The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE) and OneNet a $942,263 Campus Cyberinfrastructure (CC*) grant to connect additional campuses to the OneOklahoma Friction Free Network (OFFN). This marks the third award to OSRHE and OneNet to expand the OFFN network.

Administered by NSF’s Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure, the CC* grant program invests in campus-level cyberinfrastructure improvements for science applications and research projects. Previous NSF awards connected 19 Oklahoma research and regional universities to OFFN. This new award specifically targets smaller institutions and will expand the network into rural areas of the state.

Under the terms of this two-year grant cycle, Murray State College (MSC) and College of the Muscogee Nation (CMN) will be connected to the OFFN network. Two other schools, Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology (OSUIT) and Rogers State University (RSU), will receive upgrades to enhance connectivity.

“The State Regents are pleased to expand the OFFN network to additional campuses across the state,” said Chancellor Allison D. Garrett. “These campus connections create new research and education opportunities for faculty and students. A diverse student population, including Native American and first-generation students, will have broader access to resources that develop 21st century workforce skills.”

OFFN is a 10 and 100 Gbps research network that provides higher education institutions with a dedicated route to internet and research networks that is much faster than traditional internet highways. This alternate pathway allows researchers to transmit data at higher speeds. [Read more at OneNet | Media Releases]