Center: IUCRC Phase II Rutgers University: Center for Accelerated and Real Time Analytics (CARTA)

Accelerated and real-time analytics is a leading edge of the smart data revolution, pushed by advances in internet-connected sensor hardware on one side and accelerated AI/ML analytics on the other. These technologies include AI/ML, cognitive, quantum, neuromorphic, and edge computing combined with new classes of sensory and programmable hardware components, active storage, flash storage, in-memory cloud systems, embedded sensors, etc. They address many pursuits of national defense and cybersecurity, weather and wildfire prediction, health- and disease-monitoring, Industrial IoT, etc. In IUCRC CARTA Phase II, we will develop new accelerated and real-time approaches to these technologies relevant to our industrial and agency partners. We will leverage our cutting-edge research in AI/ML and programmable cyber-systems to conduct collaborative CARTA research. Our research areas include accelerated medical image analytics, explainable/interpretable AI/ML for medical and vision/language models, digital twins for dynamical systems with acceleration, and physics-based modeling with AI/ML for improved understanding, programmable coupled software and hardware for accelerated analytics. Our research will be primarily “application neutral.” Therefore, the techniques we will develop can be applied with modifications across multiple industry sectors, including cyber security, healthcare and medical, dynamic systems, environment, and business intelligence. The technologies we will explore include semi/un-supervised learning, federated learning, programmable architectures, language/vision models, real-time simulations, and blockchains. Our project will benefit businesses by providing a larger pool of highly skilled workforce. We will disseminate the results of this collaborative research with industry widely by publishing them in appropriate journals and conferences. We also propose to share the results of our research with other non-CARTA institutions that want to duplicate this approach. We will leverage our programs for undergraduate/graduate students to recruit them for summer internships at our industry partners and research in CARTA projects. The MS in Data-Science Program will be used for students to do CAPSTONE projects. 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.