Funded Projects

We gratefully acknowledge the generous support from our sponsors and collaborators. We are excited about opportunities for research collaborations, joint proposal development, and strategic partnerships that advance scientific discovery, foster innovation, and create meaningful societal impact.

  • AI Embodied Biomimetic Soft Robot for Superior Vision in Minimally Invasive Surgery

    10/01/2025 – 09/30/2028，Co-PI

    National Science Foundation (NSF) · $1,038,318

  • I-Corps: Translation Potential of a Contextual Robotic Artificial Intelligence (AI) Agent for Field Tasks in Construction and Project-Based Industries

    09/15/2025 – 08/31/2026，PI

    National Science Foundation (NSF) · $50,000

  • Architected Materials for Extreme Resistance in Coastal Applications (AMERICA)

    08/01/2025 – 07/31/2026，Co-PI

    National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine · $1,175,000.

  • Collaborative Research: Multimodal Immersive Training to Develop Expertise in Spatial-Temporal Reasoning for Fire Investigations

    09/01/2025 – 08/31/2028，PI

    National Science Foundation (NSF) · $169,235

  • SCH: Enhancing Women Musculoskeletal Disorder Understanding and Rehabilitation through Wearable Intelligent Soft Exosuits

    07/15/2025 – 06/3/2029，Senior Personnel

    National Science Foundation (NSF) · $1,000,000

  • Elements: A Convergent Physics-based and Data-driven Computing Platform for Building Modeling

    09/2023 – 08/2026，Co-PI

    National Science Foundation (NSF) · $584,094

  • SCC-PG: Securing Underserved Communities from Drug Abuse with Drone-Based Smart Medication Delivery

    04/2023 – 03/2024，Co-PI

    National Science Foundation (NSF) · $150,000

  • Lignin-Derived Carbon Storing Foams for High Performance Insulation

    11/2022 – 10/2024，Co-PI

    Department of Energy (DOE) · $2,707,550

  • FW-HTF-R: Fair4Wise: Future AI and Robots for Women in Smart Engineering

    09/2022 – 08/2025，PI

    National Science Foundation (NSF) · $1,807,743

  • I-Corps: Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Enabled and Digital Twin Interactive Robots for Facility Hygiene and Human Health

    07/2022 – 12/2023，PI

    National Science Foundation (NSF) · $49,971

  • STEM Education and Apprenticeship Liaison (SEAL) for Navy

    05/2022 – 04/2025，Senior Personnel

    Office of Naval Research (ONR) · $600,000

  • FW-HTF-R/Collaborative Research: Human-Robot Sensory Transfer for Worker Productivity, Training, and Quality of Life in Remote Undersea Inspection and Construction Tasks

    12/2021 – 11/2025，PI

    National Science Foundation (NSF) · $224,999

  • CPS: Medium: Bio-socially Adaptive Control of Robotics-Augmented Building-Human Systems for Infection Prevention by Cybernation of Pathogen Transmission

    01/2021 – 12/2024，PI

    National Science Foundation (NSF) · $1,199,129

  • SCC-PG: Toward Disease-Resistant School Communities by Reinventing the Interface among Built Environments, Occupants, and Microbiomes

    10/2020 – 4/2022，PI

    National Science Foundation (NSF) · $149,998

  • Drones and Other Technologies to Assist in Disaster Relief Efforts

    09/2020 – 2/2022，PI

    Tennessee Department of Transportation · $149,999

  • Smart Design and Operation of Ventilation Systems to Reduce Indoor Pathogen Transmission

    09/2020 – 12/2020，PI

    Trimble, Inc. · $9,956

  • RAPID: Impacts of Design and Operation Attributes of Mass-Gathering Civil Infrastructure Systems on Pathogen Transmission and Exposure

    05/2020 – 8/2022，PI

    National Science Foundation (NSF) · $199,809

  • Pollutant Sourcing Identification in Impaired Surface Waters

    03/2020 – 02/2021，Co-PI

    United States Geological Survey · $75,493

  • CRII: CPS: Coupling Subsurface Features with Connected Autonomous Vehicles as Networked Cyber-Physical Systems for Reciprocal Mapping and Localization

    05/2019 – 4/2022，PI

    National Science Foundation (NSF) · $175,000

  • Concrete Bridge Deck Deterioration Assessment Using Ground Penetrating Radar

    01/2019 – 5/2021，PI

    Tennessee Department of Transportation · $149,681