Oregon Universities Alliance Boosts AI & Research Infrastructure
Oregon’s public universities are embarking on a significant collaborative initiative to establish a robust statewide cyberinfrastructure, aiming to propel research and innovation in advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. This strategic effort seeks to position Oregon and its academic institutions as a leading hub for technological development.
At the forefront of this endeavor is the Cyberinfrastructure Alliance for Oregon (CIAO), spearheaded by the University of Oregon. This alliance brings together seven other public universities—Oregon State University (OSU), Oregon Health and Science University, Portland State University (PSU), Oregon Institute of Technology, Eastern Oregon University, Southern Oregon University, and Western Oregon University—alongside Link Oregon, a non-profit organization that provides high-speed broadband to public-sector and non-profit entities across the state. The project has received initial funding, including a $200,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
A foundational step for CIAO involves conducting a comprehensive cyberinfrastructure plan and needs assessment. According to Christy Long, Associate CIO for Technology Infrastructure at the University of Oregon, this assessment will identify the specific requirements for each university, including those for large research centers, collaborative projects, technology-enhanced curricula, and current bottlenecks impeding progress. The goal is to align these needs with national resources and engage a broad spectrum of the academic community, from students and researchers to faculty and administrators.
A key objective of such collaborations is to decentralize cutting-edge research computing, moving it beyond a single flagship campus like the University of Oregon. Instead, the focus is on enhancing technological capabilities across all state universities. This approach is designed to advance Oregon’s standing as a center for innovation-driven research and to foster growth in high-tech employment.
Complementing CIAO is the Oregon Regional Computing Accelerator (Orca), an adjacent project that also secured a $1 million NSF grant last year. Orca operates Oregon’s first statewide, regional cyberinfrastructure cluster, providing a free-to-access network of high-capacity computers equipped with Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). These GPUs are essential for demanding AI and machine learning tasks. Orca’s development was significantly supported by funding from OSU alumni Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA, and his wife, Lori Huang.
Will Pazner, an assistant professor in PSU’s Fariborz Maseeh Department of Mathematics and Statistics, emphasized the importance of Orca for smaller and under-resourced institutions. He noted that while GPUs are critical for AI, machine learning, computational science, and data science, their cost can be prohibitive. Orca addresses this by offering free access across the region, thereby democratizing access to high-performance computing.
Another crucial component of this emerging cyberinfrastructure is the development of a 400-gigabit network connecting campuses statewide. This high-speed network is vital for supporting the escalating demands of AI and the massive datasets associated with it. Mark Keever, OSU’s Executive Director for Advanced Research Computing Services, highlighted that this level of connectivity is democratizing research computing across all disciplines, extending beyond traditional engineering and science fields to include areas like liberal arts that increasingly handle large datasets.
OSU is actively upgrading its core network backbone to 400 gigabits and plans to establish a separate 400-gigabit network on campus to link four major research buildings. This robust networking capability is considered a strategic enabler for research, education, and innovation throughout Oregon, particularly given the increasingly collaborative nature of modern scientific research, which often involves aggregating data distributed across various geographic locations.
The process of advanced data analysis typically involves data moving from collection points through digital platforms for preprocessing and formatting, then transferring to high-performance computing clusters, supercomputers, or cloud environments for advanced AI and machine learning analysis. A 400-gigabit network backbone ensures seamless data movement across this entire pipeline, from edge devices to core computing resources.
Practical applications for such a high-speed network are diverse and impactful. Examples include the Ocean Observatories Initiative at Oregon State University, which collects over seven terabytes of oceanographic data monthly from approximately 900 sensors. Portland State University’s Digital City Testbed Center generates about 10 terabytes of smart city data each month. Additionally, the University of Oregon’s Oregon Hazards Lab produces large volumes of data from wildfire research and monitoring networks.
These combined efforts, particularly through CIAO, aim to consolidate resources and projects into a cohesive statewide strategy. This strategy is designed to solidify Oregon’s position as a leader in innovation and cyber research across multiple academic disciplines and, notably, across numerous campuses. As the demand for a highly skilled tech workforce accelerates, these initiatives will enable skilled workers to collaborate with researchers and educators, integrating cutting-edge computational tools and resources into both classrooms and research laboratories.
CIAO will also expand the membership of Oregon’s statewide Research Computing Community of Practice (CoP) to include representatives from all eight public institutions. This forum will facilitate sharing campus updates and focused discussions on critical topics such as identity and access management, data management, security, and compliance.
By aligning Oregon’s cyberinfrastructure with emerging national standards and enhancing access to advanced technologies, this collaborative effort is expected to stimulate statewide economic growth. This will be achieved by attracting research funding, supporting innovation-driven industries, and cultivating a highly skilled technical workforce ready to meet the demands of the future.