Since its inception in 1996, Internet2 has served as a cornerstone for collaborative research, evolving from its foundational role in establishing a high-speed national network to its current comprehensive support across federated identity management, cloud solutions, and direct research engagement. The organization’s trajectory reflects the escalating demands of modern scientific inquiry, which increasingly relies on robust cyberinfrastructure (CI). A pivotal moment in this evolution was the arrival of Dana Brunson in 2019, who assumed the role of executive director for research engagement. Under her leadership, a dedicated team was forged with the explicit mission of advancing research enablement within the expansive Internet2 community. This strategic move underscores Internet2’s commitment to addressing the disparities in access to essential research computing and data (RCD) resources across the diverse landscape of higher education institutions. This article delves into Brunson’s insights on the transformative shifts in research computing requirements and how the Research Engagement Team is actively working to democratize access to cutting-edge cyberinfrastructure for institutions of all sizes and types, thereby fostering a more inclusive and productive research ecosystem.
The Genesis of Internet2: A Foundation for Advanced Research
The story of Internet2 begins in an era when the commercial internet was still nascent, and the academic community recognized the need for a dedicated, high-performance network capable of supporting the burgeoning demands of scientific research and education. Founded by a consortium of universities, Internet2 launched in 1996 with the primary objective of building an advanced, private network infrastructure that would far surpass the capabilities of the public internet at the time. This foundational network, designed for speeds significantly higher than typical consumer connections, enabled researchers to transfer massive datasets, conduct real-time collaborations across geographical distances, and access remote high-performance computing (HPC) resources with unprecedented efficiency. It was a visionary undertaking, anticipating the exponential growth in data-intensive research fields like genomics, astrophysics, and climate modeling.
Over the subsequent decades, Internet2’s mandate expanded beyond mere network connectivity. Recognizing that access to high-speed pipes was only one piece of the puzzle, the organization broadened its scope to include critical middleware services. A significant development was the establishment of InCommon, a federated identity and access management service. Launched in 2000, InCommon addressed the complex challenge of managing user identities and permissions across disparate institutional systems and external research platforms. By providing a secure, trust-based framework, InCommon allowed researchers to use their institutional credentials to access a wide array of online resources, cloud services, and collaborative tools, streamlining workflows and enhancing security. This service became indispensable as research collaborations grew in complexity, often involving multiple institutions, national labs, and international partners, each with their own authentication systems.
More recently, Internet2 has strategically moved into cloud solutions, assisting institutions in navigating the complexities of hybrid cloud environments and leveraging commercial cloud providers for scalable computing and storage. This evolution reflects the shifting paradigm in research computing, where cloud resources offer flexibility and on-demand scalability that traditional on-premises infrastructure cannot always match. These successive layers of service—from foundational network to identity management and cloud integration—illustrate Internet2’s adaptive strategy to remain at the forefront of supporting academic research.
Bridging the Divide: The Research Engagement Team’s Mandate
The appointment of Dana Brunson in 2019 marked a deliberate intensification of Internet2’s focus on direct research enablement. Brunson’s mandate was clear: to build a robust team dedicated to fostering a more equitable and accessible research cyberinfrastructure environment. In a recent discussion, 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. And that includes whatever might be already on campus, or what is available regionally and nationally as either federally funded or private-sector resources."
This statement highlights a critical challenge facing the academic research community: the widening "access gap." While leading R1 institutions often possess sophisticated, well-funded cyberinfrastructure, many other institutions—including teaching-focused undergraduate colleges, minority-serving institutions (MSIs), community colleges, and smaller regional universities—struggle to acquire, maintain, and effectively utilize the necessary RCD resources. This disparity can significantly impede their research output, limit their ability to attract competitive grants, and ultimately hinder the professional development of their faculty and students. Data from sources like the National Science Foundation (NSF) consistently point to a concentration of research funding and advanced CI at a relatively small number of institutions, underscoring the urgent need for initiatives that promote broader access.
Brunson’s team directly confronts this challenge by focusing on the institutions that have historically faced greater limitations. This includes not only providing technical guidance but also advocating for the recognition and support of RCD professionals within these institutions. The goal is to move beyond simply connecting networks to actively empowering institutions to develop and implement sustainable CI strategies.
The Pillars of Engagement: Consulting, Community, and Advocacy
The Internet2 Research Engagement Team employs a multi-faceted approach, built upon three core pillars: consulting and training, community building, and advocacy.
