RUSTON, La. (KNOE) – Louisiana Tech announced that one of its computer science professors has secured nearly $600,000 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to simplify and accelerate how artificial intelligence models are translated into specialized computer hardware.
Dr. Md Rubel Ahmed, an assistant professor of computer science, received the $599,982 federal grant for his three-year project, “Elements: Open Infrastructure for Automated Synthesis of AI Models to Hardware.”
According to officials, Ahmed’s research aims to bridge the gap between AI software and the hardware that runs it. Currently, designing custom hardware for AI requires multiple complex software tools and deep engineering expertise.
Ahmed, alongside collaborators at the University of Florida and the University of Central Florida, is building an open-source, automated platform to streamline this process, making AI hardware development faster, more energy-efficient, and accessible to a wider range of researchers.
“This project will make AI hardware design more accessible through an end-to-end open-source framework, enabling researchers beyond the traditional chip design community to develop AI hardware,” Ahmed said.
The federal award coincides with a major expansion of AI resources at Louisiana Tech. This fall, the College of Engineering and Science will open a new, privately funded 15-station NVIDIA AI Laboratory in Nethken Hall.
Dr. Collin Wick, dean of the College of Engineering and Science, noted that the funding aligns with the university’s strategic goals.
“Regardless of where anyone may stand on the issue of AI, it’s here to stay,” Wick said. “It’s incumbent upon us to leverage its capabilities and impact in engineering and science education.”
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