Since its inception in 1996, Internet2 has been a cornerstone of collaborative research, initially through its pioneering national network, then expanding its impact through federated identity and access management with InCommon, and more recently via its advanced cloud solutions. A critical juncture in its evolving mission occurred in 2019 with the appointment of Dana Brunson as executive director for research engagement. Brunson, tasked with building a robust team, has since steered Internet2’s efforts to democratize access to cutting-edge research cyberinfrastructure for its diverse community. This strategic focus addresses the escalating demands of modern research computing and data in higher education, striving to bridge a significant access gap that historically disadvantages institutions of varying types and sizes.
The Evolving Landscape of Research Cyberinfrastructure
Modern scientific inquiry, across nearly every discipline, has become inextricably linked with sophisticated digital infrastructure. From artificial intelligence and machine learning to genomics, climate modeling, and particle physics, the scale and complexity of data generated and processed necessitate high-performance computing (HPC), robust data storage, secure networking, and specialized software environments. This collective ecosystem is broadly defined as research cyberinfrastructure (CI). The rapid advancements in these technologies have created an imperative for universities to provide their researchers with access to powerful tools, yet the capacity to do so varies dramatically across the higher education landscape.
Historically, the most well-resourced research institutions, primarily those classified as R1 universities by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education—a group numbering approximately 146 out of over 4,000 degree-granting institutions in the U.S.—have been able to build and maintain extensive, dedicated research computing centers. These centers typically feature multi-petaflop supercomputers, petabytes of storage, and teams of highly specialized research computing and data (RCD) professionals. However, the vast majority of institutions, including teaching-focused undergraduate colleges, regional comprehensive universities, minority-serving institutions (MSIs), and emerging research institutions, often lack the substantial financial capital, technical expertise, and operational scale required to establish comparable on-campus CI. This disparity creates a significant access gap, limiting the scope of research, hindering faculty competitiveness for grants, and potentially impacting student readiness for a data-driven workforce.
Internet2’s Foundational Role and Strategic Evolution
Internet2 was founded in 1996 by a consortium of universities with the explicit goal of building an advanced, high-performance network specifically for academic and research purposes, far exceeding the capabilities of the commercial internet at the time. This network provided the backbone for large-scale data transfers, distributed collaborations, and access to remote instrumentation that would be impossible over standard commercial links. This initial mission laid the groundwork for a broader vision: to create an environment where researchers could seamlessly access the digital tools they needed, regardless of their physical location.
Over the years, Internet2’s mission expanded beyond pure networking. The development of InCommon, a federation for identity and access management, became crucial. InCommon enables researchers and students to use their home institution credentials to securely access a wide array of online resources, cloud services, and collaborative platforms, simplifying authentication and enhancing security across disparate systems. More recently, Internet2 has moved into offering cloud solutions, helping institutions navigate the complexities of leveraging commercial cloud providers (such as AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure) for research workloads, often by negotiating favorable terms and providing expertise in cloud architecture and security.
Dana Brunson and the Research Engagement Team: Bridging the Divide
Dana Brunson’s arrival in 2019 marked a renewed and sharpened focus on research enablement. Her mandate was clear: to ensure that researchers and educators, irrespective of their discipline or institutional affiliation, possess equitable access to the necessary RCD tools, services, and resources. This encompasses not only on-campus infrastructure but also regionally and nationally available assets, whether federally funded or provided by the private sector. Brunson articulated the core mission of her team: "Our mission is to ensure that researchers and educators – regardless of their discipline or type of institution – have access to the research computing and data tools, services, and resources they need."
The Research Engagement Team operates on multiple fronts to achieve this ambitious goal:
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Consulting and Training for Strategic CI Planning: Many institutions, particularly those with limited existing CI, struggle with the initial steps of developing a comprehensive strategy. Internet2 provides expert consulting services to guide campuses through the process of assessing their current capabilities, identifying research needs, and formulating strategic plans for cyberinfrastructure development. This includes workshops and training programs designed to educate campus IT leaders, researchers, and administrators on best practices, emerging technologies, and funding opportunities. The goal is not just to offer advice but to provide sustained support through the execution phase of these plans, ensuring tangible progress.
