Dalney St

CATEGORY I: NEXUS: A CONFLUENCE OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE AI AND SCIENTIFIC COMPUTING WITH SEAMLESS SCALING FROM LOCAL TO NATIONAL RESOURCES -SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING RESEARCH HAS EVOLVED TO INCREASINGLY RELY ON DATA-INTENSIVE AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) DRIVEN METHODOLOGIES. THIS, IN TURN, HAS LED TO MORE COMPLEX WORKFLOWS THAT INVOLVE HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE RESOURCES AT DIFFERENT SCALES AND OPERATING IN DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS. THESE GROWING COMPLEXITIES NECESSITATE A FLEXIBLE AND HETEROGENEOUS HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT TRANSFORMS EXISTING, DISJOINTED WORKFLOWS VIA A SEAMLESS AND MORE PRODUCTIVE COMPUTATIONAL ENVIRONMENT THAT IS EASIER AND MORE INTUITIVE TO USE. NEXUS PROVIDES SUCH A CRITICAL NATIONAL RESOURCE TO THE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING RESEARCH COMMUNITY; IT SERVES BOTH AS A STANDALONE PLATFORM AND AS A GATEWAY TO EFFECTIVELY UTILIZING OTHER NATIONAL RESOURCES, SIGNIFICANTLY ACCELERATING AI-DRIVEN SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. NEXUS WILL ADVANCE AMERICAN LEADERSHIP IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ADVANTAGE U.S.-BASED RESEARCH AND INDUSTRY ENTERPRISES IN DIVERSE AREAS OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, ENABLING BREAKTHROUGH DISCOVERIES, INCREASING ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS, AND ADVANCING HUMAN HEALTH. NEXUS IS A NEXT-GENERATION, NATIONAL-SCALE COMPUTATIONAL RESOURCE INTEGRATING CUTTING-EDGE HETEROGENEOUS HARDWARE, AI-ACCELERATED COMPUTING, AND ADVANCED SOFTWARE SERVICES TO UNIFY SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING RESEARCH WORKFLOWS. LED BY THE GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY IN COLLABORATION WITH THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR SUPERCOMPUTING APPLICATIONS (NCSA) AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN, NEXUS PROVIDES A SEAMLESS AND SCALABLE COMPUTATIONAL ENVIRONMENT THAT BRIDGES LOCAL AND NATIONAL RESOURCES. THE NEXUS COMPUTATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE INCORPORATES SUBSTANTIAL CPU AND GPU RESOURCES THAT DELIVER 14.5 PETAFLOPS OF PEAK DOUBLE-PRECISION CALCULATIONS AND OVER 400 PETAFLOPS OF PEAK AI-FOCUSED, REDUCED-PRECISION CALCULATIONS. THIS COMPUTING CAPABILITY IS AUGMENTED BY HIGH-SPEED MEMORY, A 10-PETABYTE ALL-FLASH FILE SYSTEM, AND A NEXT-GENERATION HIGH-SPEED NETWORK BASED ON INFINIBAND AND SOCKET DIRECT TECHNOLOGIES. THIS INFRASTRUCTURE IS INTEGRATED WITH A NOVEL SOFTWARE PLATFORM INCORPORATING THE NEXUS COMPUTING INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN RESEARCHERS? LOCAL ENVIRONMENTS, ALLOWING THEM TO HARNESS POWERFUL COMPUTATIONAL CAPABILITIES WITHOUT DISRUPTING THEIR WORKFLOWS. THE NEXUS PLATFORM WILL ALSO FACILITATE FEDERATED RESOURCE SHARING, ENABLING INTEROPERABILITY WITH NATIONAL CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE ASSETS, INCLUDING THE NSF-FUNDED DELTA AND DELTAAI SYSTEMS AT NCSA. FINALLY, IT SUPPORTS MULTI-SCALE, HETEROGENEOUS COMPUTING, GIVING RESEARCHERS ACCESS TO DIVERSE COMPUTATIONAL ARCHITECTURES THROUGH A UNIFIED INTERFACE, AN ESSENTIAL CAPABILITY FOR AI-DRIVEN RESEARCH AND COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCES THAT REQUIRE TAILORED, SCALABLE COMPUTING POWER. REGIONAL ENGAGEMENTS, TRAINING WORKSHOPS, STUDENT AND FACULTY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS, AND COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS WILL BE DEVELOPED TO LEVERAGE INNOVATIVE FEATURES OF THE NEXUS RESOURCE FOR SUPPORTING AND EXPANDING THE NATION?S GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE STEM WORKFORCE EQUIPPED WITH ESSENTIAL AI AND HPC SKILLS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

MAPPING THE CANCER AND ORGAN DEGRADOME ATLAS (CODA) TO UNLOCK SYNTHETIC BIOMARKERS FOR MULTI-CANCER EARLY DETECTION

MAPPING THE CANCER AND ORGAN DEGRADOME ATLAS (CODA) TO UNLOCK SYNTHETIC BIOMARKERS FOR MULTI-CANCER EARLY DETECTION

GRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM (GRFP) -THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF) GRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM (GRFP) IS A HIGHLY COMPETITIVE FEDERAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM. GRFP HELPS ENSURE THE QUALITY, VITALITY, AND STRENGTH OF THE SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING WORKFORCE OF THE UNITED STATES. THE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES AND SUPPORTS OUTSTANDING GRADUATE STUDENTS WHO ARE PURSUING RESEARCH-BASED MASTER'S AND DOCTORAL DEGREES IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS (STEM), INCLUDING STEM EDUCATION. GRFP PROVIDES THREE YEARS OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR THE GRADUATE EDUCATION OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE DEMONSTRATED THEIR POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS IN STEM. THIS AWARD SUPPORTS THE NSF GRADUATE FELLOWS PURSUING GRADUATE EDUCATION AT THIS AWARDEE INSTITUTION. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

CONSORTIUM FOR ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES AND INNOVATION 2.0 IS TO DIRECT THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AND INNOVATION THAT ENABLE THE TECHNOLOGIES THAT SUPPORT THE NNSA DNN R&D, TO TRAIN THE NEXT-GENERATION OF RESEARCHERS, AND TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN THE UNIVERSITY BASIC RESEARCH AND NATIONAL LABORATORIES’ MISSION-SPECIFIC APPLICATIONS.

