Custom Research Website Requests
Scenario: A research group wants to host a website or web-facing showcase of their work / custom application written and maintained by the research group, typically on a self-managed machine.

In order to ensure compliance with federal and university guidelines for security, accessibility, branding, and support, CSE-IT is providing the following guidance for new research website requests.

Drupal Lite or Google Sites for Lab/Group Information

The College of Science and Engineering requires that all faculty research group and personal pages be hosted on University-supported platforms: Drupal Lite or Google Sites.

Information such as group overviews, members, publications, and news can be provided on these platforms. Custom applications, which historically may have been directly integrated into websites, should be considered separately and follow the guidelines below.

Application Hosting

Features that cannot be implemented in Drupal Lite or Google sites will be evaluated on a case by case basis, but will still need to meet University policies for accessibility, branding, and security.

Wherever possible, applications like these should be hosted on managed university hardware/VMs or on approved cloud platforms.

Using third party hosting platforms such as fly.io, or other third-party applications with a web interface, requires contract approval from UIS and OGC and will take months to complete. These tools are not recommended without a well-defined business case and documentation of why already available platforms cannot meet the needs.

No New Hosting on Self-Managed Machines

CSE-IT will not grant new firewall requests to enable world-facing web access from user-managed machines. This includes the standard https ports and custom ports for web traffic.

Documentation

In order to maintain accurate records of applications served from within the college, the following documentation will be required:

Application Overview

Please provide a brief overview of the custom application including:

  • A brief description of the application, its features, and its audience
  • The language(s) and frameworks used
  • Any information on the application's expected lifespan
  • Contact information for the faculty responsible (this will ensure continuity as student participation changes)

Accessibility

The college will require the completion of a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template for any custom applications that are publicly available - these include demos or proofs of concept . The CSE Accessibility team will follow up with additional information.

Exception Requests

If you believe your site or application requires an exception, please contact [email protected]  with documentation of the features, the business need, the desired platform, and how university-supported tools cannot meet the need. Your exception request will be reviewed by members of the CSE Accessibility, Security, and Software & Web Development teams. If an exception request is denied, they will provide guidance on how the requested features can be accomplished within existing platforms.