VMware and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) are leading a $6 million digital infrastructure sustainability research initiative calling on academic research groups to present a new generation of innovation to will clean up IT’s digital footprint. 

The Next Generation of Sustainable Digital Infrastructure program continues a three-year collaboration effort between NSF and VMware to “foster transformative research in fundamental and systematic approaches.” 

IT has fundamentally altered our way of life, revolutionizing everything from commerce to healthcare, and it has come at a cost. For every text message, video download, email, or chat sent, there’s a power-hungry server running around the clock in a data center making it happen. And those data centers are pumping out an increasing amount of carbon emissions, which place a heavy burden on our electric grids and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. 

“Cutting global emissions in half by 2030 depends on bold actions and a global capacity for innovation. We’re focused on both,” wrotes Victor Firoiu, senior staff academic research lead at VMware, in a blog post. The partners plan to select “multiple projects” early next year with funding of up to $3 million each over three years.    

Virtualization holds promise for sustainable green growth in its ability to consolidate applications from multiple applications to one server and reduce energy usage. In fact, according to the latest IDC study, VMware virtualization cut over 1.5 billion megawatt hours (MWh) in power consumption and 758 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) from entering the atmosphere between 2003 to 2019. 

Nevertheless, the global power draw of all data centers —  which is currently estimated at 1% to 1.5% of worldwide electricity production — still presents a dim and desolate future without sustainable innovation in digital infrastructure to flatten the energy curve.

Low-power hardware and software virtualization technologies are believed to have reached the threshold of their performance. In the program's formal proposal, the partners make a point to emphasize that researchers "leverage existing software tools and frameworks where possible and avoid unnecessary re-invention." 

The central questions the program aims to address include establishing benchmarks to capture sustainability metrics to then develop prototypes leveraging those efficiency gains. 

Results from the funded research projects will be available and dedicated to the public. “We believe this research will lead to new technologies and innovations that not only increase the sustainability of our global, digital society, but also mitigate climate impacts,” Firoiu said.

The deadline for submitting sustainability proposals is Nov. 4.