CONSORTIUM FOR ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES AND INNOVATION 2.0 IS TO DIRECT THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AND INNOVATION THAT ENABLE THE TECHNOLOGIES THAT SUPPORT THE NNSA DNN R&D, TO TRAIN THE NEXT-GENERATION OF RESEARCHERS, AND TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN THE UNIVERSITY BASIC RESEARCH AND NATIONAL LABORATORIES’ MISSION-SPECIFIC APPLICATIONS.

GRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM (GRFP) -THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF) GRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM (GRFP) IS A HIGHLY COMPETITIVE, FEDERAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM. GRFP HELPS ENSURE THE VITALITY AND DIVERSITY OF THE SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING WORKFORCE OF THE UNITED STATES. THE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES AND SUPPORTS OUTSTANDING GRADUATE STUDENTS WHO ARE PURSUING RESEARCH-BASED MASTER'S AND DOCTORAL DEGREES IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) AND IN STEM EDUCATION. THE GRFP PROVIDES THREE YEARS OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR THE GRADUATE EDUCATION OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE DEMONSTRATED THEIR POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT RESEARCH ACHIEVEMENTS IN STEM AND STEM EDUCATION. THIS AWARD SUPPORTS THE NSF GRADUATE FELLOWS PURSUING GRADUATE EDUCATION AT THIS GRFP INSTITUTION. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

THE GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (GT) IS HOME TO ONE OF THE LARGEST UNIVERSITY COMBUSTION LABORATORIES IN THE WORLD, WITH MAJOR RESEARCH AND EVALUATION INFRASTRUCTURE THAT HAS FOSTERED DEEP RELATIONSHIPS TO GLOBAL HYDROCARBON FUEL UTILIZATION COMMUNITIES. GAS TURBINE MANUFACTURERS, ELECTRIC UTILITIES, INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS, AIRCRAFT ENGINE MANUFACTURERS, RECIPROCATING ENGINE MANUFACTURERS, AND DOE LABS ALL CONDUCT RESEARCH AND SUPPORT STUDENT TRAINING AT THE GT COMBUSTION LABORATORY. THIS PROJECT WILL CREATE NEW RESEARCH AND EDUCATION INFRASTRUCTURE, FOCUSED ON ENABLING THE FUTURE USE OF HYDROGEN AND AMMONIA AS PRACTICAL ENERGY CARRIERS. SPECIFICALLY, THE PROJECT WILL FUND THE PURCHASE, INSTALLATION, AND COMMISSIONING OF (1) HYDROGEN GENERATION/STORAGE AND DISTRIBUTION EQUIPMENT; (2) AMMONIA STORAGE, SAFETY, VAPORIZATION, AND DISTRIBUTION EQUIPMENT; AND (3) AIR COMPRESSION, HEATING, AND DISTRIBUTION INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED TO REPLICATE PRACTICAL INDUSTRIAL CONDITIONS; AND (4) A HYDROGEN FUEL CELL FACILITY. IT ALSO WILL SUPPORT COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES, THROUGH WHICH GT AND CAU STUDENTS TO LEARN IN THE OTHER INSTITUTE’S FACILITIES, PRIMARILY THROUGH FUNDED RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIPS.

MANUFACTURING SCIENCE FOR PRODUCING HYDROGEN ENERGY FROM GALVANIC ALUMINUM

SPARKING PROGRESS IN BATTERY MANUFACTURING THIS PROJECT WILL FOCUS ON ACQUIRING EQUIPMENT TO OUTFIT A RESEARCH FACILITY FOR BATTERY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (R&D) AT GEORGIA TECH. THE PURPOSE OF THIS FACILITY WILL BE TO SUPPORT FUNDAMENTAL AND APPLIED R&D TO COMPLEMENT THE EMERGING BATTERY AND ELECTRIC VEHICLE INDUSTRY IN THE SOUTHEAST REGION OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO EDUCATE STUDENTS IN THIS SPACE.

THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO COMBINE STATE-OF-THE-ART ALKALINE POLYMER ELECTROLYZER COMPONENTS, WITH ADVANCED MANUFACTURING METHODS AND CELL OPERATING CONDITIONS TO MEET FOA GOALS (2.0 A/CM2, <1.8 V AND <4 MV/KHR) TO ACHIEVE $2/KGH2. THE OBJECTIVES OF BUDGET PERIOD (BP) 1 INCLUDE DEVELOPING ANION EXCHANGE MEMBRANE (AEM) ROLL-TO-ROLL (R2R) PARAMETERS AS WELL AS INTRODUCING AND OPTIMIZING DURABLE ELECTRODES USING SELF-ADHESIVE IONOMERS, LOW-COST CATALYSTS, AND NEW MEMBRANE ELECTRODE ASSEMBLY (MEA) ASSEMBLY METHODS. THE WORK IN BP2 WILL ALLOW OUR TEAM TO DEMONSTRATE A NEW AEM R2R MANUFACTURING METHOD, IMPLEMENT NEW ELECTROLYZER OPERATING MODES (INCLUDING HIGH ION-STRENGTH ELECTROLYTE WITHOUT AN INCREASE IN PH), AND ELECTRODE DEPOSITION METHODS TO SIMULTANEOUSLY IMPROVE VOLTAGE AND DURABILITY. BP3 FOCUSES ON DETAILED DEGRADATION STUDIES, MODELING, MITIGATION STRATEGIES (IF NEEDED), LARGE-SCALE SYSTEM DEMONSTRATIONS AND COMMERCIALIZATION EVALUATION.

