home institution appears in the UFRC liaison list, select it and use that institution's credentials and email.

Confirm first

External, no federation

Ask your FSU faculty sponsor to confirm the official affiliate-account or GatorLink path. Never invent an FSU identity or use someone else's credentials.

Identity is not sponsorship. An external student may use a home-institution identity while an FSU faculty sponsor authorizes access to RAI Lab resources.

Before applying

Have these details ready

0/5

ready to apply

Your institutional email: FSU email for FSU users, or your home-institution email for external users Your actual organization, not automatically Florida State University The exact RAI Lab faculty sponsor and sponsored group; confirm both before applying A short description of the project or work that needs access An SSH public key file, such as ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_hipergator.pub

If the sponsor or group is unclear, pause and ask the RAI Lab resource manager. A request under the wrong sponsor or institution can delay account creation and group access.

SSH public key

Create the key before opening the form

Upload or paste the file ending in .pub. The private key should never leave your device.

Linux or macOS

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your_institutional_email" -f ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_hipergator
cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_hipergator.pub

Windows PowerShell

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your_institutional_email" -f $env:USERPROFILE/.ssh/id_ed25519_hipergator
type $env:USERPROFILE/.ssh/id_ed25519_hipergator.pub

Keep this distinction clear: id_ed25519_hipergator.pub is public. The file without .pub is private and must stay private.

Submit the request

Follow the official form in one browser session

Use one complete request with consistent identity, sponsor, project, and public-key information.

1
Open Request HiPerGator Account.
2
Choose Federated Account Request. Select Florida State University for FSU users; otherwise select your home institution if it is listed.
3
Enter your legal name, institutional email, actual organization, confirmed sponsor, and project details.
4
Paste or upload the public key as directed. Do not upload the private key.
5
Finish the form in the same browser session. If it resets, contact UFRC Support instead of creating conflicting requests.
6
Open the confirmation email, accept the terms and conditions, and complete any remaining verification step.
7
Wait for sponsor approval. UFRC documentation says account creation commonly takes two to three business days after approval.

Comments template

I am a [FSU student/staff member OR student/researcher at HOME INSTITUTION] working with Professor [FULL NAME] in the RAI Lab. I am requesting HiPerGator access for [PROJECT OR PURPOSE] using the RAI Lab sponsored resources. My institutional email is [EMAIL]. Please associate my account with the appropriate sponsored group after sponsor approval.

Replace every bracketed field before submitting. External students should keep their home institution and institutional email in the form.

After approval

Verify the account before starting a large job

Complete required onboarding, then test an interactive login and a small job so the access path is easy to diagnose.

SSH login

ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_hipergator YOUR_HIPERGATOR_USERNAME@hpg.rc.ufl.edu

Username

Use the HiPerGator username in your account email. It may differ from the local part of your institutional email.

Network access

Follow current UFRC network guidance. Federated SSH access may require eduVPN before connecting.

Allocation check

Confirm your default group, Slurm account, storage path, and the RAI Lab allocation you are expected to use.

Existing account

Do not submit a second account request

If you already have a HiPerGator account, ask the RAI Lab resource manager whether your existing username should be added to the relevant group or allocation. If a UFRC ticket is needed, include your HiPerGator username, institutional email, home institution if applicable, faculty sponsor, requested group, and a short project description.

Membership is a separate workflow. A group-membership request is different from an account request. Keep the existing account and use the support workflow for membership or allocation changes.

FAQ

Common questions

What if the sponsor is not listed?

Do not select an unrelated sponsor. Confirm that the faculty sponsor has an active HiPerGator group and ask the RAI Lab resource manager or UFRC Support for the correct path.

What if the confirmation email never arrives?

Check spam or junk folders first. If it is still missing, contact UFRC Support with your name, institutional email, submission time, and sponsor.

Can I request access to a second group later?

Yes, when the additional group is approved. Keep the existing account and request the additional membership through the responsible manager or UFRC Support.

Can an external student use this guide?

Yes, if an FSU faculty sponsor confirms the work and the student follows the identity path for their home institution. Resource access is never automatic.

Official references

Use UFRC documentation for current policy

This guide explains the RAI Lab context. The official UFRC pages control when requirements or procedures change.

Request HiPerGator Account Federated Account Request Federated Account Liaisons From Zero to HiPerGator Connecting with SSH Using SSH Keys UFRC Support RAI Lab GitHub