The agency called the experiment, which was conducted in collaboration with two national labs, two vendors and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, a “milestone test case.”

National Labs, other federal agencies, academic institutions and private-sector companies can submit collaborative applications to address the challenges identified by DOE.

The Energy Department’s Oak Ridge National Lab launched an institute to optimize data centers, and the Pacific Northwest National Lab issued an RFI to inform future buildouts.

The initiative’s director said teams are on track to meet forthcoming deadlines and a minimum viable product will be unveiled in 2026.

A White House official said the challenges are a "direct call to action” to private-sector partners, researchers and other innovators.

The agency is continuing to deepen its collaboration with industry as it works to advance technical priorities amid a tight schedule and forthcoming deadlines.

An agency official says challenges are coming into focus as NSF positions itself as a “collaborative” and “complementary” player in the Energy Department-led Genesis Mission.

The initial phase is designed to validate core AI concepts and will inform the design of the broader initiative, a spokesperson told FedScoop.

Execution is underway as forthcoming deadlines, such as developing a cybersecurity strategy and demonstrating initial platform capabilities, creep up.

Expect many improvements across public-sector tech this year, a former Clinton and Bush cybersecurity expert writes.