CATEGORY I: NEXUS: A CONFLUENCE OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE AI AND SCIENTIFIC COMPUTING WITH SEAMLESS SCALING FROM LOCAL TO NATIONAL RESOURCES -SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING RESEARCH HAS EVOLVED TO INCREASINGLY RELY ON DATA-INTENSIVE AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) DRIVEN METHODOLOGIES. THIS, IN TURN, HAS LED TO MORE COMPLEX WORKFLOWS THAT INVOLVE HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE RESOURCES AT DIFFERENT SCALES AND OPERATING IN DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS. THESE GROWING COMPLEXITIES NECESSITATE A FLEXIBLE AND HETEROGENEOUS HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT TRANSFORMS EXISTING, DISJOINTED WORKFLOWS VIA A SEAMLESS AND MORE PRODUCTIVE COMPUTATIONAL ENVIRONMENT THAT IS EASIER AND MORE INTUITIVE TO USE. NEXUS PROVIDES SUCH A CRITICAL NATIONAL RESOURCE TO THE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING RESEARCH COMMUNITY; IT SERVES BOTH AS A STANDALONE PLATFORM AND AS A GATEWAY TO EFFECTIVELY UTILIZING OTHER NATIONAL RESOURCES, SIGNIFICANTLY ACCELERATING AI-DRIVEN SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. NEXUS WILL ADVANCE AMERICAN LEADERSHIP IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ADVANTAGE U.S.-BASED RESEARCH AND INDUSTRY ENTERPRISES IN DIVERSE AREAS OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, ENABLING BREAKTHROUGH DISCOVERIES, INCREASING ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS, AND ADVANCING HUMAN HEALTH. NEXUS IS A NEXT-GENERATION, NATIONAL-SCALE COMPUTATIONAL RESOURCE INTEGRATING CUTTING-EDGE HETEROGENEOUS HARDWARE, AI-ACCELERATED COMPUTING, AND ADVANCED SOFTWARE SERVICES TO UNIFY SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING RESEARCH WORKFLOWS. LED BY THE GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY IN COLLABORATION WITH THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR SUPERCOMPUTING APPLICATIONS (NCSA) AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN, NEXUS PROVIDES A SEAMLESS AND SCALABLE COMPUTATIONAL ENVIRONMENT THAT BRIDGES LOCAL AND NATIONAL RESOURCES. THE NEXUS COMPUTATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE INCORPORATES SUBSTANTIAL CPU AND GPU RESOURCES THAT DELIVER 14.5 PETAFLOPS OF PEAK DOUBLE-PRECISION CALCULATIONS AND OVER 400 PETAFLOPS OF PEAK AI-FOCUSED, REDUCED-PRECISION CALCULATIONS. THIS COMPUTING CAPABILITY IS AUGMENTED BY HIGH-SPEED MEMORY, A 10-PETABYTE ALL-FLASH FILE SYSTEM, AND A NEXT-GENERATION HIGH-SPEED NETWORK BASED ON INFINIBAND AND SOCKET DIRECT TECHNOLOGIES. THIS INFRASTRUCTURE IS INTEGRATED WITH A NOVEL SOFTWARE PLATFORM INCORPORATING THE NEXUS COMPUTING INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN RESEARCHERS? LOCAL ENVIRONMENTS, ALLOWING THEM TO HARNESS POWERFUL COMPUTATIONAL CAPABILITIES WITHOUT DISRUPTING THEIR WORKFLOWS. THE NEXUS PLATFORM WILL ALSO FACILITATE FEDERATED RESOURCE SHARING, ENABLING INTEROPERABILITY WITH NATIONAL CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE ASSETS, INCLUDING THE NSF-FUNDED DELTA AND DELTAAI SYSTEMS AT NCSA. FINALLY, IT SUPPORTS MULTI-SCALE, HETEROGENEOUS COMPUTING, GIVING RESEARCHERS ACCESS TO DIVERSE COMPUTATIONAL ARCHITECTURES THROUGH A UNIFIED INTERFACE, AN ESSENTIAL CAPABILITY FOR AI-DRIVEN RESEARCH AND COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCES THAT REQUIRE TAILORED, SCALABLE COMPUTING POWER. REGIONAL ENGAGEMENTS, TRAINING WORKSHOPS, STUDENT AND FACULTY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS, AND COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS WILL BE DEVELOPED TO LEVERAGE INNOVATIVE FEATURES OF THE NEXUS RESOURCE FOR SUPPORTING AND EXPANDING THE NATION?S GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE STEM WORKFORCE EQUIPPED WITH ESSENTIAL AI AND HPC SKILLS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS AWARD IS TO PROVIDE MANUFACTURING EXTENSION SERVICES TO PRIMARILY SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED MANUFACTURERS IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: THROUGH ITS COLLABORATIONS AT THE FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEVEL, THE CENTER PLANS TO HELP MANUFACTURERS GROW AND DEVELOP BY FOCUSING AND PROVIDING SERVICES THROUGH BUSINESS HEALTH, ORGANIZATIONAL ALIGNMENT, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, AND MAKING NEW TECHNOLOGIES AVAILABLE TO SMMS. FURTHER EXAMPLES INCLUDE LEAN MANUFACTURING APPLICATIONS, INDUSTRY 4.0, CYBERSECURITY, TECHSCOUTING AND TDMI, AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GEORGIA TECH ATDC INCUBATOR. EXPECTED OUTCOMES: GAMEP IS FOCUSED ON STRENGTHENING GEORGIA'S MANUFACTURING BASE TO COMPETE MORE SUCCESSFULLY IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY BY SERVING SMALL AND MID-SIZED MANUFACTURERS. IMPROVING CLIENT SALES AND MARKETING SUPPORT, IMPROVE SUPPLY CHAIN STRATEGY AND MANAGEMENT, IMPROVE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND FURTHER DEVELOPING TWO STRONG INDUSTRIES IN GEORGIA, AUTOMOTIVE AND FOOD PROCESSING. OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE EXPERTISE AND CONNECTIONS TO HELP OUR CLIENTS IMPROVE THEIR COMPETITIVENESS IN THE GLOBAL MARKET THROUGH ORGANIZATIONAL GROWTH STRATEGIES AND OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE.INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED MANUFACTURERS IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA.SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: GEORGIA MEP WILL UTILIZE 4 SUBAWARDS THAT WILL PROVIDE SERVICES IN SYSTEM INTEGRATION HARDWARE, SOFTWARE AND TRAINING SUPPORT TO GEORGIA MEP PROJECTS IN THE AREA OF INDUSTRIAL INTERNET OF THINGS (INTERNET 4.0).

PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS AWARD IS TO PROVIDE MANUFACTURING EXTENSION SERVICES TO PRIMARILY SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED MANUFACTURERS IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: THROUGH ITS COLLABORATIONS AT THE FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEVEL, THE CENTER PLANS TO HELP MANUFACTURERS GROW AND DEVELOP BY FOCUSING AND PROVIDING SERVICES THROUGH BUSINESS HEALTH, ORGANIZATIONAL ALIGNMENT, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, AND MAKING NEW TECHNOLOGIES AVAILABLE TO SMMS. FURTHER EXAMPLES INCLUDE LEAN MANUFACTURING APPLICATIONS, INDUSTRY 4.0, CYBERSECURITY, TECHSCOUTING AND TDMI, AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GEORGIA TECH ATDC INCUBATOR. EXPECTED OUTCOMES: GAMEP IS FOCUSED ON STRENGTHENING GEORGIA'S MANUFACTURING BASE TO COMPETE MORE SUCCESSFULLY IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY BY SERVING SMALL AND MID-SIZED MANUFACTURERS. IMPROVING CLIENT SALES AND MARKETING SUPPORT, IMPROVE SUPPLY CHAIN STRATEGY AND MANAGEMENT, IMPROVE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND FURTHER DEVELOPING TWO STRONG INDUSTRIES IN GEORGIA, AUTOMOTIVE AND FOOD PROCESSING. OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE EXPERTISE AND CONNECTIONS TO HELP OUR CLIENTS IMPROVE THEIR COMPETITIVENESS IN THE GLOBAL MARKET THROUGH ORGANIZATIONAL GROWTH STRATEGIES AND OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE.INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED MANUFACTURERS IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA.SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: GEORGIA MEP WILL UTILIZE 4 SUBAWARDS THAT WILL PROVIDE SERVICES IN SYSTEM INTEGRATION HARDWARE, SOFTWARE AND TRAINING SUPPORT TO GEORGIA MEP PROJECTS IN THE AREA OF INDUSTRIAL INTERNET OF THINGS (INTERNET 4.0).

IDENTIFYING MULTI-SCALE MECHANISMS FOR AGE-RELATED INCREASE IN METABOLIC COST OF WALKING - MOBILITY SERVES AS A SURROGATE FOR WELL-BEING WITH AGE-RELATED LIMITS TO WALKING FUNCTION THAT INCLUDE: INCREASED ENERGY COST AND DECREASED SPEED. IN 2021, THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING CONVENED INTERDISCIPLINARY SCIENTISTS TO IDENTIFY MULTI-SCALE MECHANISMS FOR MOBILITY IMPAIRMENTS IN AGING AND IDENTIFIED MULTIPLE FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO ELEVATED METABOLIC COST AND REDUCED WALKING SPEED. A FOUNDATIONAL AGE-RELATED DIFFERENCE IN WALKING FUNCTION EMERGED - THE SO CALLED ‘DISTAL TO PROXIMAL SHIFT’ IN NEUROMECHANICAL EFFORT. OLDER WALKERS RELY MORE ON PROXIMAL HIP RATHER THAN DISTAL ANKLE MUSCLE-TENDONS TO POWER GAIT. THIS PROPOSAL LEVERAGES A MULTI-SCALE, COMPUTATIONAL-EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH TO PROBE CELLULAR-TO-BEHAVIORAL MECHANISMS LINKING THE ‘DISTAL-TO PROXIMAL’ SHIFT TO INCREASED ENERGY COST AND DECREASED WALKING SPEED WITH AGE. THE CENTRAL HYPOTHESIS IS THAT OLDER ADULTS SELECT SLOWER GAIT SPEEDS TO PRIORITIZE STABILITY OVER ECONOMY, AND THESE ‘SAFER’, PROXIMALLY- BIASED GAITS COMBINE WITH DECLINES IN NEUROMUSCULAR EFFICIENCY CREATING A ‘LOSE-LOSE’ COMBINATION THAT ELEVATES THE METABOLIC COST OF WALKING. AIM 1: CHARACTERIZE AGE-RELATED DIFFERENCES IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LOWER-LIMB JOINT MECHANICS AND METABOLIC COST OF ‘ECOLOGICALLY-RELEVANT’ WALKING. APPROACH: GATECH WILL RECRUIT N=60 [N=30 (15M/15F) YOUNG ADULTS (YA) 18 – 30Y AND N=30 (15M/15F) OLDER ADULTS (OA-SED) ≥60Y]. OUTCOMES: NET METABOLIC POWER, LOWER-LIMB MUSCLE ACTIVITY AND JOINT KINEMATICS/KINETICS DURING ‘ECOLOGICALLY-RELEVANT’ OUTDOOR WALKING WITH A NOVEL SENSOR SUIT USING CUSTOM-TRAINED MACHINE-LEARNING ALGORITHMS. ANKLE AND HIP EXOSKELETONS TO PROBE JOINT-LEVEL MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY. EXPECTED RESULTS: OA-SED>YA NET METABOLIC POWER ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER, MORE PROXIMAL AND LESS EFFICIENT LOWER-LIMB JOINT POWER. AIM 2: EXAMINE HOW AGE-RELATED CHANGES IN PROXIMAL-TO-DISTAL MUSCULOTENDON STRUCTURE AND CELLULAR/MOLECULAR MUSCLE FUNCTION IMPACT METABOLIC COST OF WALKING. APPROACH: IHMC WILL RECRUIT YA+OA-SED (SAME AS AIM 2) PLUS N=30 (15M/15F) ≥60Y PHYSICALLY ACTIVITY OA (OA-FIT). OUTCOMES: TREADMILL OUTCOMES FROM AIM 2, DISTAL-TO-PROXIMAL MUSCULOTENDON PROFILING, LATERAL GASTROCNEMIUS (DISTAL) AND VASTUS LATERALIS (PROXIMAL) MUSCLE BIOPSIES FOR MITOCHONDRIAL FUNCTION, MYOFIBER TYPE/SIZE/GROUPING, TARGETED MITOCHONDRIAL/METABOLIC MOLECULAR ANALYSES. EXPECTED RESULTS: OA-SED < OA-FIT <YA NET METABOLIC POWER ASSOCIATED WITH PROXIMALLY-BIASED REDUCTIONS IN MUSCLE FORCE CAPACITY/MITOCHONDRIAL FUNCTION. AIM 3: DETERMINE THE INFLUENCE OF TASK-LEVEL PRIORITIES ON OBSERVED AGE-RELATED INCREASES IN METABOLIC COST OF WALKING. APPROACH: PREDICTIVE MUSCULOSKELETAL SIMULATIONS THAT SATISFY A PRE-DEFINED WALKING ENERGY- STABILITY CRITERION. OUTCOMES: PREDICTED LOWER-LIMB MUSCLE ACTIVATIONS, JOINT AND MUSCULOTENDON KINEMATICS AND KINETICS, AND METABOLIC ENERGY COST OF WALKING FOR SIMULATIONS WITH OLD VS. YOUNG. EXPECTED RESULTS. DATA-DRIVEN SIMULATIONS WILL MATCH EXPERIMENTAL MUSCLE ACTIVATIONS FROM AIMS1+2. IMPACT: COMPUTATIONAL-EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH IDENTIFIES KEY AGE-RELATED DIFFERENCES IN MUSCLE BIOLOGY, MUSCULOTENDON STRUCTURE-FUNCTION, JOINT-LEVEL MECHANICS AND TASK-LEVEL PRIORITIZATION THAT DRIVE ELEVATED METABOLIC COST OF WALKING IN AGING.

