Clark Atlanta University (CAU), in collaboration with Georgia Tech’s NSF Artificial Intelligence (AI) Optimization Advanced Research Facility (AI4OPT), has been awarded a four-year, $2.79 million grant (grant ID 2402493) from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to create an AI hub. The joint effort aims to advance AI education and research at minority-serving institutions, particularly Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
The effort is part of the NSF ExpandAI program, which aims to increase minority-represented institutions’ participation in AI research, education and workforce development through capacity-building projects and partnerships within the NSF-led ecosystem of national AI research institutes.
Building an AI community is no easy task, but the CAU-GT/AI4OPT collaboration is ready to meet it. Known as AIHUB@CAU, the project is led by principal investigator Charles B. Pierre, an associate professor in CAU’s Department of Mathematical Sciences.
“The mission of this grant aligns with the AI4OPT faculty training program, which focuses on strategies to increase minority participation in AI research programs, from HBCUs to other minority-serving institutions,” said Pierre, who also leads education and diversity initiatives at AI4OPT. “Our goal is to ensure diverse representation in the AI field.”
The collaboration will use existing educational resources and infrastructure to build a center of excellence in AI and a community of empowered Black AI researchers.
“We anticipate challenges in developing coursework, including finding industry experts qualified to teach and preparing faculty who are not familiar with AI,” Pierre said. “Our goal is to address these issues head-on by establishing a doctoral program at CAU and positioning the university as a hub for AI training.”
AIHUB@CAU will integrate industry partnerships to accelerate curriculum development and real-world applications, extending AI education beyond machine learning to decision-making and applications in areas such as business analytics, cyber-physical security, and operations research.
The award is funded in part through NSF's Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation program, highlighting NSF's commitment to diversity in STEM fields through impactful education and research initiatives.
“Establishing programs at educational institutions like Clark Atlanta University and Georgia Tech's AI4OPT provides students with the essential resources and tools to succeed in this ever-evolving field,” Pierre noted.
AI Education Program Goals and Structure
The main goals of creating AI courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels:
- Eliminate disparities in AI graduates from HBCUs at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
- Preparing HBCU students for the AI workforce.
- We support Georgia Tech's AI4OPT vision of “democratizing access to AI education.”
Student career prospects and impact on the AI research community:
- Undergraduate courses and programs prepare students for entry-level positions in the field.
- Graduate courses and programs prepare students for research and participation in the AI research community.
Roles and Contributions:
- Georgia Tech's AI4OPT will support the development of undergraduate and graduate courses and programs at CAU.
- It provides research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate level students at CAU.
- Georgia Tech's AI4OPT will be a partner in the established AI research hub.
Support for the development of Master's and Doctoral programs:
- We will use a current course from Georgia Tech as a template.
- Use courses offered through AI4OPT’s Teacher Training Program (FTP).
Basic AI Course:
- Courses already taught by CAU faculty in the AI4OPT FTP.
- Courses available at Georgia Institute of Technology.
- New courses developed by AIHUB@CAU based on Intel materials will focus on computer vision and natural language processing.
- A course on Applied Optimization developed by AI4OPT.
- New use-focused AI courses teaching applications of AI in a variety of fields including supply chain, security, chemicals, and manufacturing.
Research opportunities:
- The Undergraduate Research Program (URP) offers students early exposure to AI research, including summer internships at Georgia Tech and other AI4OPT sites.
- Graduate programs include an 18-month non-thesis master's program that includes a summer internship and capstone project, and a two-year thesis master's program supported by a six-month research project.
New AI Master's Programme Structure:
- There are five categories of courses that support the Master's degree:
- CAU's existing courses will be taught in the AI4OPT FTP.
- Courses available at Georgia Institute of Technology.
- New course based on Intel materials.
- Applied Optimization course developed by AI4OPT.
- A new course developed by AIHUB@CAU focusing on AI applications in various fields.
Collaborations and Internships:
- Co-supervising research projects with CAU and AI4OPT faculty members.
- Summer internships starting in 2026.
- A capstone project facilitated by Georgia Tech and industry partners.
About AI4OPT
The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Optimization Advanced Research Institute (AI4OPT) aims to bring about a paradigm shift in large-scale automated decision-making by fusing AI and mathematical optimization (MO) to achieve breakthroughs that neither field could achieve alone. The institute tackles societal challenges in energy, logistics and supply chain, resilience and sustainability, and circuit design and control. To address the growing gap in employment opportunities, the institute offers innovative long-term education and workforce development programs.
About Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Tech is a top 10 public research university that prepares leaders to advance technology and improve human lives. The university offers degrees in business, computing, design, engineering, liberal arts, and sciences. Approximately 40,000 students from all 50 states and 149 countries study at the main campus in Atlanta, at international campuses, and through distance and online learning. As a leading technical university, Georgia Tech is a driving force in the economic development of Georgia, the Southeast, and the nation, generating more than $1 billion in research annually for government, industry, and society.
About Clark Atlanta University
Clark Atlanta University was formed through the merger of Atlanta University and Clark College, two institutions that hold a special place in African-American history. Atlanta University was founded in 1865 by the American Missionary Society and was the first institution in the nation to offer graduate degrees to African-Americans. CAU is also the largest of the 37 UNCF member institutions. Founded four years later in 1869, CAU was the first four-year liberal arts college in the nation to serve primarily African-American students. Today, with more than 4,000 students, CAU is the largest of the four institutions that make up the Atlanta University Center Consortium (CAU, Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Morehouse School of Medicine).
About the National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation advances the nation by advancing basic research in all areas of science and engineering. NSF empowers researchers and people by providing facilities, equipment, and funding to support ingenuity and keep the United States a global leader in research and innovation. With a budget of $9.5 billion for FY2023, NSF funding reaches all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities, and institutes. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and awards nearly 11,000 new grants. These grants include support for industry collaborations, Arctic and Antarctic research and activities, and U.S. participation in international scientific endeavors.