How Texas Supports Academic Research with Dell Technologies

In an attempt to drive AI-driven research, 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, Innovative Growth in Next Generation AI Technology Ecosystem (IGNITE) is a high-performance computing (HPC) platform designed to support federally sponsored, academic and industry research.

This spans across diverse disciplines, including energy, healthcare, robotics, advanced manufacturing, materials discovery and national security.

As federal research programmes increase in complexity, secure and scalable infrastructure has become 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 part of a land-, sea- and space-grant R1 university, TEES leads interdisciplinary initiatives that demand high-level scientific computation, large language model (LLM) development and mission-critical AI training.

IGNITE expands TEES’ capacity to tackle these multi-faceted programmes while positioning the agency to compete for a new class of federal research initiatives. 

The platform ensures data governance and adaptability across projects with varying security mandates, expanding resource access for students, researchers and external collaborators.

Dr. Robert H. Bishop, the 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.”

Building on Zero Trust

Designed in collaboration with Dell AI Services experts to align research priorities with security standards, IGNITE introduces a policy-based Zero Trust architecture. 

This shared infrastructure model allows multiple user groups to access compute resources securely across projects with different governance requirements, eliminating the need for costly and complex siloed environments.

The technical environment integrates key hardware and operational frameworks:

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

Discussing the technical balance required for modern research, 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.”

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

Beyond compute infrastructure, the ongoing collaboration extends into classroom learning and incubation environments, equipping students and scientists with practical AI skills to prepare 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.”