AI INSTITUTE FOR COLLABORATIVE ASSISTANCE AND RESPONSIVE INTERACTION FOR NETWORKED GROUPS (AI-CARING) -PEOPLE COLLABORATE WITH ONE ANOTHER IN WORK, HOME, AND SOCIAL SETTINGS, AND THESE INTERACTIONS CHANGE OVER TIME BASED ON THE CAPABILITIES, ROLES, RESPONSIBILITIES, NORMS, AND INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS OF THOSE IN THE GROUP. HUMAN-AI INTERACTION (HAI) SYSTEMS CAN PROVIDE ASSISTANCE IN MANAGING GROUP COLLABORATIONS BY PROVIDING TIMELY INFORMATION ABOUT THE STATUS, CONTEXT, AND NEEDS OF GROUP MEMBERS, AND BY INTERACTING ON THEIR BEHALF WITH OTHER SUCH AI SYSTEMS. THE AREA OF HOME CARE FOR AGING ADULTS IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF A COMPLEX ASSISTIVE SETTING INSPIRING THIS RESEARCH. OLDER ADULTS, FAMILY CAREGIVERS, MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS OFTEN COLLABORATE TO RESPOND TO CHANGING NEEDS. TO ASSIST IN SUCH SETTINGS, HAI SYSTEMS NEED TO: (A) MODEL THE PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND SOCIAL CAPABILITIES AND NEEDS OF PEOPLE BY INTEGRATING DATA ACROSS MANY SENSORY MODALITIES; (B) DETECT PHYSICAL, COGNITIVE, SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN USER CAPABILITIES AND NEEDS; (C) UNDERSTAND THE DYNAMIC RELATIONSHIPS AND CAPABILITIES ACROSS THE SUPPORT NETWORK; AND (D) ADAPT INTERACTIVE BEHAVIORS IN ORDER TO ASSIST THE USER MOST EFFECTIVELY. THIS PROJECT WILL DEVELOP APPROACHES IN HUMAN-AI INTERACTION THAT LEARN PERSONALIZED MODELS OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND HOW THEY CHANGE OVER TIME, AND USE THAT KNOWLEDGE TO BETTER COLLABORATE, COMMUNICATE, AND ASSIST THE USER. TO DRIVE THESE INNOVATIONS, THE INSTITUTE WILL SERVE AS A NEXUS POINT FOR COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS ACROSS ACADEMIA AND INDUSTRY. IN ADDITION TO ADVANCING RESEARCH, THESE COLLABORATIONS WILL ACTIVELY BUILD THE NEXT GENERATION OF TALENT THROUGH A WIDE RANGE OF EDUCATION, OUTREACH, AND KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO DISSEMINATE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT, AND ENTHUSIASM FOR, THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTERACTIVE AI SYSTEMS. THE AI INSTITUTE FOR COLLABORATIVE ASSISTANCE AND RESPONSIVE INTERACTION FOR NETWORKED GROUPS (AI-CARING) WILL DEVELOP A DISCIPLINE FOCUSED ON PERSONALIZED, LONGITUDINAL, COLLABORATIVE AI -- CHARACTERIZED BY THE DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT, AND DEPLOYMENT OF INTERACTIVE, INTELLIGENT HAI SYSTEMS EMBEDDED WITHIN COMMUNITIES OF USERS OVER EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME (MONTHS AND YEARS). ENVISIONED HAI SYSTEMS WILL TAKE THE FORM OF VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS EMBEDDED IN COMMON CONSUMER DEVICES (E.G., CELL PHONES, SMART SPEAKERS) THAT WILL INTERACT WITH USERS VIA SPEECH, GESTURE, VISUAL, AUDITORY, AND MIXED REALITY INTERFACES. HAI SYSTEMS WILL ESTABLISH PERSONALIZED LONGITUDINAL MODELS OF USER ABILITIES, GOALS, VALUES, AND INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS BASED ON AGGREGATED SENSOR OBSERVATIONS AND THE HISTORY OF PAST INTERACTIONS. BUILDING ON SUCH MODELS, NETWORKED TEAMS OF AGENTS WILL PROVIDE COORDINATED ASSISTANCE THROUGH PERSONALIZED INTERACTIONS. RESEARCHERS IN COMPUTING, SOCIAL SCIENCES, AND HEALTHCARE WILL COLLABORATE TO DESIGN, DEVELOP, AND DEPLOY HAI SYSTEMS THAT INCLUDE SAMPLE-EFFICIENT TECHNIQUES FOR USER MODELING AND PERSONALIZATION, ROBUST METHODS FOR LONGITUDINAL HUMAN-AI TEAMING, EXPLAINABLE SYSTEMS, NOVEL GUIDELINES FOR EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN, AND NOVEL BENCHMARKS AND METRICS FOR THESE AREAS. RESEARCH DEMONSTRATIONS AND LONG-TERM FIELD EVALUATIONS WILL INVOLVE HOUSEHOLDS (INSTRUMENTED WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF SENSORS) THAT INCLUDE OLDER ADULTS WITH COGNITIVE AND PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENTS, THEIR FAMILY, INFORMAL CAREGIVERS, PROFESSIONAL HEALTH PROVIDERS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS. AI-CARING SYSTEMS WILL REINFORCE DAILY ROUTINES, RECOGNIZE CHANGES IN BEHAVIOR, PROVIDE TEAM SUPPORT FOR CAREGIVERS, SCAFFOLD PLANNING FOR INTERACTIONS WITH PROFESSIONALS, AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK REGARDING AN INDIVIDUAL'S VARYING ABILITIES. THESE FUNDAMENTAL CAPABILITIES WILL SCAFFOLD RESPONSIVE AND PERSONALIZED HUMAN-AI INTERACTION THAT WILL TRANSFORM OUR DAY-TO-DAY EXPERIENCES WITH AI SYSTEMS. THE LONG-TERM IMPACT OF THIS WORK WILL GO BEYOND CAREGIVING, EXTENDING TO ANY APPLICATION THAT INCLUDES LONG-TERM HUMAN-AI INTERACTION THROUGH SPEECH, GESTURE, VISUAL AND MIXED REALITY INTERFACES. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

