Foundations for Operating the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource: the NAIRR Operations Center (NAIRR-OC) | 25 546

Opportunity Information: Apply for 25 546

This NSF grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 25-546) is aimed at standing up the NAIRR Operations Center (NAIRR-OC), a dedicated, community-based organization that will help move the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource from its current pilot phase into a more permanent, long-term national capability. The NAIRR Pilot, launched in January 2024, is a large public-private partnership led by NSF alongside 14 other federal agencies and 28 private-sector partners. Its central purpose is to strengthen the U.S. AI research and education ecosystem by giving researchers and educators better access to high-end compute and data platforms, high-value datasets, software and tools, AI models, and the technical expertise needed to use these resources effectively. The pilot is positioned as a practical way to speed up AI-enabled discovery and innovation while also expanding workforce training and education in AI-related fields.

The NAIRR-OC is described as the operational hub that will make the transition from a time-limited pilot into a sustainable national infrastructure possible. In practical terms, NSF is looking to fund one organization that can provide lean, durable coordination and day-to-day operational capability for NAIRR as it matures. The selected awardee would be expected to function as the focal point for planning and execution across a complex set of stakeholders, including federal partners, private-sector contributors, and the broader research and education community. The solicitation is framed as “foundational” work: the award is meant to establish core operating approaches, build coordination mechanisms, and deliver the kind of integration work that turns a collection of contributing resources into an accessible, coherent national resource for AI R and D and training.

The responsibilities of the NAIRR-OC are grouped into three big themes. First is organizational leadership, meaning the awardee must create and run an operational framework for NAIRR, manage the organization effectively, and define success metrics that align with the vision and requirements set by NSF and the other federal partners. Second is building NAIRR capabilities and community, which includes hands-on development and stakeholder support such as interfacing with partner organizations and resource providers, deploying a unified web portal, integrating data-focused and other resources into the NAIRR environment, and carrying out outreach and community-building so that researchers, educators, and other users can actually discover, access, and benefit from what NAIRR offers. Third is interfacing with pilot operations, where the new operations center will coordinate with the existing pilot’s contributing partners and connect with the independently supported teams currently performing pilot operational functions, while also producing practical transition plans to bring those operational functions under the NAIRR-OC in the future.

NSF expects to make a single award under this competition, which makes it more like selecting a national operator than funding a set of unrelated projects. Oversight will come through the NAIRR Program Management Office (PMO), and that oversight may include representatives from other partnering agencies, reflecting the cross-government nature of NAIRR. The solicitation also signals potential growth: depending on NAIRR priorities, the awardee’s performance, and available funding, the initial set of responsibilities could expand in a later phase, suggesting that NSF is treating this as an on-ramp to a broader operational role as NAIRR evolves.

Eligibility is broad but specific to U.S.-based entities capable of operating at national scale. Proposals may be submitted by U.S.-based for-profit organizations (including small businesses) with strong scientific or engineering research or education capabilities, and by non-profit, non-academic organizations such as independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, and professional societies that are directly tied to research or educational activities. Institutions of Higher Education are also eligible, including both two-year and four-year accredited colleges and universities with a U.S. campus, acting on behalf of faculty members. Other Federal Agencies and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers may apply as well, but they must follow NSF’s PAPPG guidance on eligibility limitations for those entities. If an applicant plans to send funds to an international branch campus of a U.S. institution (including via subawards or consultants), the proposal must clearly explain why work at that branch campus benefits the project and why the activities cannot be carried out at the U.S. campus.

From a timing and administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant in NSF’s science and technology R and D category (CFDA 47.070). The posted closing date is February 4, 2026, and the opportunity was created on September 2, 2025. While the public listing shows placeholders for items like award ceiling and expected awards, the narrative makes clear NSF’s intention to fund one lead organization that can coordinate the operational transition and provide the backbone services needed to make NAIRR function as an integrated, national-scale AI research and education resource.

• The U.S. National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Foundations for Operating the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource: the NAIRR Operations Center (NAIRR-OC)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.070.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-09-02.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-02-04. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for 25 546

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