CREST - Center for Multidisciplinary Research Excellence in Cyber-Physical Infrastructure Systems (MECIS)

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Center for Multidisciplinary Research Excellence in Cyber-Physical Infrastructure SystemsThe Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST) program supports the enhancement of research capabilities of minority-serving institutions through the establishment of centers that effectively integrate education and research. CREST promotes the development of new knowledge, enhancements of the research productivity of individual faculty, and an expanded presence of students historically underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. With National Science Foundation support, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) will establish a Center for Multidisciplinary Research Excellence in Cyber-Physical Infrastructure Systems (CIS). The Center addresses current gaps in the planning, design, and operation of CIS by proposing innovative theoretical, computational, experimental, and empirical solutions spanning from micro (molecule)- to macro (system)-scale, which also yield practical solutions valuable for industry. The Center advances and transforms the much-needed research and education at the nexus of automation, sensors, and artificial intelligence (AI), as integral parts of the “NSF’s 10 Big Ideas,” anticipating the revolutionary cyber-physical infrastructure systems. Center research is articulated into three subprojects. The first subproject focuses on future transportation infrastructure which will be transformed by autonomous vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles. Subproject 2 designs and embeds sensors in cyber-physical infrastructure systems to perform automated tasks and monitor infrastructure health. The third subproject develops effective information technology architectures for big data management and decision making in the design and operation of unmanned aerial vehicles and infrastructure. The Center:• provides undergraduate STEM students with cutting-edge cyber-physical infrastructure systems research experience; • integrates research and education and develops a pathway from High School through graduate programs in STEM; and, • strengthens the institution’s educational and research infrastructure establishing a platform for a doctoral program in engineering thereby contributing to a more diverse scientific workforce. The Center’s research and education activities will develop an underrepresented workforce equipped with the skills to address complex societal problems. The Center will partner with the public and private sectors to advance technology transfer and product development in cyber-physical infrastructure systems.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.