The U.S. National Science Foundation has announced a new partnership with Voltage Park to expand the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) pilot, a public-private initiative designed to boost American AI innovation and competitiveness. Voltage Park, a company focused on broadening access to AI infrastructure, will contribute one million NVIDIA H100 GPU hours to help researchers nationwide pursue breakthrough AI innovations across science, engineering, health, climate, and other fields.
What you should know: The NAIRR pilot is a two-year proof-of-concept launched in 2024 to inform the development of a full-scale national AI research infrastructure.
- The pilot connects researchers to computational, data, software, model, training, and user support resources essential for advancing AI research and workforce development.
- It brings together 12 federal agencies and 27 partners from private sector, nonprofit, and philanthropic communities in a whole-of-nation approach.
- Voltage Park’s team will work closely with NAIRR operations staff to match researchers with appropriate resources and provide expert support.
Why this matters: The partnership addresses a critical barrier to AI innovation by democratizing access to high-performance computing infrastructure that many researchers cannot afford independently.
- By expanding access to advanced computing resources, the initiative aims to unlock innovation from a more diverse and representative set of researchers.
- This inclusivity approach is viewed as essential for driving truly impactful AI development and maintaining America’s competitive edge in global innovation.
What they’re saying: Leadership from both organizations emphasized the strategic importance of the collaboration.
- “Voltage Park’s participation significantly strengthens our ability to deliver on the promise of the NAIRR pilot,” said Brian Stone, performing the duties of the NSF director. “By partnering with visionary private sector organizations like Voltage Park, we are expanding the frontiers of AI research and ensuring that the US continues to lead in AI innovation.”
- “Expanding access to advanced computing is not just a technical initiative—it’s a strategic priority,” said Ozan Kaya, Chief Executive Officer of Voltage Park. “By lowering the barriers to high-performance AI infrastructure, we can unlock innovation from a more diverse and representative set of researchers. That inclusivity is what drives truly impactful AI—and strengthens our national edge in the global innovation landscape.”
The big picture: This partnership represents a significant expansion of the federal government’s efforts to maintain American leadership in AI through strategic public-private collaboration.
- The initiative reflects growing recognition that AI competitiveness depends not just on having cutting-edge technology, but on ensuring broad access to the computational resources needed for breakthrough research.
- By combining federal coordination with private sector expertise and resources, the NAIRR pilot serves as a model for how the U.S. can leverage both public and private capabilities to drive national AI priorities.
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