Notice2021-15660
Request for Information (RFI) on an Implementation Plan for a National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
July 23, 2021
Issuing agencies
National Science FoundationScience and Technology Policy Office
Abstract
The Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Science Foundation are issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to inform the work of the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) Task Force (``Task Force''). The Task Force has been directed by Congress to develop an implementation roadmap for a shared research infrastructure that would provide Artificial Intelligence (AI) researchers and students across scientific disciplines with access to computational resources, high-quality data, educational tools, and user support.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 139 (Friday, July 23, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 139 (Friday, July 23, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39081-39082]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-15660]
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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY
Request for Information (RFI) on an Implementation Plan for a
National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource
AGENCY: White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and
National Science Foundation.
ACTION: Request for information.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National
Science Foundation are issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to
inform the work of the National Artificial Intelligence Research
Resource (NAIRR) Task Force (``Task Force''). The Task Force has been
directed by Congress to develop an implementation roadmap for a shared
research infrastructure that would provide Artificial Intelligence (AI)
researchers and students across scientific disciplines with access to
computational resources, high-quality data, educational tools, and user
support.
DATES: To be considered, responses and comments must be received, no
later than 11:59 p.m., EDT on September 1, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Comments submitted in response to this notice may be sent by
any of the following methods:
<bullet> Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#80cec1c9d2d2adf2e5f3f0efeef3e5f3c0eee9f4f2e4aee7eff6"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="094748405b5b247b6c7a7966677a6c7a4967607d7b6d276e667f">[email protected]</span></a>. Email submissions should
be machine-readable and not be copy-protected. Submissions should
include ``RFI Response: National AI Research Resource'' in the subject
line of the message.
<bullet<ls-thn-eq> Mail: Attn: Wendy Wigen, NCO, 2415 Eisenhower
Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA.
Instructions: Response to this RFI is voluntary. Each individual or
institution is requested to submit only one response. Submissions must
be in 12 point or larger font, include a page number on each page, and
not exceed 10 pages. Responses should include the name of the person(s)
or organization(s) filing the comment. Responses should refer to the
particular topic number(s) and letter(s), as listed below, to which the
comments pertain.
Responses to this RFI may be posted online at <a href="http://www.ai.gov">www.ai.gov</a>.
Therefore, responses must be appropriate for posting publicly without
change or redaction, and we request that no business proprietary
information, copyrighted information, or personally identifiable
information be submitted in response to this RFI.
In accordance with FAR 15.202(3), responses to this notice are not
offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding
contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated
with responding to this RFI.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wendy Wigen and <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#bef0fff7ecec93ccdbcdced1d0cddbcdfed0d7caccda90d9d1c8"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="cd838c849f9fe0bfa8bebda2a3bea8be8da3a4b9bfa9e3aaa2bb">[email protected]</span></a>, (202) 459-9683. Individuals who use a
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8
p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Congress directed the National Science Foundation (NSF), in
coordination with the White House Office of Science and Technology
Policy (OSTP), to establish the NAIRR Task Force in the William M.
(Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2021, Public Law 116-283 Sec. 5106, and in accordance with the
provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The mandate of the
Task Force is to investigate the feasibility and advisability of
establishing and sustaining a NAIRR and propose a roadmap detailing how
such a resource should be established and sustained.
The NAIRR is envisioned as a shared computing and data
infrastructure that would provide AI researchers and students across
scientific fields with access to a holistic advanced computing
ecosystem. This would include secure, privacy-preserving frameworks;
high-quality, representative datasets; and appropriate educational
tools and user support mechanisms. The goal for such a national
resource is to democratize access to the cyberinfrastructure that fuels
AI research and development, enabling all of America's diverse AI
researchers to fully participate in
[[Page 39082]]
exploring innovative ideas for advancing AI, including communities,
institutions, and regions that have been traditionally underserved--
especially with regard to AI research and related education
opportunities.
Composed of members from government, academia, and the private
sector, the NAIRR Task Force is required to submit an interim report to
Congress and the President by May 2022, with a final report to be
issued in November 2022. Find more information on the Task Force
members and upcoming meetings at <a href="http://AI.gov">AI.gov</a>.
As outlined in Sec. 5106(b) of Public Law 116-283, the
implementation roadmap developed by the Task Force should include the
following:
A. Goals for establishment and sustainment of a National Artificial
Intelligence Research Resource and metrics for success;
B. A plan for ownership and administration of the National
Artificial Intelligence Research Resource, including:
i. An appropriate agency or organization responsible for the
implementation, deployment and administration of the Research Resource;
and
ii. A governance structure for the Research Resource, including
oversight and decision-making authorities;
C. A model for governance and oversight to establish strategic
direction, make programmatic decisions, and manage the allocation of
resources;
D. Capabilities required to create and maintain a shared computing
infrastructure to facilitate access to advanced computing resources for
researchers across the country, including provision of curated data
sets, compute resources, educational tools and services, a user-
interface portal, secure access control, resident expertise, and
scalability of such infrastructure;
E. An assessment of, and recommended solutions to, barriers to the
dissemination and use of high-quality government data sets as part of
the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource;
F. An assessment of security requirements associated with the
National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource and its management
of access controls;
G. An assessment of privacy and civil rights and civil liberties
requirements associated with the National Artificial Intelligence
Research Resource and its research;
H. A plan for sustaining the National Artificial Intelligence
Research Resource, including through Federal funding and partnerships
with the private sector; and
I. Parameters for the establishment and sustainment of the National
Artificial Intelligence Research Resource, including agency roles and
responsibilities.
This RFI seeks input from a broad array of stakeholders on the
topics set forth below. Comments from the public will be used to inform
the Task Force's consideration of options and development of an
implementation roadmap.
Responders are invited to provide answers to the following
questions (please number your responses accordingly):
1. What options should the Task Force consider for any of roadmap
elements A through I above, and why? [Please take care to annotate your
responses to this question by indicating the letter(s) of the item (A
through I in the list above) for which you are identifying options.]
2. Which capabilities and services (see, for example, item D above)
provided through the NAIRR should be prioritized?
3. How can the NAIRR and its components reinforce principles of
ethical and responsible research and development of AI, such as those
concerning issues of racial and gender equity, fairness, bias, civil
rights, transparency, and accountability?
4. What building blocks already exist for the NAIRR, in terms of
government, academic, or private-sector activities, resources, and
services?
5. What role should public-private partnerships play in the NAIRR?
What exemplars could be used as a model?
6. Where do you see limitations in the ability of the NAIRR to
democratize access to AI R&D? And how could these limitations be
overcome?
Submitted by the National Science Foundation and the White House
Office of Science and Technology Policy on July 19, 2021.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
Stacy Murphy,
Operations Manager, White House Office of Science and Technology
Policy.
[FR Doc. 2021-15660 Filed 7-22-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P
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