Research Centers

DoD Center of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning (CoE-AIML)
Director: Dr. Danda B. Rawat

The DoD Center of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning (CoE-AIML) was created with the aim to explore the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in mission-critical civilian applications and multi-domain operations. The CoE-AIML team is conducting strategic research and workforce development projects to transform AI/ML through trustworthy, reliable, explainable, fair, robust and secure ML algorithms and AI systems while expanding diverse commercial, scientific, and DoD/government uses of AI/ML. A core element of the CoE-AIML mission is to train and graduate next generation ML and AI experts to meet the nation’s growing defense needs. 

The center serves as a trusted resource for all stakeholders in AI/ML research and education to develop new technologies and policy options for AI/ML use. 

Data Science and Cybersecurity Center (DSC2)
Director: Dr. Danda B. Rawat

The Data Science and Cybersecurity Center (DSC2) was formed as part of a new initiative at Howard University to create a world-class center for cybersecurity, cyber-event forecasting, cyber-actor behavior understanding, threat intelligence, threat modeling and analysis, cyber resiliency and defense, and data science. This initiative begins with a collaborative cohort of researchers drawn from multiple disciplines to solving the most critical problems related to cybersecurity and data science. It leads and promotes the mission of the College of Engineering and Architecture - to provide faculty and students the opportunity to work on contemporary technological innovation related to cybersecurity that mirrors today’s industry and society.

Howard University Transportation Research Center (HUTRC)
Director and Principal Investigator: Dr. Nadir Yilmaz 

The Howard University Transportation Research Center (HUTRC), housed within the College of Engineering and Architecture, serves as a dynamic hub for interdisciplinary urban transportation research in Washington, DC. As a leading research center, HUTRC is dedicated to fostering strategic partnerships between the University and its sponsors to address evolving transportation challenges.

HUTRC actively collaborates with local and federal entities, including the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), to develop data-driven solutions that enhance transportation systems both locally and nationally. HUTRC also recognizes the importance of collaboration with other universities and industry experts to achieve its mission of:

1. Providing the highest quality of service to its partners and the community.

2. Advancing transportation safety, mobility, and sustainability through cutting-edge research to address the transportation needs of the District and the nation.

Center for Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology (CEINT)
Director: Dr. Kimberly Jones

The Center for Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology (CEINT) is dedicated to elucidating the relationship between a vast array of nanomaterials — from natural, to manufactured, to those produced incidentally by human activities — and their potential environmental exposure, biological effects, and ecological consequences. Headquartered at Duke University, CEINT is a collaboration between Duke, Carnegie Mellon University, Howard University, and Virginia Tech with investigators from the University of Kentucky and Stanford University. Created in 2008 with funding from the National Science Foundation and the US Environmental Protection Agency, with funding renewed through 2018, CEINT performs fundamental research on the behavior of nano-scale materials in ecosystems that will provide guidance in assessing existing and future concerns surrounding the environmental implications of nanomaterials. 

Center for Energy Systems and Control (CESaC)
Director: Dr. James Momoh

The Center for Energy Systems and Control (CESaC) is an interdisciplinary Research and Education Center at Howard University that is aimed at pioneering research in electric energy systems and control, power, environment, economics and energy markets for terrestrial, space, and off-shore energy systems. The mission of the Center is to engage in research associated with the totality of energy systems and control and develop 21st Century leadership in the development of Efficient and Reliable Infrastructure using state of the art technology.

Howard Nanoscale Science and Engineering Facility (HNF)
Director: Formerly Dr. Gary Harris

The Howard Nanoscale Science and Engineering Facility (HNF) is a state-of-the-art nanotechnology center with laboratories open to academia, small and large industry and government for nanoscience research, engineering and product development. At HNF the goal is to assist users in the research, development and manufacturing of quality nanotechnology that is pollution-free, standards-compliant and environmentally friendly. The mission of the facility is to provide research experience for undergraduate students, research experience for teachers, and nano education to students and the community at-large.

NSF Engineering Research Center for Power Optimization for Electro-Thermal Systems (POETS)
Director and Principal Investigator: Dr. Sonya T. Smith

The Power Optimization for Electro-Thermal Systems (POETS) center attacks the thermal and electrical challenges surrounding mobile electronics and vehicle design as a single system. The POETS ERC aims to pack more power into less space for electrical technologies on the move by integrating novel 3-D cooling circuitry, power converters and algorithms for smart power management. The results of the research will enable the manufacture of lighter, more compact and more efficient power electronic systems for electric vehicles, airplanes, construction equipment, handheld tools and other mobile applications.

REPS Tier 1 University Transportation Center
Director and Principal Investigator: Dr. Claudia Marin

The Research and Education for Promoting Safety (REPS) Tier 1 University Transportation Center is a collaborative initiative aimed at enhancing transportation safety through multidisciplinary research. This center integrates cutting-edge research from civil engineering and computer science to tackle challenges related to infrastructure, traffic operations, and cybersecurity.

The center is led by Howard University in partnership with the University of Maryland, San Jose State University, and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.