Inside Dell and Texas A&M’s Next-Gen AI Research Platform

To propel AI-driven research across the region, the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), the official research agency for Texas A&M Engineering, has selected Dell Technologies to design and build an advanced research platform.

Funded by the State of Texas, the Innovative Growth in Next Generation AI Technology Ecosystem (IGNITE) is a high-performance computing (HPC) platform created to support academic, industry and federally sponsored research. 

The initiative spans a wide array of vital disciplines, including healthcare, energy, national security, robotics, advanced manufacturing and materials discovery.

With federal research programmes becoming increasingly complex, having a secure and scalable infrastructure is now recognised as a core strategic asset.

Fran Bogle, SVP of Higher Education and Healthcare at Dell Technologies, says: “Universities like Texas A&M are at the centre of research that shapes national security, economic growth and scientific discovery.

“IGNITE gives TEES the AI and compute foundation to compete for the next generation of federal and state research programmes – with security controls that keep sensitive data protected without limiting access for the researchers and collaborators who need it.”

Scaling secure academic innovation

As a key component of a land-, sea-, and space-grant R1 university, TEES leads interdisciplinary initiatives requiring large language model (LLM) development, high-level scientific computation and mission-critical AI training.

IGNITE enhances TEES’ capacity to address these multi-faceted programmes while positioning the agency to bid for a new tier of federal research initiatives. 

By maintaining strict data governance and adaptability across projects with varying security mandates, the platform broadens resource access for researchers, students and external collaborators alike.

Dr. Robert H. Bishop, Vice Chancellor and Dean of Texas A&M Engineering, says: “As a research organisation with more than a century of experience supporting federal agencies, industry and academia, we are constantly evolving to meet the needs of the programmes we serve.

“This platform we’re building with Dell Technologies expands what we can take on – supporting increasingly complex, secure research for years to come.”

A Zero Trust architecture

Developed alongside Dell AI Services experts to align research priorities with robust security standards, IGNITE introduces a policy-based Zero Trust architecture. 

This shared infrastructure model enables diverse user groups to securely access compute resources across projects with differing governance needs, eliminating the demand for complex, costly and siloed environments.

The technical environment integrates essential hardware and operational frameworks:

• Compute: Dell PowerRack systems with liquid-cooled Dell PowerEdge XE9785L servers driven by AMD Instinct MI355X GPUs, which are anticipated to make IGNITE one of the largest higher education AI deployments
• Data Storage: Dell AI Data Platform storage (Dell PowerScale), offering high-performance data management and rapid access for massive datasets
• Operations & Deployment: Managed by Dell Managed Services and hosted within an Equinix International Business Exchange (IBX) data centre in Dallas, ensuring secure connectivity and expert operational support.

Thomas Zacharia, Senior VP, Strategic Technical Partnerships and Public Policy at AMD, says: “As research grows more complex, institutions need infrastructure that can support both AI and traditional high-performance computing.

“Powered by AMD Instinct GPUs, IGNITE will provide a flexible platform for both large-scale AI training and traditional HPC workloads, enabling researchers to accelerate discovery across engineering, national security and scientific research.”

Deepening ecosystem collaboration

IGNITE builds upon an established foundation between Dell Technologies and The Texas A&M University System, which already encompasses HPC systems such as FASTER, Grace, ACES and Launch.

Beyond core compute infrastructure, this ongoing collaboration stretches into incubation environments and classroom learning, equipping students and scientists with practical AI skill sets to train the next generation of workforce leaders.

Dr. Vince Kellen, Chief Information Officer at The Texas A&M University System, says: “IGNITE advances The Texas A&M University System’s commitment to expanding access to next-generation computing environments that support AI-driven research, high-performance workloads and emerging technologies.

“Through collaboration with industry leaders such as Dell Technologies, AMD and Equinix, we are building a flexible and scalable platform that accelerates discovery, strengthens workforce development and creates new opportunities for partnership across academia, government and industry.”