NSF establishes operations center for the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource

The U.S. National Science Foundation is establishing the NSF National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource Operations Center (NSF NAIRR-OC) to strengthen the nation's capacity for AI research and AI-enabled scientific discovery. The investment will provide the operational foundation for NAIRR, a national public-private effort designed to expand access to advanced AI research capabilities and expertise, contributing to American leadership in science and technology.

Working closely with the agency, NSF NAIRR-OC will serve as the operational backbone of NAIRR. It will coordinate participating resource providers; integrate computing, data, models and tools; operate the national NAIRR portal; and provide support and training to users. The center will also gather input from the research community to continually improve NAIRR's capabilities and lead the transition of appropriate functions from the NAIRR pilot into the long-term national infrastructure.

The NAIRR pilot has demonstrated both the demand for and the impact of a national approach to AI infrastructure. Since its launch in 2024, the pilot has supported over 800 research projects and thousands of innovators and students nationwide. With over 25 private-sector partners, including major technology leaders and nonprofit organizations, this novel public-private partnership has expanded access to resources that have enabled research, educational and workforce development activities that otherwise may have been difficult or impossible to pursue. NAIRR-OC will build on this progress by transforming successful elements of the pilot into a sustained national capability.

Led by the San Diego Supercomputer Center at UC San Diego, in collaboration with the Texas Advanced Computing Center at The University of Texas at Austin, the operating center will bring complementary expertise and decades of experience developing and operating national-scale research infrastructure. UC San Diego is home to the San Diego Supercomputer Center and leads the NSF-supported National Data Platform and National Research Platform, in addition to supporting advanced computing platforms. The University of Texas at Austin is home to the Texas Advanced Computing Center and will lead the NSF Leadership-Class Computing Facility.

Together, the institutions have supported millions of users, coordinated efforts across federal agencies and research organizations, and managed complex, multiyear initiatives with measurable outcomes. This combined expertise will provide the technical capacity, governance and accountability needed to operate a national resource that can evolve alongside rapid advances in AI.

In addition, the NAIRR-OC will coordinate with projects supported through three NSF programs. The NSF State and Regional AI Infrastructure Hubs program will bring together research institutions, government, industry and philanthropy to expand regional access to computing resources and develop the workforce needed to use them. The NSF Integrated Data Systems and Services program supports national-scale data infrastructure for AI-driven research. The NSF Unlocking Dataset Value for AI-Enabled Scientific Discovery focuses on increasing the value of existing scientific datasets and enabling new AI-driven insights, interdisciplinary research and investigations. Connecting these regional resources, national data systems and scientific datasets with capabilities available through NAIRR will create a stronger national ecosystem for AI-enabled scientific discovery.

The NAIRR-OC will work closely with federal and private-sector resource providers, strengthening the public-private partnership model that enables researchers to benefit from rapidly evolving AI capabilities, advancing open, foundational and translational research.

By bringing together shared national infrastructure, expertise and partnerships across universities, government and industry, the center will enable more researchers and institutions nationwide to contribute to AI innovation, address complex national challenges and translate discoveries into benefits for the nation.

Learn more about the current NAIRR opportunities.