NSF Launches IDSS Program to Bolster National AI Infrastructure

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has taken a monumental leap forward in advancing artificial intelligence research and development with the introduction of the Integrated Data Systems and Services (IDSS) program. This ambitious initiative is designed to establish a national-scale AI infrastructure, providing the foundational cyberinfrastructure necessary for open, data-intensive, and AI-driven science and engineering.

Goals and Scope of the IDSS Program

The primary objective of the IDSS program is to support national-scale foundational data cyberinfrastructure that empowers data and AI-driven research across a multitude of scientific and engineering communities. Beyond this, the program seeks to connect diverse data sources with advanced computing resources, effectively addressing the complex data-intensive workflows inherent in modern AI research. A key focus is on enabling critical points within the data lifecycle at a national level, ensuring seamless access and utilization of vast datasets.

The scope of IDSS is broad, encompassing national-scale operational systems and services that facilitate open, data-intensive, and AI-driven science and engineering. It actively encourages transdisciplinary projects that promise a wide-ranging impact on the science and engineering research and education community.

Integration and Project Categories

A cornerstone of the IDSS program is its emphasis on integration. It aims to seamlessly blend with existing cyberinfrastructure systems and services, fostering an integrated, federated, and easily accessible advanced research cyberinfrastructure ecosystem. Crucially, systems and services awarded under IDSS will be integrated into the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) and other NSF-managed programs, creating a cohesive national AI landscape.

The program invites proposals across three distinct categories:

• Category I: Focuses on the development, deployment, and operation of novel national-scale integrated data systems and services.
• Category II: Supports the transition of established smaller-scale, regional, pilot, or prototype data-focused systems and services to national-scale production and operational quality. This also includes enhancements and expansions of existing national-scale data-focused operational systems and services.
• Category III: Provides planning grants for future potential development, deployment, transition, or enhancement of IDSS projects.

NAIRR Pilot Integration and Future Impact

The IDSS program is a vital component of the White House's AI Action Plan, working towards the overarching goal of establishing a robust national AI research resource. As part of this commitment, the NSF has already selected 10 datasets for integration into the NAIRR Pilot. This pilot serves as a shared national infrastructure, providing critical support to the AI research community and promoting the responsible use of AI technologies.

Through the IDSS program, the NSF is not just expanding infrastructure; it's cultivating an environment where AI innovation can flourish, driving scientific discovery, technological advancement, and educational enrichment for the benefit of the entire nation.