1. Consulting and Training for Strategic CI Development:
The team provides invaluable consulting and training services to campuses, guiding them through the complex process of understanding, planning, and implementing research cyberinfrastructure. This often begins with helping institutions assess their current capabilities, identify gaps, and articulate their specific RCD needs. The team assists in developing strategic CI plans, which are crucial roadmaps for allocating resources, securing funding, and integrating various components of cyberinfrastructure. Brunson emphasizes that this support extends "all the way to realizing execution of those plans." This hands-on approach ensures that institutions don’t just formulate plans but also have the expertise and support to bring them to fruition. For many smaller institutions, this external expertise is critical, as they may lack the in-house staff or specialized knowledge to navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of research computing. The consulting services often cover topics such as data management best practices, securing access to national HPC facilities (like those provided by XSEDE/ACCESS), leveraging cloud resources effectively, and implementing robust cybersecurity measures.
2. Fostering a Professional Community through CaRCC:
Recognizing the power of shared knowledge and collective problem-solving, the Research Engagement Team actively facilitates a professional community for research cyberinfrastructure through the Campus Research Computing Consortium (CaRCC). CaRCC serves as a vital hub for RCD professionals, enabling them to connect, share best practices, develop common tools, and collaborate on solutions to shared challenges. This consortium is particularly impactful for institutions with limited RCD staff, as it provides a network of peers and experts from whom they can seek advice and learn. Brunson notes, "We also facilitate a professional community for research cyberinfrastructure through CaRCC… to develop shared tools and best practices — as well as drawing on other community connections to bring people together." This collaborative environment helps to elevate the overall standard of RCD support across the nation’s academic institutions, ensuring that even those with fewer resources can benefit from the collective wisdom and innovation of the broader community. The consortium’s activities include workshops, webinars, working groups focused on specific areas (e.g., data stewardship, software engineering), and regular meetings that foster a sense of shared mission and mutual support.
3. Advocacy for RCD Professionals and Institutional Competitiveness:
A significant aspect of the team’s work is advocacy. Brunson and her team champion the cause of RCD professionals, striving to have them recognized "as both research partners and as part of what makes a university a competitive entity, no matter how trying the budget times are." This advocacy is crucial because RCD staff, while essential to modern research, are often overlooked in institutional budgeting and strategic planning. They are the unsung heroes who manage complex systems, provide technical support to researchers, and ensure the smooth operation of critical infrastructure. By elevating their profile, Internet2 seeks to ensure that institutions invest adequately in these professionals, understanding that their expertise is directly linked to research success and institutional competitiveness. This involves educating university leadership about the strategic importance of CI and the skilled personnel required to manage it, linking these investments directly to grant acquisition, faculty recruitment, and student success.
The Imperative for Inclusive Cyberinfrastructure
The push to close the access gap is not merely an act of goodwill; it is an imperative for the future of scientific discovery and societal progress. The complexity and scale of contemporary research—from multi-terabyte datasets in genomics to exascale simulations in climate science—demand sophisticated cyberinfrastructure that is beyond the reach of many individual institutions. For example, a single cryo-electron microscopy experiment can generate petabytes of data, requiring immense storage, networking, and computational power for analysis. Without access to such resources, researchers at less-resourced institutions are effectively locked out of participation in leading-edge science.
The implications of this gap are profound. Firstly, it limits the diversity of voices and perspectives in research. Minority-serving institutions, for instance, play a crucial role in educating a significant portion of the nation’s STEM workforce and often focus on research questions directly relevant to underserved communities. Denying them adequate CI stifles their potential contributions to critical societal challenges. Secondly, it creates an uneven playing field for talent development. Students and faculty at institutions without robust CI are less likely to gain hands-on experience with advanced research tools, potentially limiting their career prospects and the nation’s overall scientific capacity. Thirdly, it can slow down the pace of discovery. Innovation often arises from unexpected places and diverse collaborations. By broadening access to CI, Internet2 aims to unlock untapped research potential across the entire academic spectrum.
Furthermore, federal funding agencies, such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), are increasingly emphasizing the need for robust data management plans and the sharing of research outputs. Compliance with these requirements often necessitates advanced CI for secure storage, archival, and dissemination of data, placing additional pressure on institutions with limited resources. Internet2’s work directly supports institutions in meeting these evolving regulatory and ethical standards for responsible conduct of research.
