TLDR: The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has launched a new initiative, committing up to $100 million to establish a nationwide network of AI-enabled programmable cloud laboratories. Led by the Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP), this program aims to accelerate automated science and engineering, drive discoveries, and foster innovation, with an initial focus on biotechnology and materials science.
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced a significant investment of up to $100 million to create a national network of AI-enabled programmable cloud laboratories. This ambitious initiative, known as the NSF Test Bed: Toward a Network of Programmable Cloud Laboratories (NSF PCL Test Bed), is designed to expand access to cutting-edge technology and accelerate the automation of scientific discovery and innovation across the nation.
Spearheaded by the NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP), the program directly implements a key priority of the White House AI Action Plan, which emphasizes accelerating AI-enabled science through automated laboratory infrastructure. Erwin Gianchandani, NSF assistant director for TIP, highlighted the historical significance of this endeavor, stating, “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.”
The NSF PCL initiative will fund a network of laboratories that can be remotely accessed, allowing researchers to run custom, user-programmed AI-enabled workflows. These hubs are expected to integrate, test, evaluate, and validate new AI-based technologies, bringing innovative solutions into practical use during scientific and engineering experiments. The initial focus areas for this program are biotechnology and materials science, fields identified as being particularly well-positioned to benefit from the programmable cloud laboratory model.
Gianchandani further elaborated on the transformative potential, noting, “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.”
NSF TIP anticipates making up to six awards under this initiative, with each award potentially reaching up to $5 million per year for a duration of four years. Eligible applicants include higher education institutions, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit organizations. Proposals must include at least one co-principal investigator with relevant expertise in data management and AI to support the proposed activities.
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Beyond research, the initiative also emphasizes training and education, providing participants with access to advanced laboratories in classroom settings. The PCL Test Bed aims to facilitate access to sophisticated scientific equipment, accelerate the translation of basic research into industry applications, and support the development of automated laboratory methods, including self-driving autonomous experiment workflows. Full proposals for this funding opportunity are due by November 20.
