Published: October 27, 2025
Capital One and UVA Engineering Announce $4.5M Partnership to Accelerate AI Research and Talent
Capital One and the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science have launched a $4.5 million partnership to advance AI research and education with direct benefits for students and faculty. The collaboration includes a $2 million investment from Capital One to create the Capital One AI Research Neighborhood inside UVA Engineering's future Whitehead Road Engineering Academic Building, matched by $2 million from the University. An additional $500,000 funds the Capital One Ph.D. Fellowship Awards to support AI-focused doctoral research.
Why this matters for educators
This partnership brings clear, near-term value to academic leaders: new space, new funding, and real collaboration with industry. It creates more opportunities for applied research, curriculum integration, and graduate student support-especially in finance-related AI.
- Expand course projects with live industry questions tied to data, systems, and real-time experiences.
- Connect students with a visible Ph.D. pathway backed by fellowships and cross-department teams.
- Strengthen faculty collaborations across engineering, data science, and policy to match how AI is used in practice.
Inside the Capital One AI Research Neighborhood
The new AI Research Neighborhood will cover roughly 31,000 square feet and bring together more than 50 AI researchers at UVA Engineering, with collaboration across Grounds. It is positioned to be the hub for advanced work in core and applied AI.
- Machine learning and data analytics
- Behavioral design
- Cyber systems
- Model-based systems engineering
Teams will take on pressing industry challenges: scaling AI systems, managing complex data at scale, and enabling state-of-the-art, real-time experiences.
Responsible AI with industry impact
This collaboration builds on Capital One's commitment to developing AI that serves customers and the broader financial sector, with an emphasis on well-managed, responsible AI. For educators shaping policy and curriculum, frameworks like the NIST AI Risk Management Framework can align course outcomes with industry expectations.
"We are delighted to continue to partner with UVA to accelerate state-of-the-art AI research and development in high-impact sectors of society like financial services," said Dr. Prem Natarajan, Executive Vice President, Chief Scientist and Head of Enterprise AI at Capital One, and Board Member, University of Virginia School of Data Science. "This partnership underscores our shared commitment to drive innovations in data and AI technologies to deliver value to people in all spheres of their lives. Together, we will enable the next generation of AI leaders to gain exposure to real-world business problems and help create a nationally important talent pipeline for the AI-ready workforce of the future."
Capital One Ph.D. Fellowship Awards
$500,000 will seed annual fellowship support for Ph.D. students at UVA Engineering who are pushing the frontiers of AI. The fellowships are designed to attract and support scholars whose work can influence finance and adjacent sectors.
"As a proud alumnus and a longtime supporter of the University of Virginia, I know firsthand the power of the UVA education to prepare and equip students to become the leaders of tomorrow. Today, I'm excited for two world-class organizations to come together and help pave the way to thoughtfully shape the future of AI in academia, industry, and society more broadly," said Todd Kennedy, Executive Vice President, Enterprise Payments, Capital One and Board Member, University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science.
A track record that supports this scale
UVA Engineering has led AI research and education for more than three decades, integrating AI with systems theory, policy, and economics. Faculty and students apply AI in health care, transportation, finance, energy management, and beyond-with an emphasis on AI automation, human-centered design, and data-driven decision-making.
About the Whitehead Road Engineering Academic Building
The Capital One AI Research Neighborhood will sit within UVA Engineering's new Whitehead Road Engineering Academic Building. The building introduces four research "neighborhoods" dedicated to Energy; Biomaterials and Health; Artificial Intelligence; and Environment and Sustainability. It will also include maker spaces, classrooms, and collaboration areas that bring people and projects together.
The building will house more than 50 faculty researchers, expanding capacity for cross-disciplinary, high-impact work. With steady enrollment growth and surging research since Rice Hall opened in 2011, this facility adds the space and infrastructure needed to support larger teams and modern labs.
What you can do next
- Map courses and capstones to the facility's focus areas: ML, data, behavioral design, cyber systems, and model-based engineering.
- Prepare students for finance-adjacent AI roles with case studies on scale, data orchestration, and real-time systems.
- Use responsible AI frameworks in syllabi and lab protocols to align with industry standards.
- Explore curated AI learning paths by job function to upskill students and staff: AI Courses by Job.
Voices from UVA Engineering
"This transformative gift from Capital One is an investment in advancing the frontiers of artificial intelligence research as well as preparing the next generation of engineering leaders," said Jennifer L. West, Saunders Family Professor and Dean of UVA Engineering. "We are grateful to Capital One for their partnership, which will have a tremendous impact on our students, faculty, and the AI field."
Your membership also unlocks:
