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Foundations for Operating the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource: the NAIRR Operations Center (NAIRR-OC) is sponsored by NSF Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (CISE/OAC). Supports the operation of the National AI Research Resource.
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Foundations for Operating the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource: the NAIRR Operations Center (NAIRR-OC) | NSF - U.S. National Science Foundation Foundations for Operating the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource: the NAIRR Operations Center (NAIRR-OC) Important information for proposers and award recipients All proposals must be submitted in accordance with the requirements specified in the funding opportunity and in the Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) and its supplements .
All NSF grants and cooperative agreements are subject to the applicable set of NSF award terms and conditions . NSF has updated its research security policies for NSF funded projects.
Supports the creation of an operations center to manage and expand the National AI Research Resource, providing U.S. researchers and educators sustained access to advanced AI tools, data and expertise for innovation, workforce development and competitiveness.
Supports the creation of an operations center to manage and expand the National AI Research Resource, providing U.S. researchers and educators sustained access to advanced AI tools, data and expertise for innovation, workforce development and competitiveness.
The National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) Pilot is a pioneering public-private initiative to catalyze a competitive national artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem for discovery and innovation by connecting U.S. researchers and educators to the most advanced public and private-sector computational and data platforms, datasets, software, AI models, and technological expertise necessary to accelerate AI-driven discovery and innovation.
Beginning in January 2024, U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) – together with 14 other federal agencies and 28 private sector partners – established the NAIRR Pilot, which has immediately advanced innovative AI and science research and accelerated AI workforce training and education.
As recommended by America's AI Action Plan, the NAIRR Operations Center (NAIRR-OC) will serve as a lean and sustainable operations capability and be the focal point for operational transition from the current Pilot towards a sustainable long-term NAIRR.
This solicitation seeks proposals to establish a community-based organization that will be responsible for the foundational visioning, coordination, operations, and development activities in support of an integrated national infrastructure for AI research and education.
The resulting award would advance the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) vision for a public-private partnership to accelerate AI innovation and national competitiveness.
This NAIRR Operations Center (NAIRR-OC) will be responsible for the following overarching goals and responsibilities: Organizational leadership : Establishing the operational framework, organizational management, and success metrics for the NAIRR and its successful operations according to the vision, goals, and requirements established by the NSF and other federal partners.
Building NAIRR capabilities and community: Undertaking specific development activities in support of NAIRR stakeholders, including interfacing with partner organizations and resources, deploying a unified web portal, integrating data-focused and other resources into the NAIRR, and conducting outreach and community building activities.
Interfacing with Pilot Operations: Coordinating with existing NAIRR Pilot contributing partners and interfacing with the independently supported teams conducting NAIRR Pilot operational functions, while developing tailored plans to execute such functions via the NAIRR-OC in the future. NSF anticipates making a single award for this competition.
NSF will provide oversight of award activities via the NAIRR Program Management Office (PMO) which may include representatives from partnering agencies. The awardee from this competition may be eligible for expansion of operational responsibilities and duties in a future phase, depending on NAIRR priorities, awardee performance and availability of funds.
September 23, 2025 - NSF NAIRR-OC Solicitation Webinar Awards made through this program Browse projects funded by this program Map of recent awards made through this program Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (CISE/OAC)
Key questions and narrative sections extracted from the solicitation.
Project Summary (1 page): Overview, Intellectual Merit, and Broader Impacts
Organizational Leadership: Why is your team uniquely positioned? What are specific qualifications and relevant outcomes demonstrating capabilities?
Stakeholder Engagement: How will you engage federally-supported and private sector resource providers, and establish/support a User Forum?
Communications Strategy: How will you serve as 'voice of NAIRR' to public, users, and stakeholders? What outreach methods will you employ?
Metrics Strategy: What operational success metrics will you develop tied to NAIRR's four goals? How will you track outcomes?
Portal Implementation: What are your plans for developing, operating, and transitioning from nairrpilot.org?
Data/Models/Tools Integration: How will you assess user requirements, determine criteria for datasets/models, and interface with external data infrastructure providers?
Pilot Operations Transition: How do you propose executing allocations, user support, and other operational activities currently handled by separate teams?
Budget Justification: How does compensation for PI (>50% time) and other senior personnel align with NAIRR-OC goals?
Scoring criteria used to review proposals for this grant.
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Universities, non-profit organizations, and other eligible entities. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
Foundations for Operating the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource: the NAIRR Operations Center (NAIRR-OC) is funded by NSF Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (CISE/OAC). Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
Yes — this listing is flagged as national in scope, so applicants across the U.S. may apply, subject to the sponsor's other eligibility criteria.
Applications go through the funder's official portal — the Apply Now link on this page goes there directly.
The solicitation lists 13 required documents: Letter of Intent (required), Cover Sheet with related LOI ID number, Project Summary (1 page), Project Description (20-page limit), References Cited, and Budget and Budget Justification, among others (the full list is in the Required Documents section on this page). Check the official notice for formatting and page-limit rules.
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