Sustaining Research Computing and Cyberinfrastructure through Heterogeneous Funding and Collaboration

This paper examines the challenges of creating and sustaining research computing and cyberinfrastructure (CI) at U.S. academic institutions in the face of declining and unpredictable federal funding. It explores alternative funding models, including private-public partnerships, philanthropy, and consortium-based approaches, and their potential to support long-term CI development and operations. The paper highlights structural issues in the current funding landscape, such as inequities among institutions and the lack of operational support. It concludes with a call to action for the academic community to pursue coordinated, diversified strategies, emphasizing CI resource sharing, collective advocacy, and flexible proposal strategies to ensure CI remains a robust and accessible foundation for research.