Additional Computational Resources

Empire AI is a New York State consortium of academic and private institutions working towards a goal of responsible artificial intelligence for the public good.  The AI system will be housed in a new data center at the University at Buffalo, currently in the planning stages.  As a proof of concept, a small "alpha" cluster is in production and allowing researchers the ability to move their work forward.  Available in late 2024, the "beta" cluster will more than double the capacity of "alpha" and make more resources available to researchers statewide.

Call for Proposals - Fall 2025

Applications are now open for allocations on both the "alpha" and "beta" clusters.  Principal investigators from UB are encourage to apply using this form.  The deadline is Wednesday, September 17, 2025 at midnight.  Future calls for proposals are anticipated later this year or early 2026.  If you already have access to the "alpha" cluster, a new proposal is required to maintain your access.
 

Empire AI Support

For those with access to Empire AI, support documentation can be found in the Empire AI Freshdesk portal.  Requests for assistance should be emailed to: help @ empire-ai.org

CCR provides additional information for UB researchers in our documentation

The National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) Pilot connect U.S. researchers and educators to computational, data, and training resources needed to advance AI research and research that employs AI.  The aim is to ensure that AI resources and tools are equitably accessible to the broad research and education communities in a manner that advances trustworthy AI and protects privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties.

Please refer to the current list of opportunities to determine if your work aligns with the available openings.  Note that resources are available for both research projects and classroom needs.  CCR staff are available to assist with the preparation of allocation proposals for this program.  Please contact us through our help desk.

ACCESS is a program established and funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation to help researchers and educators, with or without supporting grants, to utilize the nation’s advanced computing systems and services – at no cost to you.  The ACCESS cyberinfrastructure includes supercomputers, cloud environments, and services that will allow you to scale beyond what CCR can provide.  Unlike the NAIRR program,  these resources are not solely focused on AI, but provide researchers of all disciplines incredible computational power.  Researchers can start here to learn more about the resources provided, eligibility, and allocation proposal requirements.  Additionally, special allocations are available for educators looking to teach students how to use computational tools and HPC techniques.

CCR staff are available to assist with the preparation of ACCESS allocation proposals and answer any questions you may have about the NSF national resources.  Please contact us through our help desk.