As Rice University advances its Momentous vision, the university is investing in tools that support the next generation of scientific breakthroughs. One of the most impactful is the Center for Research Computing’s new RANGE—the Rice AI Networked GPU Engine—a high-performance computing system built to help faculty tackle major challenges in energy, health, and urban innovation.
What Does RANGE Do?
RANGE gives researchers access to the kind of computing power typically found only at national labs or major tech companies. This means:
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Faster discoveries in climate modeling, medical imaging, materials science, and more
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More competitive grant proposals, bringing new resources and opportunities to Rice
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Hands-on experience for students with advanced AI tools that shape tomorrow’s workforce
How Does RANGE Work?
RANGE includes 80 NVIDIA H100 and H200 GPUs—some of the fastest AI processors available today. These processors allow researchers to move huge amounts of information extremely quickly and run advanced AI models in hours or days instead of weeks or months.
More simply, RANGE allows Rice faculty to do research that wouldn’t be possible on standard computers. (Ever try to run a Zoom meeting with one too many programs open?)
The RANGE Early Adopter Program
Earlier this year, the CRC invited 11 faculty-led research groups to test and prepare RANGE for campus use. With support from CRC staff, 32 researchers ran more than 9,000 jobs during this pilot phase.
Examples of Early Projects
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Teaching robots to move like humans: Using video clips, researchers trained AI models to mimic natural arm movements for safer, more intuitive robotic motion.
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Creating clearer 3D medical images: The Digital Health Initiative tested AI tools that rebuild 3D images from limited data—work that could one day improve the accuracy of radiation therapy.
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Discovering new materials faster: One group used AI to explore thousands of possibilities for growing better silicon crystals, which are essential for solar panels and electronics.
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Finding new proteins: Two groups are working on finding proteins that are fundamental for designing drugs that can target them for cancer therapies or developing monoclonal antibodies.
What's Next
The CRC is now launching Phase 2 of the RANGE Early Adopter Program, running December 1, 2025 – February 16, 2026. Each selected awardee will receive a set allocation of GPU hours to help them test and scale their ideas.
Application details:
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Applications are open: Apply here.
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Reviews begin: November 24
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Decision notifications: December 1
The CRC will also host workshops and training sessions to help new users get started, optimize their workflows, and get the best performance from RANGE.
When Phase 2 concludes, RANGE will move into full production, becoming available to researchers across all disciplines.
For questions regarding this program, please contact Kirk Anne, Director of the Center for Research Computing, at kirk.m.anne@rice.edu.