Washington University in St. Louis FIRST

Washington University in St. Louis · Information Technology

Find the right research services and technologies

FIRST — the Finder for Integrated Research Services and Technologies — helps WashU researchers narrow the university's vetted options down to the ones that fit their needs, then compare them and connect with the right team.

Open the Storage Finder See all FIRST finders

Finders available

Each finder walks you through a few plain-language questions, sets aside the options that don't fit and lets you compare what remains side by side. More finders are on the way.

Storage Finder

Available

Find the right place to store research data — from cloud and campus file shares to long-term archival and specialized research platforms.

Open Storage Finder

Compute Finder

Coming soon

Find computing and high-performance resources for analysis, modeling and large or long-running workloads.

Coming soon

Survey Finder

Coming soon

Find tools for designing surveys and collecting research data securely, including options for regulated data.

Coming soon

How to use this site

FIRST is a hub. Start from the finder that matches your need — the steps are the same across every tool.

  1. 1
    Choose a finder

    Pick the finder for what you need — storage today, with compute and survey tools on the way.

  2. 2
    Answer a few questions

    Describe your data and how you'll use it. Options that don't fit are set aside as you answer.

  3. 3
    Compare and connect

    Put your finalists side by side, estimate rough cost, then reach the service owner or request what you need.

Good to know

Vetted services

Every option in these finders is a service reviewed and supported by WashU IT. Always confirm current rates, capacity and compliance details with the service owner before committing research data.

Who it's for

FIRST is for WashU researchers looking for the university's available research services and technologies.

More finders on the way

FIRST will grow to cover more of the research lifecycle. Compute and survey finders are in development and will appear in the banner above as they launch.

Get help or give feedback

WashU IT: 314-933-3333 · ithelp@wustl.edu.

Feedback on FIRST is welcome — complete the FIRST feedback form.