The structural problem of appropriately funding mid-scale infrastructure and cyberinfrastructure for the disciplines supported by the US National Science Foundation has been a long-recognized challenge that has become increasingly severe as these disciplines continue to integrate advanced networking, computing, large-scale storage and related technologies into routine scholarly practice. “Mid-scale” in the NSF context refers to investments in the tens of millions (as opposed to “major research equipment and facilities,” which covers very large scale projects).
The National Science Board has recently released a report that looks at this problem and makes some important recommendations. It specifically addresses cyberinfrastructure as well as more traditional research infrastructure. The report, titled “Bridging the Gap: Building a Sustained Approach to Mid-Scale Research Infrastructure and Cyberinfrastructure”, can be found at
There is a press release with some summary and background to the report at
https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=296928
Clifford Lynch
Director, CNI
