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The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Christopher Newport a $800,000 grant designed to bring academia and industry closer together.
The funding will launch a project on campus called EPIIC, (Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity). The goal of the project is to foster closer ties between academia and industry by connecting faculty with companies doing research that aligns with their specific interest. A core component of the program is the inclusion of students in the research initiatives.
“Students will gain hands-on research experience working with a faculty member, and a firsthand view of the research interests of the company partnering for the project,” said Dr. Roberto Flores, Associate Professor of Computer Science. “They will also receive invaluable exposure to connections with the participating partnering institutions.”
This hands-on approach not only offers students invaluable research experience, but also provides them with a clearer understanding of the research goals of the partnering companies and institutions.
“The project will promote, establish and oversee research projects in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence,” said Flores. “The funding will allow companies and research institutions to explore shared interests with CNU faculty and pursue initial collaborations in these areas at little or no cost to the external partners.”
The grant was awarded to Drs. Roberto Flores, Ryan Fisher, Lynn Lambert and Anton Riedl.