Four Indian-American experts leading Accelerate-DAQ AI defense research project
The Accelerate-DAQ group comprises experts from six A&T colleges, including Shyam Aravamudhan (Professor of Nanoengineering, Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering – JSNN), Vishnu Bastokoti (Associate Professor of Chemistry, College of Science and Technology – CoST), Pankaj Chaudhary (Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Business Information Systems and Analytics, Willie A. Deese College of Business and Economics), and Salil Desai (Associate Dean for Research and Innovation and Distinguished Professor, College of Engineering – COE).
NORTH CAROLINA:-Â Four Indian-American experts have secured the opportunity to participate in “Accelerate-DAQ,” a five-year, $10 million project at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University aimed at expanding defense research capabilities in artificial intelligence and quantum systems.
According to a statement issued by the university, the Department of the Army has named NCA&T as the inaugural recipient of a grant—funded through the Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions (HBCU/MI) program—to enhance research capabilities at HBCUs and other MIs.
The DoD established a program to provide support for cutting-edge research and training at HBCUs and MIs across various STEM fields relevant to national security.
The investment will accelerate the advancement of the research enterprise by supporting specific research projects—including, for A&T, the goal of achieving and maintaining “Research 1” status under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
Kaushik Roy, Head of the Department of Computer Science at A&T’s College of Engineering, is one of the project’s faculty leads.
“Future AI systems need to do more than just generate correct answers. They must be reliable, resilient, and capable of operating amidst uncertainty,” said Roy. “Our research [explores] how intelligent systems can effectively collaborate with humans…”
Accelerate-DAQ will focus on several of the Department of Defense’s (DoD) ‘Critical Technology Areas’ (CTAs). It will place special emphasis on ‘Applied Artificial Intelligence’ (AAI) and ‘Quantum and Battlefield Information Dominance,’ comprising three interconnected research clusters: Trustworthy AI & Cyber ​​Defense, AI-enabled Autonomy, and Quantum Computing.
The project aims to foster a research culture that empowers “research champions”—including professors, post-doctoral scholars, undergraduate and graduate students, and research staff. Additionally, it is expected to enhance A&T’s capacity to conduct research in sensitive or classified areas.
The Accelerate-DAQ group comprises experts from six A&T colleges, including Shyam Aravamudhan (Professor of Nanoengineering, Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering – JSNN), Vishnu Bastokoti (Associate Professor of Chemistry, College of Science and Technology – CoST), Pankaj Chaudhary (Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Business Information Systems and Analytics, Willie A. Deese College of Business and Economics), and Salil Desai (Associate Dean for Research and Innovation and Distinguished Professor, College of Engineering – COE).