IDEAS LAB: CFIRE: META-PURE: END-USE-DRIVEN CELL-FREE MODULES -META-PURE: END-USE-DRIVEN CELL-FREE MODULES CELL-FREE SYSTEMS REDUCE BIOLOGY TO ITS MOST BASIC PARTS, SIMPLIFYING THE COMPLEXITY OF TRADITIONAL BIOMANUFACTURING. HOWEVER, SCIENTISTS STILL DO NOT HAVE AN EFFICIENT WAY TO ?PLUG-AND-PLAY? THESE INDIVIDUAL CELL-FREE PIECES. THIS PROJECT ADDRESSES THIS GAP BY DEVELOPING A MODULAR, STANDARDIZED PLATFORM FOR CELL-FREE BIOPROCESSING. INSTEAD OF CUSTOM, ONE-OFF DESIGNS, THE PROJECT CREATES EIGHT REUSABLE MODULES COVERING ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS LIKE ENERGY GENERATION AND PROTEIN EXPRESSION. THESE ?READY-TO-USE? MODULES MAKE IT EASIER TO MIX AND MATCH CAPABILITIES, ALLOWING FOR FASTER, MORE EFFICIENT PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT. THE TEAM WILL DEMONSTRATE HOW MODULAR DESIGN AND STANDARDIZED KITS CAN REDUCE COSTS, IMPROVE ACCESSIBILITY, AND BOOST PRODUCTIVITY ACROSS THREE MARKET-RELEVANT TARGETS. IN DOING SO, THIS PROJECT AIMS TO MAKE CELL-FREE TECHNOLOGIES BROADLY AVAILABLE AND EXPAND THE USE OF CELL-FREE TECHNOLOGIES ACROSS THE U.S. BIOECONOMY. THIS PROJECT WILL ALSO CULTIVATE THE NEXT GENERATION OF BIOTECHNOLOGY TALENT THROUGH A DYNAMIC, CROSS-SECTOR TEAM OF POSTDOCS AND GRADUATE STUDENTS?UNITING EXPERTISE FROM INDUSTRY, ACADEMIA, AND GOVERNMENT?TO PIONEER AND SCALE THE FUTURE OF CELL-FREE BIOMANUFACTURING. THE PROJECT PIONEERS A MODULAR, STANDARDIZED FRAMEWORK TO ADDRESS BOTTLENECKS FOR SCALING CELL-FREE BIOPROCESSING. THE PROJECT WILL DEVELOP, CHARACTERIZE, AND INTEGRATE EIGHT DISTINCT FUNCTIONAL MODULES COMMON ACROSS CELL-FREE SYSTEMS: THREE FOR ENERGY GENERATION, THREE FOR THE SYNTHESIS OF VALUABLE PRODUCTS, AND TWO FOR TRANSCRIPTION?TRANSLATION. THESE MODULES SPAN VARYING LEVELS OF COMPLEXITY?FROM INDIVIDUAL PURIFIED ENZYMES TO ENZYME CASCADES, PURIFIED RECOMBINANT ELEMENTS (PURE), AND LYSATE-BASED SYSTEMS?ENCOMPASSING THE FULL SPECTRUM OF CELL-FREE BIOTECHNOLOGIES. THIS MODULARITY ALLOWS INNOVATION BEYOND STANDALONE PURE TECHNOLOGIES; IT COMPRISES MODULES WITH DEFINED CAPABILITIES, EACH BUILT AND OPTIMIZED INDEPENDENTLY, THEN INTEGRATED TO ACHIEVE MORE COMPLEX AND AMBITIOUS SYNTHESIS GOALS. THE PROJECT ALSO INCORPORATES ADVANCED ANALYTICAL TOOLS AND ESTABLISHES NEW STANDARDS AND METRICS TO RIGOROUSLY EVALUATE MODULE PERFORMANCE AND COMPATIBILITY, WHICH WILL RESULT IN A SYSTEM THAT PROVIDES RELIABLE SYNTHESIS. FURTHER, THE SYSTEM WILL BE VALIDATED THROUGH THE SYNTHESIS OF THREE INDUSTRIALLY RELEVANT TARGETS: THE VALUABLE SMALL MOLECULE SANTALENE; THE GAMS PROTEIN, WHICH ENHANCES CELL-FREE PROTEIN EXPRESSION; AND PRODUCTION OF A BACTERIOPHAGE. THESE DEMONSTRATIONS WILL SHOW HOW THE SYSTEM CAN BE USED FOR A VARIED OF USE CASES. THIS PROJECT WILL ACCELERATE INNOVATION, ENHANCE REPRODUCIBILITY, AND DEMONSTRATE A REPLICABLE FRAMEWORK THAT ENABLES FLEXIBLE, COST-EFFECTIVE, AND HIGH-PERFORMANCE BIO-BASED PRODUCTION PLATFORMS ACROSS DIVERSE APPLICATIONS TO SUPPORT SCALABLE BIOMANUFACTURING AND STRENGTHEN THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE U.S. BIOECONOMY. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

