This $197,248 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CFDA 47.070) program supports the Southwest Higher Education Knowledge and Technology Exchange (SHEKATE) regional planning initiative led by Arizona State University (ASU). The initiative aims to improve research cyberinfrastructure and connectivity across the southwestern U.S. by bringing together researchers from the region's universities to collaborate on solutions addressing challenges in areas like water, fire, and climate research. Key activities include organizing regional planning workshops to identify technology, staffing, and connectivity gaps hindering cross-state and international research projects. The award will fund these collaborative planning efforts over a 2-year period from December 2024 to November 2026. No sub-awards are planned under this grant.