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

信息物理基础设施系统多学科卓越研究中心科学技术卓越研究中心（CREST）计划通过建立有效整合教育和研究的中心，支持提高少数民族服务机构的研究能力。CREST促进了新知识的发展，提高了个别教师的研究生产力，扩大了在科学、技术、工程和数学学科中历史上代表性不足的学生的存在。在国家科学基金会的支持下，德克萨斯大学格兰德谷分校（UTRGV）将建立一个网络物理基础设施系统（CIS）多学科卓越研究中心。该中心通过提出从微观（分子）到宏观（系统）尺度的创新理论、计算、实验和经验解决方案，解决了目前在CIS的规划、设计和运营方面的差距，这些解决方案也产生了对工业有价值的实用解决方案。作为“美国国家科学基金会十大构想”的组成部分，该中心在自动化、传感器和人工智能（AI）的关系方面推进和转变急需的研究和教育，预测革命性的网络物理基础设施系统。中心的研究分为三个子项目。第一个子项目侧重于未来的交通基础设施，这些基础设施将被自动驾驶汽车和无人驾驶飞行器所改变。子项目2在网络物理基础设施系统中设计并嵌入传感器，以执行自动化任务并监控基础设施运行状况。第三个子项目开发有效的信息技术架构，用于无人机和基础设施设计和运营中的大数据管理和决策。•为STEM本科学生提供前沿的网络物理基础设施系统研究经验；•整合研究和教育，并开发从高中到STEM研究生课程的途径；并且，•加强该机构的教育和研究基础设施，为工程博士项目建立一个平台，从而为更多样化的科学劳动力做出贡献。该中心的研究和教育活动将培养一支代表性不足的劳动力队伍，他们具备解决复杂社会问题的技能。该中心将与公共和私营部门合作，推进网络物理基础设施系统的技术转让和产品开发。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.