NSF I-CORPS HUB (TRACK 1): SOUTHEAST REGION -THE BROADER IMPACT/COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL OF THIS I-CORPS HUBS PROJECT IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A TRANSFORMATIVE ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM THAT ENHANCES THE NATION'S ECONOMIC AND INDUSTRIAL COMPETITIVENESS THROUGH FOSTERING ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND DEEP TECHNOLOGY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. SPANNING FOUR SOUTHERN STATES, THE HUB ADDRESSES REGIONAL INEQUITIES IN ACCESS TO CAPITAL, EXPERIENCED ENTREPRENEURS, MENTORS, AND ADVISORS FOR DEEP TECHNOLOGY RESEARCHERS. BY LEVERAGING COLLECTIVE STRENGTHS OF PARTNER INSTITUTIONS WITH EXTENSIVE BACKGROUNDS IN RESEARCH, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND INNOVATION, THE PROJECT AIMS TO CATALYZE THE ECOSYSTEM THROUGH MITIGATING TECHNOLOGICAL, EXPERTISE, AND CAPITAL DISPARITIES. THE HUB WILL DEPLOY A REGIONAL I-CORPS INFRASTRUCTURE WITH FULL-TIME ACCESS TO ENTREPRENEURIAL TRAINING AT SCALE, ASSISTING RESEARCHERS IN APPLYING CUSTOMER DISCOVERY PRINCIPLES TO TECHNOLOGY TRANSLATION. THIS PROJECT SERVES THE NATIONAL INTEREST BY PROMOTING INCREASED PARTICIPATION IN NATIONAL I-CORPS PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE REGION. THE ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES INCLUDE A COMMERCIALIZATION ROADMAP WITH ENHANCED ACADEMIA-INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS, AND EQUITABLE ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITIES ACROSS THE SOUTH'S INNOVATION LANDSCAPE. BY FOCUSING ON INCREASING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SOUTHERN COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF STARTUPS AND TECHNOLOGY COMMERCIALIZATION, THE PROJECT SEEKS TO INCREASE INTEREST IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH (STEM) FIELDS. THIS I-CORPS HUBS PROJECT IS BASED ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE REGIONAL INNOVATION NETWORK THAT COMBINES THE STRENGTHS OF VARIED ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS. THE PROJECT'S GOAL IS TO CREATE A SCALABLE MODEL FOR TRANSLATING RESEARCH INTO COMMERCIAL VENTURES WITH SOCIETAL BENEFITS, INCLUDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL ENTREPRENEURS. THE APPROACH INVOLVES INTEGRATING BEST PRACTICES FROM EXISTING I-CORPS HUBS PROGRAMS. KEY METHODS INCLUDE COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH, COMMERCIALIZATION ACTIVITIES, AND SPECIALIZED TRAINING PROGRAMS. THE PROJECT WILL ACTIVELY MONITOR SUCCESS METRICS FOR ALL HUB ACTIVITIES. THIS APPROACH EXTENDS BEYOND TRADITIONAL INNOVATION SUPPORT, INCORPORATING RESEARCH TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF DIFFERING ENVIRONMENTS ON PARTICIPATION. THE PROJECT AIMS TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP, INNOVATION BEST PRACTICES, AND REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THE GOAL IS TO POSITIVELY IMPACT THE REGION?S ECONOMY FROM THE ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW BUSINESSES AND COMMERCIALIZATION OF NEW PRODUCTS AND SERVICES THAT HAVE BENEFITTED FROM THE HUB?S I-CORPS TRAINING. THE IMPERATIVE TO EXPAND THE REGION'S ECONOMIC BASE SERVES AS A STRONG MOTIVATOR, POTENTIALLY INCREASING INTEREST IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH (STEM) FIELDS AND YIELDING ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITIES ACROSS THE SOUTH'S INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

