Internet2 and Cisco Add AI Capacity to the National Research Platform

New AI PODs at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and Sacramento State Expand Shared Capacity for Research and Education

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Internet2 is expanding its contributions to the National Research Platform (NRP) through its strategic relationship with Cisco, supporting the deployment of new Cisco AI PODs at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and Sacramento State. The AI PODs add GPU capacity that researchers across the platform can burst into when local resources run short.

As artificial intelligence transforms research, the NRP continues to grow the shared, AI-ready computing capacity being used by thousands of researchers and students across the country. Internet2 is now adding to that pool in a new way.

Cisco AI PODs introduce a more standardized approach to expanding the NRP's distributed infrastructure. They provide pre-validated compute, networking, and management capabilities that can be deployed as a unit, reducing the engineering and integration work required to add new resources to the platform. That creates a repeatable model for Internet2 and other NRP contributors as demand for AI computing continues to grow.

Pooling Capacity Instead of Centralizing It

As AI-enabled discovery reaches every discipline, research computing has grown significantly more complex. Cyberinfrastructure gaps between institutions are a growing concern, and budget pressures mean many institutions are being asked to do more with less.

That's why a shared model can help bridge the access gap.

Supported by the National Science Foundation and over 70 participating organizations, the NRP is a community-operated platform that pools computing, storage, performance measurement, and AI resources across the U.S. It enables organizations to contribute while giving researchers access to capabilities beyond what they have locally.

Rather than building one centralized supercomputer, the NRP scales by aggregating GPU and CPU capacity contributed by institutions into a single Kubernetes-based fabric called Nautilus. But that model creates a recurring hurdle for contributing organizations: standing up GPU nodes that are compatible enough in compute, networking, and management to slot cleanly into a shared, multi-region cluster.

Cisco AI PODs can address that hurdle. Each AI POD is pre-validated, full-stack, modular AI infrastructure based on Cisco Validated Designs. It pairs Cisco UCS servers and GPU nodes with Nexus high-bandwidth, low-latency networking and Cisco Intersight for centralized management. Instead of hand-assembling compute, storage, and networking from scratch, an institution contributing to the NRP can deploy a right-sized AI POD. Ultimately, this reduces the integration risk and setup time for each new node joining the platform.

"Today, these two new AI PODs provide researchers access to additional GPU capacity when local resources aren't enough," said James Deaton, vice president of Network Services and Research Engagement at Internet2. "Internet2's role was to connect the pieces: an NRP need, a Cisco solution, and two campuses ready to host it. Strategic relationships with industry are one way we reinvest resources in the whole research and education community."

Continuing to Invest in Shared Research Infrastructure

Internet2's contributions to the NRP continue to expand R&E access to shared computational resources across the U.S. A distributed platform requires more than GPUs, as data has to reach the compute, and paths between nodes have to be measurable. The Internet2 national network supports both.

Internet2 operates dedicated Open Science Data Federation nodes in Boise, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, and Kansas City. Connected through the national network, these caches function to keep datasets closer to the compute resources and the researchers using them.

In addition, 41 performance assurance service nodes on the network currently serve a hybrid NRP function. Alongside thousands of perfSONAR instances deployed worldwide, they provide the NRP with measurement points across Internet2's footprint, supporting cross-domain performance monitoring and troubleshooting between sites. Additionally, the nodes contribute 1,200 CPU cores, 6.4 terabytes of memory, and 80 terabytes of storage capacity.

Creating Value Through Industry Collaboration

Deploying the AI PODs to support the NRP is another example of how Internet2 creates community value through strategic relationships with its industry members. Internet2's industry relationship with Cisco helped direct resources to the NRP, supporting two campus deployments and validating a repeatable approach other contributors can use.

As AI reshapes research cyberinfrastructure requirements, the expertise and strategic relationships Internet2 builds to meet them will continue to benefit the broader R&E community.

About Internet2

Internet2^® is a nonprofit, member-driven advanced technology community founded by the nation's leading higher education institutions in 1996. Internet2 serves 352 U.S. universities, 57 government agencies, 46 regional and state education networks and through them supports more than 80,000 community anchor institutions, over 1,000 InCommon participants, 61 leading corporations working with our community, and 70 national research and education network operators that represent more than 100 countries.

Internet2 delivers a diverse portfolio of technology solutions that leverages, integrates, and amplifies the strengths of its members and helps support their educational, research, and community service missions. Internet2's core infrastructure components include the nation's largest and fastest research and education network that was built to deliver advanced, customized services that are accessed and secured by the community-developed trust and identity framework. For more information: https://internet2.edu 

SOURCE Internet2