The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded $399,226 to California State University, Bakersfield (through its Auxiliary For Sponsored Programs Administration) under the NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships program (CFDA 47.084) on October 1, 2025, for the ASPIRE-AI (Accelerating Sustainable Partnerships for Innovation, Research, and Entrepreneurship in AI) collaborative research initiative. The project, scheduled for completion by September 30, 2028, will deliver institutional structures, resources, and frameworks designed to enhance regional capacity in artificial intelligence (AI) research and innovation among non-R1 institutions.
The primary deliverables include centralized partnership hubs, comprehensive faculty development programs, and interdisciplinary research initiatives that generate applied AI tools and actionable knowledge. Key intellectual contributions will include toolkits for managing external partnerships, faculty engagement playbooks, and technology transfer frameworks customized for under-resourced institutions. The project will also integrate AI across multiple research and curricular areas—including agriculture, healthcare, climate adaptation, and advanced manufacturing—while establishing a community of practice across cohort institutions to share successes, build institutional capacity, and strengthen regional workforce development in emerging technologies.