In July of 2006, Cornell University's Vice Provost for Research organized a workshop focusing on cyberinfrastructure and data-driven science. Cornell invited researchers, technical staff, and research administrators from higher education institutions throughout New York State to attend. Discussions centered on exchanging experiences, requirements, and bottlenecks to implementing various aspects of cyberinfrastructure. At the workshop's conclusion, attendees committed to working together to help develop New York State cyberinfrastructure and the statewide collaboration, NYSGrid, was born.

 
NYSGrid's infrastructure is based on a grid research effort led by Dr. Russ Miller and staff and students at the University at Buffalo, with support from the Center for Computational Research at Buffalo and the Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute. In addition, NYSGrid utilizes software developed and maintained by the Open Science Grid. Miller continues his research through the Cyberinfrastructure Laboratory at UB.