NJIT Devotes Over $10 Million in New Funds for Push in Artificial Intelligence
17 Septiembre 2024 - 10:00AM
New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is launching a new, $10+
million initiative that will significantly advance the university’s
strength in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and position
NJIT to become a leader in both AI research and application in
higher education. This augments already significant existing
academic and research activity in AI and related programs. In 2023
alone, NJIT research related to AI totaled nearly $60 million. This
new effort will leverage the university’s extensive expertise in
machine learning, computer vision, natural language processing, and
robotics, with the goal of becoming a major player in AI
innovation.
As part of the new investment, NJIT will establish
the Grace Hopper AI Research Institute with support from an
anonymous donor and matching funds that total $6 million. The
Institute is named for American computer scientist, mathematician,
and United States Navy rear admiral Grace Brewster Hopper, who was
a pioneer of computer programming. The new institute will include
existing initiatives, such as the Center for AI
Research and the Institute for Data Science — where
faculty members and researchers, along with students, study topics
such as data analysis and scientific computing — and also will
apply AI across diverse fields, such as architecture, biology,
engineering, and management, ensuring that AI research benefits
multiple sectors. Through collaboration with the New Jersey
Innovation Institute, an NJIT corporation, the Grace Hopper AI
Research Institute also will form partnerships with healthcare,
defense, finance, and manufacturing industries, creating AI
solutions for real-world challenges.
An additional $4+ million investment by NJIT will
support initiatives that include an expansion of the top-tier AI
talent at NJIT and the creation of a Center for Educational
Innovation Excellence, where experts will study AI’s role in
enhancing curricula and effective teaching/learning. NJIT is
already well underway in equipping faculty to use generative
learning, as part of an integrated partnership between
the administration, instructional staff and the Office of
Information Services & Technology.
The expansion of NJIT’s AI prowess in research and
application aligns perfectly with the university’s
2030 Strategic Plan, which calls for NJIT to become a nexus of
innovation that is a physical and intellectual focal point for
ideas, actions and people and brings together researchers,
learners, entrepreneurs and partners from government, industry and
the community to pursue innovation. The AI push will dramatically
enhance learner advancement, faculty success, digital
transformation and expansion of industry partnerships, all of which
are areas of focus within that strategic plan.
“Generative AI is creating new opportunities for
innovation and knowledge creation while also challenging the
traditional models of R&D and operations,” said NJIT President
Teik C. Lim. “At the same time, the development of intellectual
property and the translation and commercialization of research
requires dedicated investment. AI is arguably going to have the
greatest effect on the creation and delivery of knowledge goods and
services since the advent of the Internet and the smartphone. NJIT
will focus its research enterprise on collaborative, large-scale,
applied projects in areas of high impact.”
Deric Raymond
New Jersey Institute of Technology
9736427042
draymond@njit.edu