The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced a new funding opportunity this week that aims to invest up to $100 million to support a network of “programmable cloud laboratories,” enabled by AI.
The NSF Test Bed: Toward a Network of Programmable Cloud Laboratories (NSF PCL Test Bed) will be led by the NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (NSF TIP). The initiative will look to establish remotely accessible labs across the country to test and evaluate the capabilities of AI-based technologies.
The program implements a priority of the White House’s recently issued AI Action Plan to accelerate AI-enabled science through automated laboratory infrastructure.
“The idea of a national network of programmable cloud laboratories builds on NSF’s longstanding legacy of transformative investments – such as NSFNET decades ago – that paved the way for the modern internet,” Erwin Gianchandani, NSF assistant director for TIP, said in an Aug. 5 press release.
The program’s initial focus will be on biotechnology and materials science. The PCL initiative will also invest in education by offering participants access to advanced laboratories in classroom settings.
NSF TIP expects to make up to six awards – each up to $5 million per year for four years – to higher education institutions, nonprofits, and for-profit organizations.
Organizations that are interested in submitting a proposal must do so by Nov. 20.
“The PCL initiative will transform how U.S. researchers conduct scientific experiments. It will accelerate scientific progress by advancing AI-enabled technologies that form the backbone of the automated science revolution. This is a crucial step toward addressing the growing need to generate and interpret large volumes of high-quality experimental data in biotechnology, materials science, chemistry and other laboratory sciences,” Gianchandani added.