BRIDGE National Center Cooperative Agreement Summary

The University of California, Irvine received an $8.998 million Cooperative Agreement from the National Science Foundation's Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure under the Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) program (CFDA 47.070) to establish and operate the BRIDGE National Center. The three-year award, effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029, funds the development and operation of Texera-based platforms designed to democratize access to data science and artificial intelligence (AI) tools for researchers across multiple scientific disciplines. The Center will provide a shared, open-source infrastructure that eliminates technical barriers to entry by delivering cloud-based computing resources, workflow management systems, datasets, and machine learning models that enable domain researchers in fields such as criminology, public health, and neurobiology to conduct data-intensive research without requiring extensive programming expertise or advanced computational infrastructure.

BRIDGE will deliver a comprehensive suite of research support services including platform operations and coordination across multiple scientific communities, technical documentation, tutorials, training programs, office hours, and direct technical support. The project encompasses continued enhancement of platform usability, scalability, reproducibility, privacy, and security features while advancing workforce development and research infrastructure capabilities. By providing elastic access to cloud computing resources and enabling collaborative workflow sharing and reuse, the Center will strengthen the national research enterprise and promote data-driven scientific discovery that benefits national health, prosperity, and welfare.