Tiffin University Secures NAIRR Classroom Award to Expand Hands-On AI Education

Tiffin, Ohio – September 13, 2026

Tiffin University in Ohio has secured one of the first NAIRR Classroom Awards to provide its students with cloud-based AI notebooks and computing resources, expanding access to hands-on artificial intelligence education without requiring expensive local hardware installations.

The university's project "Expanding Hands-On Applied AI Education at Tiffin University Through NAIRR Classroom Resources" (NAIRR260305) was reviewed and approved this week by the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) Pilot. The award grants access to CloudBank Classroom and Vocareum AI Notebook for up to 100 students.

Building Access to AI Education

The NAIRR Pilot, led by the U.S. National Science Foundation in partnership with over 12 federal agencies and 25 non-government contributors, aims to democratize access to advanced AI computational resources. The pilot has supported more than 480 projects across 48 states, providing researchers and educators with access to high-performance computing platforms, AI-ready datasets, pre-trained models and educational resources.

Tiffin University's award directly supports its AI-forward academic strategy, including the Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence program, undergraduate programs in Artificial Intelligence and Prompt Engineering, Business Intelligence and Analytics, and the AI+X minor.

Expanding Hands-On Learning

The award enables students to work in cloud-based environments rather than relying on locally installed hardware and software. This approach addresses a key barrier in AI education: many institutions cannot afford the computational infrastructure needed for machine learning, data analysis and AI/development coursework.

"We are proud to receive this NAIRR Classroom award, which represents an important step in expanding hands-on AI education at Tiffin University," said Dr. Anas Blasi, Executive Director of Tiffin University's Artificial Intelligence and Data Science Center.

"These resources will provide our students with greater access to cloud-based AI and data science environments and more opportunities to apply what they learn through real-world, hands-on experiences. This recognition also strengthens TU's AI-forward strategy and supports the continued growth of our undergraduate and graduate AI programs."

Supporting a Growing AI Workforce

The NAIRR Pilot's educational component includes cloud platforms from partners such as Vocareum, Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform and Microsoft Azure. The NSF's focus on expanding AI education infrastructure aligns with the pilot's goal of training the next generation of AI researchers and educators.

Across the pilot network, institutions like the University of Southern Mississippi have used similar Vocareum AI Notebook resources to help undergraduate students tackle real-world cybersecurity challenges using machine learning. Southern Oregon University leverages JetStream2, an NSF-supported cloud computing environment, to introduce machine learning concepts to first-generation college students who may lack prior exposure to advanced computational tools.

Pathways to Industry-Relevant Skills

Beyond NAIRR access, Tiffin University's AI and Data Science Center offers professional certificates in Prompt Engineering for Educators, Students and Professions, along with vendor certifications including Google TensorFlow Developer, AWS Certified Machine Learning and Microsoft Azure AI Engineer Associate. These credentials prepare graduates for roles across AI and data science industries.

The NAIRR Classroom resources will enable students to practice coding, data analysis and machine learning on infrastructure that mirrors enterprise AI development environments, bridging the gap between academic coursework and industry requirements.

Source: Tiffin University Press Release, September 13, 2026. National Science Foundation NAIRR Pilot, 2026. NAIRR Pilot Portal, nairrpilot.org, 2026.