Penn State Receives $20M NSF Grant for AI Research - GovTech

Penn State Distinguished Professor of Materials Science and Engineering Joan Redwing will lead a team of Penn State researchers and more than 20 academic, government and industry partners on one of the NSF’s Genesis Mission projects, the university announced in a release Thursday.

The project is part of a $380 million federal initiative that seeks to integrate artificial intelligence into scientific research through a network of AI-enabled programmable cloud laboratories.

“This award gives us a unique opportunity to reimagine how materials research is conducted,” Redwing said in the release.

The four-year grant will establish the Layered and Thin-film Technologies with Intelligent Cloud Experimentation, or LATTICE, Programmable Cloud Laboratory, run by Redwing’s team at University Park. The AI-enabled platform will create new digital tools to help scientists remotely conduct experiments and study thin-film materials used to create semiconductors, the building blocks of modern electronics found in devices such as smartphones, computers, cars and medical equipment.

“By combining artificial intelligence, cloud technologies and advanced thin-film synthesis, we’re building a next-generation laboratory that researchers can access from anywhere and that will dramatically accelerate the discovery and development of materials for future semiconductor and quantum technologies,” Redwing stated.

The effort will build on the university’s existing state-of-the-art user facilities that already hosts particularly robust expertise in thin-film synthesis, Penn State Senior Vice President for Research Andrew Read said in the release.

“The LATTICE PCL will both make use of and expand upon the multiple top-tier facilities at Penn State to enable reproducible, scalable and distributed materials research that strengthens U.S. leadership in semiconductor, quantum and advanced materials innovation,” he said, noting that Penn State ranks first nationally in materials science research expenditures, according to NSF data.

The lab will be one of 20 facilities around the country, collaborating with the Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory, where each will develop their own AI-enabled research systems that can potentially advance the country’s scientific discoveries and innovations across disciplines.

Beyond advancing technology, the project is expected to expand access to advanced research tools and provide training opportunities for students and workers to help bring innovations in AI and automation into practical use.

“The NSF Programmable Cloud Laboratories initiative will unlock new discoveries in a wide range of fields while also advancing AI-enabled technologies that form the backbone of the automated science revolution,” Erwin Gianchandani, NSF assistant director for technology, innovation and partnerships, said in the release.

U.S. Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Howard, announced the major grant in a separate news release, and said the award positions the university to strengthen domestic manufacturing and prepare workers for jobs in emerging technologies.

“Penn State is a world-class institution, leader in research, and this funding will help develop a national model for training the next generation,” he said.

Read said the grant demonstrates continued federal investment in university research and reflects the importance of supporting research institutions in preparing for future technological challenges.

“Penn State is grateful to Congressman Thompson for his continued leadership and support of the impactful research taking place at Penn State,” he said. “This investment is an encouraging sign that the federal government remains committed to sustained investments in America’s research universities, whose work is essential to preparing our nation for the challenges ahead.”

Penn State’s collaborators include Carnegie Mellon University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Maryland, the University of Virginia, the University of Utah, the University of Iowa, Colorado State University, George Mason University, Michigan Technological University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and several industry partners.

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