NRT-FW-HTF: NSF TRAINEESHIP IN THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF SMART MEDICAL DEVICES -EXISTING MEDICAL DEVICES DESIGNED FOR WIDESPREAD USE IN DAILY LIFE INTRODUCE AN ASSOCIATED CHALLENGE OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, PARTICULARLY REGARDING MATERIAL WASTE AND CARBON EMISSIONS FROM THE PRODUCTION CYCLE. RECENT ADVANCEMENTS IN ELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGIES EXPEDITE THE PRODUCTION OF A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER VOLUME OF NEW MEDICAL DEVICES. ADDRESSING SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES NECESSITATES A COLLABORATIVE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH AND A CONCERTED EFFORT TO TRAIN THE NEXT GENERATION OF DESIGNERS AND ENGINEERS TO PRIORITIZE SUSTAINABILITY AND INNOVATION. THIS NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION RESEARCH TRAINEESHIP AWARD TO THE GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY WILL ADDRESS THIS NEED BY TRAINING MASTER'S AND DOCTORAL STUDENTS IN ADVANCED SUSTAINABLE MEDICAL DEVICES THAT ARE BOTH TECHNOLOGICALLY SOPHISTICATED AND ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE, OFFERING TRAITS LIKE REUSABILITY AND RELIABILITY, THUS FULFILLING A CRUCIAL NATIONAL PRIORITY. THE TRAINEESHIP EXPECTS TO PROVIDE A UNIQUE AND COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING OPPORTUNITY FOR ONE HUNDRED (100) STUDENTS, INCLUDING TWENTY-FIVE (25) FUNDED TRAINEES, BY COMBINING MULTIPLE DISCIPLINES IN MEDICAL DEVICES, SUSTAINABLE DESIGN, AND MANUFACTURING PRINCIPLES; COLLABORATIONS WITH CLINICAL PARTNERS AND ACCELERATORS; HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES WITH HEALTH-RELATED RESEARCH; AND A CULTURE OF INNOVATIVE AND TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH. TRAINEES WILL LEARN ABOUT A BROAD SPECTRUM OF DISCIPLINES, INCLUDING BIOENGINEERING, PUBLIC POLICY, PHYSIOLOGY, INDUSTRIAL DESIGN, INTERACTIVE COMPUTING, AND MEDICINE. BY BRIDGING THE GAP THAT CURRENTLY EXISTS BETWEEN SUSTAINABILITY, DEVICE TECHNOLOGY, BIODEGRADABILITY, AND MEDICAL SCIENCE, THE TRAINEESHIP WILL ADDRESS THE LACK OF A FRAMEWORK TO FACILITATE INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION AMONG ENGINEERS, SCIENTISTS, DESIGNERS, POLICY-MAKERS, AND CLINICIANS. THE TRAINEESHIP?S MAJOR GOAL IS TO DEVELOP A MULTIDISCIPLINARY CURRICULUM THAT COMBINES METHODS FROM VARIOUS DOMAINS TO RESOLVE ONGOING CHALLENGES IN DEVELOPING RELIABLE AND PERSONALIZED MEDICAL DEVICES FOR HEALTHCARE. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CLINICAL EXPERTS AND MEDICAL PRODUCT ACCELERATORS, THE INITIATIVE WILL BROADEN STUDENTS' PERSPECTIVES BEYOND THE CURRENT TECHNOLOGY-FIRST MINDSET AND REFLECT THE NEEDS OF PATIENTS AND HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS THROUGH SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS. ANOTHER GOAL OF THE TRAINEESHIP IS TO ATTRACT A MORE DIVERSE GROUP OF STUDENTS TO THE INTERDISCIPLINARY FIELD OF HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGIES AND CONTRIBUTE TO PROMOTING DIVERSITY IN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. THE PROJECT WILL DEVELOP A NEW PH.D. CONCENTRATION AREA IN SMART MEDICAL DEVICES WITHIN THE BIOENGINEERING PROGRAM AND A NEW M.S. DEGREE PROGRAM IN THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF MEDICAL DEVICES EMBEDDED IN THE COLLEGES OF ENGINEERING, SCIENCE, AND DESIGN. CURRICULUM MATERIALS AND BEST PRACTICES WILL BE DISSEMINATED FOR OTHER INSTITUTIONS TO EMULATE. THE NSF RESEARCH TRAINEESHIP (NRT) PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF BOLD, NEW POTENTIALLY TRANSFORMATIVE MODELS FOR STEM GRADUATE EDUCATION TRAINING. THE PROGRAM IS DEDICATED TO EFFECTIVE TRAINING OF STEM GRADUATE STUDENTS IN HIGH PRIORITY INTERDISCIPLINARY OR CONVERGENT RESEARCH AREAS THROUGH COMPREHENSIVE TRAINEESHIP MODELS THAT ARE INNOVATIVE, EVIDENCE-BASED, AND ALIGNED WITH CHANGING WORKFORCE AND RESEARCH NEEDS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

GRIDLOGIC: HARDWARE/SOFTWARE CODESIGN FOR DEEP GRID VISIBILITY AND SECURITY PROPOSE GRIDLOGIC, A FRAMEWORK FOR CYBER-PHYSICAL SECURITY BY DESIGN THAT WILL IMPEDE ATTACKERS OR MALICIOUS OPERATORS FROM TAKING ACTIONS THAT ARE DETRIMENTAL TO THE ELECTRICITY GRID. THE PROJECT HAS THE FOLLOWING OBJECTIVES: DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A CONTROL SYSTEM CAPABLE OF BLOCKING DETRIMENTAL ACTIONS OR TRAJECTORY OPERATIONAL ACTION BY AN EXTERNAL ATTACKER AND EVEN IN THE CASE OF AN AUTHORIZED INSIDER, IMPLEMENT AND DEMONSTRATE HARDWARE-BASED DATA ENCRYPTION AS A SECOND LAYER (I.E., IN ADDITION TO ANY NETWORK-BASED ENCRYPTION) FOR FIELD CONTROL DEVICES, DEVELOP AND DEMONSTRATE DEEP COMMUNICATION NETWORK CAPABILITY WITH ANOMALY DETECTION, AND DEVELOP AND DEMONSTRATE AI-BASED, SYSTEM-LEVEL CYBER-PHYSICAL SECURITY ASSESSMENT.