Edge was recently awarded the prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) EArly-Concept Grant for Exploratory Research (EAGER) for the project, EAGER: Empowering the AI Research Community through Facilitation, Access, and Collaboration. This groundbreaking initiative enhances the role of Campus Champions, research computing facilitators at academic institutions, to expand access to advanced artificial intelligence (AI) resources, and foster collaborations that democratize AI research.
The project addresses significant opportunities in AI research by connecting the research community at various types of institutions with critical tools and expertise. Through mentorship and opportunities to participate in key conferences such as the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) Pilot annual meeting, the Practice and Experience in Advanced Research Computing (PEARC) conference, and the International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage, and Analysis (SC), the initiative empowers Campus Champions to strengthen research capabilities at their institutions. Campus Champions will also participate in discipline-specific conferences, contribute training materials to NAIRR’s resource repository, and engage in partnerships with peer organizations like the Campus Research Computing Consortium (CaRCC).
“The NSF EAGER award is a testament to the transformative power of collaboration and facilitation in advancing AI research. By equipping Campus Champions with the tools and opportunities to bridge resource gaps, this project fosters innovation and inclusivity across the research community.”
— Forough Ghahramani, Ed.D.
Principal Investigator (PI) of the project and Assistant Vice President for Research and Innovation, Edge
Forough Ghahramani, Principal Investigator (PI) of the project and Vice President of Research and Innovation, Edge, comments, “The NSF EAGER award is a testament to the transformative power of collaboration and facilitation in advancing AI research. By equipping Campus Champions with the tools and opportunities to bridge resource gaps, this project fosters innovation and inclusivity across the research community.” Continues Ghahramani, “I am excited to work alongside co-PIs and the Campus Champion Leadership team to strengthen the network of Champions and promote access to AI resources for institutions nationwide.”
PI and Co-Principal Investigators include:
- Forough Ghahramani (PI), Ed.D., Vice President for Research and Innovation
- Marina Kraeva, Ph.D., Manager, High Performance Computing, Iowa State University of Science and Technology
- Cynthia Burrows, Director of Research IT Services, University of California, San Diego
- Michael D. Weiner, Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist and Research Computing Facilitator, Georgia Institute of Technology
“For almost 20 years campus champions have been assisting researchers at their institutions in using national cyberinfrastructure resources. As the CI field evolves, champions must stay updated on new technologies and resources. The NSF EAGER award enables campus champions to gain insights into AI research and NAIRR offerings by attending conferences and networking with peers.” – Marina Kraeva, Iowa State University
“The EAGER award demonstrates the value of the Campus Champions community of research computing and data professionals, enabling us to spread awareness of the NAIRR Pilot’s resources for AI research and education while we develop new skills to facilitate AI research at our institutions.” – Michael Weiner, Georgia Institute of Technology
“The Campus Champions community encompasses a broad range of highly-connected and skilled research computing and data (RCD) professionals who are continuously expanding their scope of capabilities. This NSF EAGER award will accelerate their ability to effectively contribute to AI-focused projects at their home institutions, and will enhance the already active and collaborative communication and sharing of knowledge within this community.” – Cynthia Burrows, University of California, San Diego
The project aligns with the National Science Foundation’s mission to advance science, health, prosperity, and equity. By expanding the Campus Champions program, it supports a diverse community of researchers, helping them overcome challenges in AI research through access to national resources and targeted mentorship. Together, the team will work to expand opportunities for various types of academic institutions, fostering an innovative AI research ecosystem.
The Edge proposal was submitted in response to the Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), NSF 24093, announcement about NSF’s interest in receiving EAGER proposals and supplemental funding requests for National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) Demonstration Projects to highlight innovative use cases and technologies that make use of the NAIRR Pilot.
About the NAIRR Pilot
The National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) Pilot, led by the Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (OAC) of the National Science Foundation (NSF), has been launched as a proof of concept to demonstrate the value and potential impact of the NAIRR concept as described in the NAIRR Task Force Report.
The NAIRR Pilot aims to address researcher needs by increasing access to a diverse ensemble of AI-related infrastructure resources including computational capabilities, AI-ready datasets, pre-trained models, software systems and platforms. In addition to facilitating for researchers and educators, important aspects of the vision for the NAIRR Pilot includes reaching new and broad communities; fostering positive end user experiences; and building a NAIRR pilot user community. More information about the NAIRR Pilot can be found at the NAIRR Pilot NSF site and at nairrpilot.org.”
To learn more about Edge’s commitment to initiatives of this nature, visit njedge.net/research/resources-featured-research-reports.
