Testing an approach to expanding research enterprise capacity through enhancement of data infrastructure

Many emerging research institutions (ERIs) face challenges in supporting research due to limited technical staffing, fragmented infrastructure, and high compliance burdens. To overcome such challenges, the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center for Managed Technology Services (ARCMTS) offers a proactive, human-centered support model known as Proactive Managed Technology Services (PMTS), which connects researchers with skilled experts in cybersecurity, data management, infrastructure, and regulatory readiness. Rather than investing in permanent staff or isolated consulting, institutions subscribe to ARCMTS services using structured, affordable 52-hour service blocks. This model reduces administrative burdens, accelerates research progress, and expands participation in research by offering scalable, high-quality support typically out of reach for smaller institutions. This project will test a new approach to expanding research data infrastructure support to external organizations, East Texas A&M University and Texas A&M University, San Antonio. The 24-month project will implement and evaluate ARCMTS’s cost-recovery shared services model at these two pilot institutions. The institutions will receive fully sponsored support in the first year to ensure onboarding, staff training, and early adoption. They will transition to the cost-recovery model in the second year, demonstrating long-term sustainability. Core services include cybersecurity planning, endpoint management, application development, and data analytics. The project will produce a publicly available Pilot-to-Scale Blueprint, annual symposia, and evaluation reports to support national replication. The project aligns with NSF GRANTED goals by reducing administrative barriers, increasing institutional capacity, and creating professional pathways in research IT fields. Through this effort, ARCMTS reframes research support as a shared, scalable service that helps build a more robust national research ecosystem. 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.