UVM Secures $5.5M NSF Grants to Advance AI Computing and Scientific Research
The University of Vermont (UVM) has received over $5.5 million in funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support a range of research projects. The largest portion, $2.1 million, will fund the development of a new artificial intelligence (AI) supercomputer named IceCore at UVM's Vermont Advanced Computing Center.
IceCore is expected to deliver computing speeds 100 times faster than current UVM systems. This upgrade will enable research across infectious diseases, computational social science, and the behavior of large language models such as ChatGPT. The project is led by Chris Danforth from UVM's College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, who coordinates a team of approximately 1,000 researchers and collaborators across Vermont and New England.
UVM President Marlene Tromp highlighted the importance of this investment, stating that the NSF's support recognizes the university’s talented early career researchers and strengthens UVM’s research capabilities.
Details of the NSF Grants
- $2.1 million for IceCore, an AI supercomputer cluster led by Chris Danforth at the Vermont Advanced Computing Center and Vermont Complex Systems Institute.
- $695,000 awarded to Guiseppe Petrucci (Department of Chemistry) to study humidity and particle formation in Earth's atmosphere, which has implications for climate science.
- $624,000 CAREER award to Niccolo Fiorentino (Department of Mechanical Engineering) for research on cartilage structure and function, relevant to osteoarthritis.
- $571,000 CAREER award to Haicen Yue (Department of Physics) focused on tissue mechanics with applications in regenerative medicine.
- $500,000 CAREER award to Samuel Chevalier and team to develop machine learning methods for improving power grid performance.
- $396,000 CAREER award to David Punihaole (Department of Chemistry) studying protein behaviors inside cells.
- $200,000 Engineering Research Initiation grant to Laura Treers (Department of Mechanical Engineering) for research on underground robots to assist in disaster aid and agriculture.
- $200,000 Engineering Research Initiation grant to Kathryn Hinkelman (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering) for studies on renewable energy system components.
Significance of the Grants and UVM’s Research Growth
The CAREER and Engineering Research Initiation awards are aimed at supporting early career researchers launching innovative projects. This year, UVM achieved a record by securing four CAREER and two Engineering Research Initiation grants from the NSF.
Earlier in 2024, UVM was classified as an R1 research institution by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, a distinction held by fewer than 3% of U.S. universities. This reflects UVM’s expanding research enterprise, which attracted a record $266 million in funding during the 2024 fiscal year.
This funding will support projects that contribute to advances in AI, environmental science, health sciences, and engineering—fields integral to scientific and societal progress.
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