The NSF State and Regional AI Infrastructure Hubs program
will expand access to the AI infrastructure, including compute, data, and
software, required for AI-enabled scientific discovery, transforming research
and workforce development opportunities for students. Hub resources may enable
autonomous laboratories and AI-enabled research experiences across degree and
certificate programs, as well as stackable credits that build a technical
workforce equipped to leverage AI for scientific discovery.
NSF does not provide funding for acquisition of AI
infrastructure, including computing, data, software, networking, storage, cloud
services, or other AI systems or services, leaving that responsibility to
regional and state consortia. Instead, NSF serves the catalytic role of
prompting consortia to aggregate the necessary funding for procuring,
deploying, operating, and maintaining AI infrastructure through partnerships
with research institutions, industry, philanthropy, and state and local
governments. AI infrastructure resources are the foundation of a successful AI
Infrastructure Hub, access to which enables speed-to-science for meritorious
research and AI infrastructure workforce development funded by NSF.
Key goals of the State and Regional AI Infrastructure Hubs
Program are to:
- Expand Access to Compute: Empower and incentivize state or
regional consortia to provide AI infrastructure to researchers and students by
leveraging funding, expertise, and economies of scale across institutions and
other stakeholders.
Accelerate AI-Enabled Scientific Discovery: Expand access to
AI methods, tools, computing, and data infrastructure across STEM research.
Consortia may leverage state or regional initiatives such as the NSF AI-Ready
America Coordination Hubs, and support initiatives that increase faculty
experience, knowledge, and use of AI and AI infrastructure resources in STEM
courses, instructional material, and research.
Develop an AI for Science Workforce: Build a skilled
technical workforce trained to use advanced computing and data resources to
accelerate research, including degree and certificate programs with stackable
credits reflecting in-demand skills.
An AI Infrastructure Hub proposal consists of five elements:
- Hub consortium stakeholders, vision, and key deliverables.
Computing, data, and AI infrastructure.
Partnerships with regional stakeholders.
Development of an AI infrastructure workforce.
Faculty training and instructional material development to
leverage AI infrastructure for scientific discovery.
A responsive proposal must address all five elements Funding: NSF anticipates typical proposals to State and
Regional AI Infrastructure Hubs Program should request 5 years and between
$4,000,000 - $12,000,000 total budget.
Cost Sharing Requirements: Inclusion of voluntary committed
cost sharing is prohibited.
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