The National Science Foundation created the George E. Brown, Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) to improve our understanding of earthquakes and their effects.

NEES is a shared national network of 15 experimental facilities, collaborative tools, a centralized data repository, and earthquake simulation software, all linked by the ultra-high-speed Internet2 connections of NEESgrid. Together, these resources provide the means for collaboration and discovery in the form of more advanced research based on experimentation and computational simulations of the ways buildings, bridges, utility systems, coastal regions, and geomaterials perform during seismic events.

NEES will revolutionize earthquake engineering research and education. NEES research will enable engineers to develop better and more cost-effective ways of mitigating earthquake damage through the innovative use of improved designs, materials, construction techniques, and monitoring tools. This research can also help prevent infrastructure damage from other natural disasters and from terrorism. Preparing for and protecting against these threats makes American communities more resilient and enhances their ability to meet the challenges posed by future disasters.

With funding from NSF, NEES will operate for ten years (October 1, 2004 - September 30, 2014). The program is managed by the nonprofit NEES Consortium, Inc. (NEESinc).