U.S. National Science Foundation Launches NAIRR Pilot Program with NVIDIA Support

Bits Logics Team . 25th Jan 2024

• The U.S. NSF has unveiled the NAIRR pilot program, receiving substantial backing from NVIDIA. 
• The initiative aims to democratize access to essential tools for responsible AI discovery and innovation.
• NVIDIA has committed $30 million in technology contributions over two years, playing a crucial role in expanding the pilot’s scale.

In a significant step towards establishing a shared national research infrastructure, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has unveiled the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) pilot program, receiving substantial backing from NVIDIA. The initiative, announced in collaboration with 10 federal agencies, private-sector entities, nonprofits, and philanthropic organizations, aims to democratize access to essential tools for responsible AI discovery and innovation.

NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan emphasized the urgency of developing a National AI Research Resource for the future of AI in America. The program seeks to unleash discovery, impact, and enhance global competitiveness by investing in AI research.

NVIDIA has committed $30 million in technology contributions over two years, playing a crucial role in expanding the pilot’s scale. This financial support is expected to fuel broader achievements and expedite progress towards full-scale implementation.

Katie Antypas, Director of the Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure at NSF, described NAIRR as a vision for a national research infrastructure providing access to computing, data, models, and software to empower researchers and communities. The pilot’s primary goals include supporting fundamental AI research, facilitating domain-specific research applying AI, reaching underserved communities in the AI innovation ecosystem, and refining the design for the future full NAIRR.

NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang highlighted that AI’s transformative potential can be fully realized with broad access to its capabilities. The collaboration with scientific centers aims to significantly scale up educational and workforce training programs, enhancing AI literacy and skill development across the scientific community.

Tess DeBlanc-Knowles, NSF’s special assistant to the director for artificial intelligence, emphasized the core role of partnerships in the NAIRR pilot. The collaboration of government, industry, nonprofits, and philanthropies is seen as essential to advancing AI and trustworthy AI initiatives.

NVIDIA’s collaboration with scientific centers is expected to enhance AI literacy and skill development across the scientific community. The insights gathered from researchers using NVIDIA’s platform will contribute to refining and enhancing the effectiveness of its technology for scientific applications, fostering continuous advancements in AI applications.

In conclusion, the NAIRR pilot program marks a collaborative effort towards establishing a national AI research infrastructure, with NVIDIA’s significant support playing a key role in driving its success.