Dr. Zhenghui Sha and Dr. Joydeep Biswas have been selected for the inaugural class of Chief of Naval Research Fellows. UT is the only institution with two fellows among the 12 selected nationwide. The CNR Fellows program brings these academic research professors to ONR for a one-year fellowship in support of critical naval focus areas, with a stipend of $150,000 per Fellow and $50,000 in travel support.
During the next year, Biswas, an associate professor of computer science, and Sha, an associate professor of mechanical engineering, will work with the Office of Naval Research to strengthen connections between academia and the U.S. Navy.
Biswas will focus on how AI and autonomous systems are evaluated before adoption in naval operations. Sha will focus on AI-assisted design and multi-robot manufacturing, including approaches that could support on-site part building and ship repair.
“This was an extremely rigorous, competitive selection process, and we are pleased to partner with some of the best and brightest minds our nation has to offer,” said Chief of Naval Research Rachel Riley. “We look forward to collaborating with these innovative thought leaders to strengthen the warfighting capabilities of the Navy and Marine Corps.”
Read about the fellows and their work from UT News: tinyurl.com/5kr96fux
Also, check out the newsletter from the Navy and ONR: https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/News-Stories/display-news/Article/4575359/debut-dozen-onr-announces-first-winners-of-new-cnr-fellows-program/
