Texas Tech Seeks $71M for Advanced Computing Expansion

Texas Tech University is asking state lawmakers for $71 million to expand its advanced computing infrastructure, research capabilities and technology-focused workforce programs during the 2028-29 biennium.

The request is the university’s third-ranked exceptional item in its Legislative Appropriations Request and includes $35 million for computing technology upgrades, $23 million for research and development and $13.2 million for curriculum and credential programs.

Texas Tech said the funding would build on its acquisition of an NVIDIA GB300 computing cluster and position the university to deploy NVIDIA’s next-generation Vera Rubin architecture.

The university describes its existing environment as a localized “Sovereign Advanced Computational” ecosystem intended to keep state and intellectual property data within university-controlled infrastructure rather than relying on commercial cloud environments.

Of the $35 million proposed for computing upgrades, Texas Tech said the funding would expand its existing infrastructure and support deployment of the Vera Rubin architecture.

Another $23 million would support computational research across five areas identified by the university: national security, One Health, energy systems, rural and urban development and systems resilience and adaptability. Texas Tech said expanded access to high-performance computing and machine learning would be used to support research and pursuit of federal funding.

The remaining $13.2 million would support academic programs intended to expand computational skills among students. That includes $6 million for a secure academic computing platform for student and faculty coursework, $3.1 million for incorporating computational tools into undergraduate degree programs and $4.1 million for industry-recognized micro-credentials.

The university is requesting $37 million in Fiscal Year 2028 and $34.1 million in FY 2029, all from the state’s General Revenue Fund. The proposal would support 38.5 full-time equivalent positions in the first year and 40 in the second.

Texas Tech identified the advanced computing initiative as a current project rather than a new one. The university said its current computing capabilities are supported through baseline operating funds and private partnerships, but that those resources cannot support the proposed expansion of infrastructure and academic programs.

The $71 million request accounts for more than half of Texas Tech’s $112 million in exceptional-item requests for the biennium.