The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced an $83 million investment through its Integrated Data Systems and Services (IDSS) program to strengthen the data infrastructure that supports AI-driven scientific research. The initiative will expand national-scale data systems, making it easier for researchers to collect, store, share, and analyze scientific data while integrating these resources with advanced computing and artificial intelligence tools. The investment is designed to accelerate scientific discovery and reinforce the United States' leadership in AI and research infrastructure.
The funding will support several major projects, including Fabric for AI-Driven Science (FabAID), led by the Morgridge Institute for Research, which will build a national data fabric connecting repositories, computing resources, and cyberinfrastructure. Another flagship initiative, the National Data Platform (NDP) led by the University of California San Diego, will create an AI-ready ecosystem that integrates distributed datasets, computing facilities, and AI resources to enable scalable and reproducible scientific workflows.
NSF says the program will improve interoperability between scientific datasets, AI models, software, and high-performance computing resources while giving researchers access to shared platforms that simplify data discovery and reuse across disciplines. Additional projects, such as UCLA's Interactive Discovery Laboratory (iDLab), will provide browser-based access to computing and data resources, supporting AI-enabled research as well as STEM education and workforce development.
The investment complements broader U.S. initiatives, including the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) and the White House's Genesis Mission, which aim to build a robust AI research ecosystem. By strengthening the nation's scientific data infrastructure, NSF hopes to enable researchers to focus less on managing data and more on generating AI-powered discoveries, accelerating innovation across fields ranging from engineering and healthcare to climate science and advanced manufacturing.
