REU Site: Secure, Accessible, and Sustainable Transportation

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The University of Florida will conduct a REU site to host a diverse cohort of students who will (1) engage in high-impact research on emergent autonomous and sustainable transportation systems with engineering faculty and graduate student mentors, (2) get trained in foundational research skills through hands-on projects, workshops and trainings, and (3) disseminate research results through oral and written communication. As we move towards autonomous transportation, it is critical to explore and comprehend the needs and trade-offs among security, sustainability, and accessibility to improve human lives and benefit society. The site will specifically target engaging students from minority serving institutions and universities with limited research opportunities that contribute to the diversity of the future workforce. A unique feature for the site is the emphasis on cross-disciplinary collaboration for research activities. Students will get the opportunity to work on problems spanning Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Civil Engineering, jointly mentored by faculty members from different engineering disciplines with a history of collaboration on transportation problems.This program will engage students in cutting-edge interdisciplinary research problems of national interest including: (i) cybersecurity challenges to autonomous transportation, (ii) impact of autonomy on persons with disabilities, and (iii) techniques to exploit autonomy for sustainability. In addition to addressing some critical problems in transportation, the research will help participants comprehend the role of connectivity and computing to address problems of global impact. Participants will obtain unique exposure to a variety of state-of-the-art technologies, platforms, and tools. Furthermore, the site will include systematic training and events for the participants to hone their problem-solving skills and learn to be independent researchers. This site has the potential to produce a new generation of engineering students and professionals and to advance understanding and discovery of autonomous transportation systems while fostering learning.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.