The Coordinated Science Laboratory has received funding for two new National Science Foundation (NSF) Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers (I/UCRC), funded by NSF and several industry partners for the next five years. I/UCRCs aim to partner university research with industry needs in order to transfer research results and technological advances to the U.S. marketplace.
The two centers—the Center for Advanced Electronics through Machine Learning (CAEML) and the Center for Computational Biotechnology and Genomic Medicine (CCBGM)—will capture research needs in two critical fields: microelectronic circuits and systems for semiconductors; and a platform for generating, interpreting, and applying genomic data.
“CSL excels at interdisciplinary research that solves big societal problems and has enjoyed productive relationships with companies for decades," said CSL Director Klara Nahrstedt. "It is these qualities that have positioned us to lead two of these new centers.”
CAEML, led by CSL and electrical and computer engineering professor Elyse Rosenbaum, will focus on advances in integrated circuits, or chips, which power everything from smart watches to supercomputers. Co-led by researchers from Georgia Tech and North Carolina State University, CAEML will leverage machine-learning techniques to develop new ways to increase performance while reducing chip size and development cost, tapping into a need of the semiconductor industry, one of America’s top exporters.
Learn more about CAEML.
Genomic data is a trove of information and key in the push toward personalized healthcare. With an understanding of individual genomic data, researchers can start to unravel the genetic underpinnings of the basic processes of life, as well as the markers of disease. CCBGM, led by CSL and electrical and computer engineering professor Ravi Iyer, will work with colleagues at the Mayo Clinic to advance pressing societal issues, such as enabling patient-specific treatment of cancer and other diseases, understanding and modifying microbial communities related to human health and agriculture, and supporting humanity’s growing need for food by improving the efficiency of plant and animal agriculture.
Learn more about CCBGM.
With these two centers, CSL and the University of Illinois are positioned to be at the leading-edge of industry-relevant, societal research needs. With strong industry, university, and clinical support, the centers have the opportunity to significantly advance electronic systems and health care in novel ways.