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Facilitating Professional Community through CaRCC: A critical component of Internet2’s strategy is fostering a strong professional community for RCD professionals. This is primarily achieved through the Campus Research Computing Consortium (CaRCC). CaRCC serves as a vital hub for developing shared tools, establishing best practices, and facilitating knowledge exchange among those who manage and support research computing on campuses. By connecting RCD professionals from diverse institutions, CaRCC helps disseminate expertise, share successful models, and collectively address common challenges. This community-driven approach is essential for scaling solutions and preventing individual institutions from reinventing the wheel. The consortium’s activities range from organizing working groups on specific topics (e.g., data management, software carpentry) to hosting regular forums and training events.
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Advocacy for RCD Professionals: Brunson’s team also champions the recognition and professional development of RCD professionals. These individuals, often bridging the gap between scientific domains and technical infrastructure, are increasingly vital to research success. However, their roles are sometimes undervalued or misunderstood within institutional hierarchies. Internet2 advocates for RCD professionals to be seen as integral research partners and as critical assets that contribute directly to a university’s competitive standing, especially during times of budgetary constraint. This advocacy includes promoting career pathways, defining professional competencies, and highlighting their essential contributions to grant success and scientific output.
The Broader Implications of Bridging the Access Gap
Closing the access gap in research cyberinfrastructure has profound implications that extend beyond individual institutions to impact the national scientific enterprise, economic development, and societal equity.
- Accelerating Scientific Discovery: Equitable access to advanced CI means more researchers, regardless of their institutional affiliation, can pursue ambitious, data-intensive projects. This can lead to an acceleration of scientific discovery across various fields, fostering innovation and breakthroughs that address global challenges, from disease eradication to climate change.
- Enhancing National Competitiveness: A robust and accessible research ecosystem strengthens the nation’s overall scientific and technological competitiveness on the global stage. By empowering a wider array of institutions and researchers, the U.S. can cultivate a broader pool of talent and ideas, essential for maintaining leadership in critical research areas.
- Promoting Equity and Inclusion: The emphasis on supporting teaching-focused institutions, minority-serving institutions, and other historically underserved campuses is a direct step towards greater equity in research. By providing these institutions with the tools they need, Internet2 helps unlock the research potential of diverse faculty and student populations, fostering a more inclusive scientific community. This also helps address the "brain drain" where talented researchers might otherwise gravitate solely towards R1 institutions due to infrastructure limitations.
- Workforce Development: Exposure to cutting-edge research cyberinfrastructure provides students with invaluable skills in data science, high-performance computing, and computational thinking. This prepares a more skilled workforce capable of meeting the demands of an increasingly technology-driven economy, benefiting both academic and industrial sectors. Institutions with robust CI can offer more attractive research opportunities, drawing in and retaining top talent.
- Regional Innovation and Economic Impact: Empowering regional universities with advanced CI can stimulate local innovation ecosystems. Research conducted at these institutions can lead to new businesses, patents, and collaborations with local industries, fostering economic growth and job creation in areas beyond traditional research hubs.
Challenges and the Path Forward
Despite the significant progress, challenges persist. The cost of acquiring and maintaining state-of-the-art cyberinfrastructure remains substantial. Furthermore, the rapid pace of technological change necessitates continuous adaptation and investment. Securing sustainable funding, both federally and institutionally, is a constant concern, particularly for smaller institutions with limited endowments. The demand for highly skilled RCD professionals often outstrips supply, posing recruitment and retention challenges.
Internet2’s strategy directly confronts these challenges by promoting shared resources, fostering community expertise, and advocating for increased investment. By providing a national framework for collaboration and resource sharing, Internet2 helps mitigate the individual burden on institutions. The CaRCC community, for instance, is instrumental in developing cost-effective solutions and sharing open-source tools that can be adapted by various campuses.
Looking ahead, Internet2’s Research Engagement Team envisions a future where the "access gap" is not merely narrowed but effectively closed. This involves not only continued expansion of network capabilities and cloud solutions but also deeper integration of AI/ML tools, enhanced cybersecurity measures tailored for research, and robust data management frameworks that comply with FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data principles. The goal is to create a seamless, pervasive, and secure cyberinfrastructure environment that empowers every researcher to pursue their scientific inquiries without being limited by the resources of their home institution. Through strategic partnerships, sustained advocacy, and a deep commitment to its community, Internet2 remains at the forefront of democratizing research potential across the academic spectrum.
