The University of Vermont has secured over $5.5M in National Science Foundation funding to support researchers investigating next-generation artificial intelligence computing, human tissue mechanics, atmospheric science, underground robots, and renewable energy systems.

According to a UVM statement, the largest grant of $2.1M is for a new supercomputer for artificial intelligence research at UVM’s Vermont Advanced Computing Center. Named IceCore, the new, high-performance computing cluster is 100 times faster than existing UVM systems. Led by Chris Danforth of UVM’s College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, this grant will enable about 1,000 UVM researchers and collaborators from across Vermont and New England to study such timely topics as infectious diseases, computational social science, and the behavior of large language models like ChatGPT.

The $5.5M total includes:

$2.1M to a team led by Chris Danforth of the Vermont Advanced Computing Center and Vermont Complex Systems Institute, for the creation of IceCore, a new AI supercomputer cluster.

$695,000 to Giuseppe Petrucci of the Department of Chemistry to study humidity and particle formation in Earth’s atmosphere, with implications for improved understanding of climate.

$624,000 CAREER award to Niccolo Fiorentino of the Department of Mechanical Engineering to study the structure and function of cartilage for application to osteoarthritis research.

$571,000 CAREER award to Haicen Yue of the Department of Physics to study tissue mechanics, with implications for regenerative medicine.

$500,000 CAREER award to Samuel Chevalier, as part of an interdisciplinary team, to study machine learning to improve power grids.

$396,000 CAREER award to David Punihaole of the Department of Chemistry, to study the behaviors of proteins within cells.

$200,000 Engineering Research Initiation grant to Laura Treers of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, to study robots that can operate underground to benefit disaster aid and agriculture.

$200,000 Engineering Research Initiation grant to Kathryn Hinkelman of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, to study aspects of renewable energy systems.

Bradford lawmaker to lead national AI task force

A Vermont legislator has been named to co-chair a national artificial intelligence task force.

The Future Caucus on July 21 announced the launch of the National Task Force on State AI Policy, a new cross-partisan initiative designed to equip Gen Z and millennial lawmakers with the tools to lead on artificial intelligence policy.

Co-chaired by Rep. Monique Priestley (D-Vt.) and Rep. Doug Fiefia (R-Utah), the task force brings together a politically diverse group of young legislators to promote responsible, bipartisan AI governance at the state level. The initiative aims to address how AI is transforming key policy areas such as jobs, education, public safety, and the economy.

“We’re building the kind of space where lawmakers can get informed and generate solutions,” said Priestley, who helped craft Vermont’s nationally recognized AI law. “This is about translating AI into real-world governance with clarity, creativity and collaboration.”

The task force will connect legislators with experts, host hearings and briefings, and release a first-of-its-kind Bipartisan State AI Policy Memo to help guide decisions across the country.

Priestley co-sponsored and championed H.121, a consumer privacy and age-appropriate design code bill that was successfully vetoed last month by Gov. Phil Scott. Intended to protect youth from online exploitation, it proved too restrictive for Scott and the Vermont business community. 

The initiative is the latest from Future Caucus, a national nonpartisan nonprofit focused on bridging the partisan divide through collaborative leadership from the next generation of elected officials.

The Vermont Future Caucus is led by Rep. Casey Toof (R-St. Albans) and Rep. Mary-Katherine Stone (D-Burlington). Other members include Reps. Jay Hooper, Priestley, Lucy Boyden of Cambridge, other representatives, and Sens. Becca White and Kesha Ram Hinsdale. 

Semi-conductor lab in SoBu gets $3.4 mil grant

The Vermont Gallium Nitride (V-GaN) Tech Hub has secured $3.4M of funding from the Northeast Microelectronics Coalition (NEMC) for a cutting-edge microelectronics testing laboratory to bolster innovation and economic development in the Green Mountain State and the Northeast.

The V-GaN Test and Characterization Lab will provide NEMC and V-GaN member businesses and researchers with advanced testing services for high power and high frequency devices, such as semiconductor chips used in motor controllers, power inverters, voltage regulators, battery chargers, and amplifiers and switches for 5G/6G devices and radar applications.

The South Burlington facility, expected to open in January 2026, will be operated by the University of Vermont (UVM) and housed within the OnLogic headquarters building in Technology Park. The NEMC funding will support the infrastructure build out and operating expenses for the facility. UVM will provide management and back-office support to the lab.