CC* Regional: Campus Research & Education Multiple Organization Regional OneOklahoma Friction Free Network (CaRE-MORe-OFFN)

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2).

This project aims to connect two Oklahoma universities and to upgrade the OneOklahoma Friction Free Network (OFFN) connections of two other universities (all at 10 Gbps) to the existing Regional OneOklahoma Friction Free Network, OneNet’s separate ultra-high-speed regional Science DMZ. The College of the Muscogee Nation (CMN) and Murray State College (MSC) will be the new connections and Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology (OSUIT) and Rogers State University (RSU) will obtain upgraded connections.

The project will also engage the four institutions to drive workloads. The Campus Research & Education Multiple Organization Regional OneOklahoma Friction Free Network (CaRE-MORe-OFFN) will support research and education drivers in cybersecurity, distance learning, natural resources and agriculture. Access to enhanced cyberinfrastructure resources will provide a foundation to build new and diverse research opportunities for faculty and students.

CaRE-MORe-OFFN has the potential to strengthen state network partnerships by fostering broader collaboration pathways through exposure to leading researchers and cyberinfrastructure practitioners. As a result, a diverse population of Native American and first-generation students will have access to these cyberinfrastructure resources, increasing gateways to academic content that will facilitate their abilities to develop 21st century workforce skills that benefit their communities.

CaRE-MORe-OFFN extends the OneOklahoma Friction Free Network to under-resourced campuses by implementing Science DMZs, Data Transfer Nodes, and network performance monitoring capabilities in support of science application drivers, integrating these capabilities with similar capabilities at other institutions across Oklahoma. The project also upgrades bandwidth and OFFN connectivity for two campuses to 10Gbps.

CaRE-MORe-OFFN offers technical personnel at each campus the opportunity to improve skill sets and facilitates cross-campus collaborations through shared uses of computing tools, scientific equipment, and educational materials by engaging faculty and students in the larger OneOklahoma CyberInfrastructure Initiative (OneOCII). OFFN is managed by OneNet, Oklahoma’s research and education network, and scientific leadership is provided by the University of Oklahoma.

The project has potential to improve access to high-speed networking for a new group of four under-resourced institutions.

This project is funded through the collaborative efforts of the Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (OAC) and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.