Rafael Ferreira da Silva
Section Head (interim) ยท Senior Research Scientist
I am a Senior Research Scientist and Section Head (Interim) for Data and AI Systems research in the Computer Science and Mathematics division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), leading research and development in AI, data and agentic workflows, and advanced computing systems. I am also leading a task for OLCF's next supercomputer (Discovery) focused on developing and evaluating workflow benchmarks.
Leadership & Strategic Programs
As section head, I provide strategic and operational leadership for 45+ researchers across five groups (AI/ML, visualization, data workflows, engineering, and performance systems) and drive program development efforts that have secured $65M+ in funded awards across 21 proposals in autonomous laboratories, scientific workflows, cyberinfrastructure, and AI-driven analytics. I also lead a task for OLCF's next supercomputer (Discovery) focused on developing and evaluating workflow benchmarks.
I am a co-PI for the Transformational AI model consortium (ModCon), part of the DOE Genesis Mission to build and deploy self-improving AI models for science, engineering, and energy missions. I also serve as PI for a DOE-funded project on robotics and automated laboratories, leveraging embodied AI and advanced automation to transform laboratory environments and experimental workflows.
Systems Research & Community
My research sits at the intersection of advanced distributed systems and scientific innovation, spanning scientific workflows, agentic workflows and provenance capture, autonomous science, and hybrid quantum-classical systems. I provide strategic direction and leadership for scheduling, modeling, and optimization methods that scale across cloud, edge, and HPC environments, accelerating discovery and ensuring robust, trustworthy computational pipelines.
Additionally, as the Founder and Executive Director of the Workflows Community Initiative, I foster collaboration and advancement in workflows research and development, connecting researchers and practitioners to share knowledge and drive innovation. I am also a co-Founder of the Autonomous Science Network. Previously, I led the Workflow and Ecosystem Services (WES) group within the National Center for Computational Sciences (NCCS). I am a Senior Member of IEEE and ACM.
Professional Facts
A snapshot of scholarship, service, and funded impact.
Research Projects
Flagship initiatives with measurable impact across the workflows and cyberinfrastructure communities.
Get in Touch
Open to collaborations, invited talks, and research partnerships.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
P.O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, TN, USA 37831
silvarf@ornl.gov
+1 865-341-1894 (Office)