Microsoft Azure has joined the US-based National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Science and Technology Research Infrastructure for Discovery, Experimentation, and Sustainability (STRIDES) Initiative as the newest cloud service provider to support biomedical research.

The addition of this latest industry partner will further the STRIDES Initiative’s aim to accelerate biomedical research in the cloud by reducing economic and process barriers as well as providing cost-effective access to cloud platforms, training, cloud experts, and best practices for optimizing research in the cloud.

“The cloud can help democratize access to high-value research data and the most advanced analytical technologies for all researchers. Expanding our network of providers and access to the most advanced computational infrastructure, tools, and services provides the agility and flexibility that researchers need to accelerate research discoveries,” said Andrea T. Norris, Director of NIH’s Center for Information Technology and NIH Chief Information Officer. “Partnering with Microsoft Azure as a cloud service provider furthers our goals to enhance discovery and improve efficiency in biomedical research.”

In just a few years, the STRIDES Initiative has expanded access to critical infrastructure and cutting-edge cloud resources for NIH researchers, as well as NIH-funded researchers at more than 2,500 academic institutions across the nation.