Initiative overview
The key goals of NAIRR are:
- Accelerate AI and AI-powered discovery and innovation.
- Expand the AI workforce and train the next generation of AI researchers and educators.
- Increase capacity, integration and use of world-class public and private-sector AI resources.
- Advance AI interpretability, security and trust.
Initially established as a pilot in 2024, the NAIRR concept has become a proven national research infrastructure, supporting more than 600 research projects and 6,000 students across all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. By partnering with 13 other federal agencies and 28 nongovernmental partners, NAIRR bridges a gap that neither the private sector nor government can address alone: making available the tools to enable early, high-risk, high-reward research activities and building foundational AI capabilities long before they are commercially viable.
The pilot phase of NAIRR validated the importance of a coordinated national AI infrastructure and was recognized in the White House Science and Technology Highlights: Year One report. Building on this success, and consistent with the White House AI Action Plan, NSF has released an opportunity to establish the NAIRR Operations Center to transition NAIRR from a pilot to a sustained national capability.
The next phase of NAIRR will establish a lean, long-term operational structure that, through continued partnerships with leading technology companies, expands access to world-class resources and creates practical pathways for researchers, startups and small businesses to participate in a competitive, open and innovative AI ecosystem, directly advancing the AI Action Plan's directive to foster open, innovative and competitive AI development.
