GCRI · Foundry
NXS-LAB
NXS-LAB (research, experiments and simulations) is the research and experimentation system: where new methods and technologies are tried under controlled conditions before anything depends on them.
NXS-LAB in seven parts.
- 01Platforms servedNXS-LAB serves these platforms
- 02The problem it addressesNew methods need a place to fail safely
- 03Reference practiceThe standards a design like this is read against
- 04Neighbouring systemsWhat it exchanges with the other systems
- 05RoomsThe ten rooms of NXS-LAB
- 06AccessAuthorised projects only
- 07Risk AcademyWhere NXS-LAB subjects are taught
NXS-LAB serves these platforms.
- Biodiversity NexusInstitutionGCRI
- LabsInstitutionGCRI
- FoundryInstitutionGCRI
- Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous SystemsInstitutionGCRI
- Quantum TechnologiesInstitutionGCRI
- Biotechnology and BiosecurityInstitutionGCRI
- Advanced Industry and RoboticsInstitutionGCRI
- Innovation NexusInstitutionGRF
- Foresight NexusInstitutionGRF
- AI and Financial Model RiskInstitutionGRA
- Systems Science and ModellingInstitutionGCRI
- Actuarial and Quantitative RiskInstitutionGRA
New methods need a place to fail safely.
NXS-LAB is defined in system profile NRS-S20 of the Nexus Standards. Methods and technologies for systemic risk change quickly. An experimental environment with clear separation from production, pre-registered questions and honest reporting of negative results prevents untested methods from reaching decisions.
- Separation from production data and decisions.
- Pre-stated questions and evaluation criteria.
- Publication of negative and null results.
The standards a design like this is read against.
| Reference | Relevance |
|---|---|
| UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science | Open research practice |
| Technology readiness levels | Maturity assessment |
| NIST AI RMF | Evaluation of AI experiments |
What it exchanges with the other systems.
- Successful methods move to NXS-FAC (blueprints, builds and signing) for hardening.
- Results published in the Labs Evidence series on Reports.
The ten rooms of NXS-LAB.
NXS-LAB has the eight rooms every Foundry system shares, set to its own authority, and two specialist rooms, Experiments and Benchmarks. Each is described by the work it is designed for; the public register records NXS-LAB as declared, not deployed.
| Room | Kind | Designed to |
|---|---|---|
| Station | Shared | Operate, inspect and correct authoritative domain posture for research, experiments, instruments, simulations, challenges and frontier technology evaluation |
| Mission | Shared | Coordinate bounded objective-oriented intelligence and human handoff for research, experiments, instruments, simulations, challenges and frontier technology evaluation |
| Builder | Shared | Design, engineer and prepare governed changes and artefacts for research, experiments, instruments, simulations, challenges and frontier technology evaluation |
| Maps | Shared | Inspect and compose spatial, temporal and world-model intelligence for research, experiments, instruments, simulations, challenges and frontier technology evaluation |
| Data | Shared | Work with data, ontology, Chronotopes, graphs, scientific methods and risk for research, experiments, instruments, simulations, challenges and frontier technology evaluation |
| Commons | Shared | Work with policy, law, standards, clauses, obligations and assurance for research, experiments, instruments, simulations, challenges and frontier technology evaluation |
| Reports | Shared | Compute, model, synthesise and visualise governed analytical products and reproducible reports for research, experiments, instruments, simulations, challenges and frontier technology evaluation |
| Knowledge | Shared | Work with institutional memory, records, citations, runbooks and learning for research, experiments, instruments, simulations, challenges and frontier technology evaluation |
| Experiments | Specialist | Conduct reproducible research with explicit hypotheses, methods, protocols, datasets, instruments, runs, observations, negative results and limitations |
| Benchmarks | Specialist | Compare methods, models, technologies and experimental capabilities under transparent test conditions |
Authorised projects only.
Access requires an authorised project with an accountable owner, data terms and a review plan. Enquiries go to the contact form.
Where NXS-LAB subjects are taught.
Risk Academy, led by the Nexus Consortium, teaches the subjects practised in NXS-LAB in these disciplines; the Global Centre for Risk and Innovation (GCRI) links to the Academy as a partner and does not provide its courses.
- Reliability, safety and resilience engineeringFacultyFaculty of Infrastructure, Energy and IndustryNXS-LAB roomsExperiments
- Climate and energy technologiesFacultyFaculty of Infrastructure, Energy and IndustryNXS-LAB roomsBenchmarks
- Advanced industry, manufacturing and materialsFacultyFaculty of Infrastructure, Energy and IndustryNXS-LAB roomsExperiments
- Artificial intelligence and machine learningFacultyFaculty of Technology and Digital SystemsNXS-LAB roomsBenchmarks
- AI safety and evaluationFacultyFaculty of Technology and Digital SystemsNXS-LAB roomsBenchmarks
- Robotics and autonomous systemsFacultyFaculty of Technology and Digital SystemsNXS-LAB roomsExperiments
- AI assurance and auditFacultyFaculty of Technology and Digital SystemsNXS-LAB roomsBenchmarks
- Quantum technologiesFacultyFaculty of Technology and Digital SystemsNXS-LAB roomsExperiments
- Biotechnology, biosecurity and neurotechnologyFacultyFaculty of Health and SocietyNXS-LAB roomsExperiments
- Actuarial scienceFacultyFaculty of Finance and EconomicsNXS-LAB roomsBenchmarks
- Research, evidence and the science-policy interfaceFacultyFaculty of Governance, Policy and International AffairsNXS-LAB roomsExperiments
- Innovation and frontier technology governanceFacultyFaculty of Governance, Policy and International AffairsNXS-LAB roomsBenchmarks
- Model risk and validationFacultyFaculty of Risk Science and MethodsNXS-LAB roomsBenchmarks
- Probabilistic forecasting and verificationFacultyFaculty of Risk Science and MethodsNXS-LAB roomsBenchmarks
- AI and machine learning for risk analysisFacultyFaculty of Risk Science and MethodsNXS-LAB roomsExperiments, Benchmarks
- Risk perception and behavioural scienceFacultyFaculty of Risk Science and MethodsNXS-LAB roomsExperiments
- Complex systems and systems modellingFacultyFaculty of Systems and Nexus StudiesNXS-LAB roomsExperiments
Where this page’s references lead.
The bodies and documents this page is read against. Status and editions change; each link goes to the issuing body.
Questions and answers.
Is the system available now?
Bring a method, a dataset or a question.
Information and enquiries are open today. An enquiry receives a reference and names the next step; applications, payments, compute allocations and registrations open only when their team, terms and review capacity exist.
Legal documents.
Maps, data and figures on this site are shown for context and general information. They are not advice, forecasts or warnings; the limits of the information are set out in the Disclaimers and Data Notices.