The MVAPICH project: Transforming research into high-performance MPI library for HPC community

•Brief overview of the MVAPICH project and its growth during the last 19 years.•Research Innovation of the MVAPICH project for High-Performance Computing during the last 19 years.•An in-depth description of the translational process involved in the design, development, and deployment of the production quality MPI libraries.•Impact and lessons learned from the project.