Technological Landscape and Future Challenges
The research computing and data landscape continues to evolve at a breathtaking pace. The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), the proliferation of IoT devices generating vast streams of data, and the increasing demand for real-time data processing present new challenges and opportunities for cyberinfrastructure. Researchers now require not just raw computing power but specialized hardware (like GPUs), sophisticated software frameworks, and expertise in data science and AI ethics.
Brunson acknowledges these shifts: "The biggest changes I’ve seen involve the exponential growth of data and the increasing complexity of analysis. Researchers are no longer just looking for a faster network; they need integrated solutions that combine high-performance computing, massive storage, secure data pipelines, and easy access to cloud-based AI/ML platforms. The move towards FAIR data principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) also places new demands on institutions to manage and share their research data effectively."
This dynamic environment means that Internet2’s Research Engagement Team must constantly adapt its strategies. Future efforts will likely focus on helping institutions navigate the complexities of AI/ML integration, secure sensitive research data in distributed environments, and build institutional capacity for advanced data science. The emphasis will remain on ensuring that these cutting-edge capabilities are not concentrated solely in a few elite institutions but are democratized across the research community.
Impact on Research and Society
The long-term impact of Internet2’s mission to close the access gap extends far beyond individual campuses. By fostering a more inclusive cyberinfrastructure, Internet2 contributes to:
- Accelerated Scientific Discovery: Empowering more researchers with the tools they need means more scientific questions can be explored, leading to breakthroughs in medicine, environmental science, engineering, and countless other fields.
- Enhanced Research Competitiveness: Institutions previously hampered by limited CI can now compete more effectively for grants, attract top talent, and contribute meaningfully to national and global research initiatives.
- Diverse Talent Pipeline: Providing students at all types of institutions with exposure to advanced CI prepares a more diverse and skilled workforce for future research and technology roles, strengthening the national innovation ecosystem.
- Community Engagement and Regional Development: Research conducted at regional universities often addresses local challenges, from agricultural innovation to public health. Robust CI can amplify these efforts, leading to tangible benefits for surrounding communities.
- Democratization of Knowledge: By making sophisticated research tools more widely available, Internet2 helps to democratize the process of knowledge creation, ensuring that innovative ideas can emerge from anywhere.
For example, a researcher at a small liberal arts college studying environmental changes in a local ecosystem might leverage Internet2’s network to access national supercomputing resources for complex climate modeling, or utilize InCommon-enabled cloud services for large-scale data storage and analysis—capabilities that would be impossible with only local, limited infrastructure. Similarly, an MSI focusing on health disparities in its community could access secure cloud environments for sensitive patient data analysis, collaborating with larger medical centers without compromising data integrity.
Perspectives from the Community
The efforts of Internet2 resonate deeply within the higher education community. An IT director at a mid-sized regional university, for instance, might comment, "Internet2’s guidance has been transformative. We’ve gone from struggling to even articulate our CI needs to having a clear strategic plan and now actively engaging with national resources. Their team helped us understand that we don’t need to build everything ourselves; it’s about connecting to the broader ecosystem."
A faculty member at a minority-serving institution, whose research often involves large datasets but has historically faced computational limitations, could add, "The access to training and the community support through CaRCC has been invaluable. It’s not just about the technology; it’s about the knowledge sharing and knowing that there’s a network of professionals who understand our challenges and are committed to helping us succeed. It truly levels the playing field for our researchers and students."
Federal funding agencies also implicitly support these initiatives, recognizing that broader access to advanced cyberinfrastructure is essential for maximizing the return on public investment in scientific research. Programs aimed at broadening participation in STEM often align with Internet2’s goals of making research resources more accessible to a diverse array of institutions and researchers.
Conclusion
Internet2’s journey from a pioneering high-speed network provider to a comprehensive cyberinfrastructure enabler underscores its enduring commitment to advancing academic research. Under Dana Brunson’s leadership, the Research Engagement Team is systematically dismantling barriers to access, ensuring that institutions of all types and sizes can participate fully in the scientific enterprise. Through strategic consulting, robust community building, and persistent advocacy, Internet2 is not merely connecting institutions; it is empowering them to contribute to the next generation of scientific breakthroughs. By closing the access gap for research cyberinfrastructure, Internet2 is fostering a more inclusive, dynamic, and productive research ecosystem, ultimately enriching society through accelerated discovery and a more diverse pool of scientific talent. The ongoing evolution of research demands an equally adaptive and inclusive infrastructure, a challenge Internet2 continues to meet with strategic vision and unwavering dedication.
