NRT: Converging Research on Edge Artificial intelligence and Training Enhancement

About This Grant

One of the next frontiers for Artificial Intelligence (AI) is to incorporate AI directly into edge devices, which are devices like a home router that serve as an entryway to the broader cloud network. In order to make these devices at the “edge” of the cloud smarter, innovations are needed in both hardware development and in soft-skill training for scientists and engineers. This novel AI paradigm will help alleviate dependence on the cloud and reduce the high energy dependence of cloud computing. To meet this critical need, this National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) award will establish the Converging Research on Edge Artificial intelligence and Training Enhancement (CREATE) program. CREATE will leverage strategic partnerships between universities, national labs and industry to integrate transdisciplinary research with professional development to train future leaders in Edge Artificial Intelligence (Edge AI). The project anticipates training forty (40) Ph.D. students, including fifteen (15) funded Ph.D. trainees. Additionally, key training components, such as the professional development series and curriculum, will be made available to other graduate students on campus. CREATE will be anchored by a compelling multidisciplinary research area – Edge AI, which enables data collection and AI execution on edge devices to facilitate real-time decision-making. Integrating the study of algorithms, hardware, and devices into one convergent research program will allow rapid advances in this complex and emerging area of research. To address the critical research needs of Edge AI and to advance graduate education in this field nationwide, CREATE will revolutionize Ph.D. training based on seven transdisciplinary program pillars: (i) Research: CREATE trainees will pursue leading-edge transdisciplinary research on Edge AI for a broad range of application domains; (ii) Didactic Coursework: CREATE will build a transdisciplinary curriculum on Edge AI, which consists of carefully constructed core courses and elective courses that align with CREATE goals, without extending the expected time-to-degree; (iii) Clean Room Training: CREATE trainees will visit Department of Energy national laboratories in summer to gain hands-on microelectronics clean-room training experience; (iv) Technical Writing: CREATE will provide trainees with training in logic and writing skills, paired with a structured approach to grant proposal development; (v) Professional Skills: A new CREATE Professional Development Series will be developed to will equip trainees with essential transdisciplinary skills in innovation and entrepreneurship; (vi) Outreach: A dedicated Outreach and Education Training Program will be designed to pair trainees with in-service teachers to develop mini-courses on their research and gain practical teaching experience in high-school classes; and (vii) Graduate Certificate: CREATE will establish a new graduate certificate program in Edge AI to formalize training in this rapidly emerging field. Overall, by aligning with the mission and the strategic direction of the institution, CREATE will establish a sustainable and scalable Ph.D. training model which can be adapted to other graduate programs on campus and at institutions nationwide. The NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) Program is designed to encourage the development and implementation of bold, new, and 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.