FAU and Partners Receive $26 Million for Engineering Research Center

This week we shared the exciting news that Florida Atlantic University received a $26 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to establish a groundbreaking Engineering Research Center (ERC) to advance streetscape technologies. The ERC is in partnership with Columbia University, Rutgers University, the University of Central Florida and Lehman College.

FAU’s Institute for Sensing and Embedded Network Systems Engineering (I-SENSE) and College of Engineering and Computer Science will serve as key contributors to the Engineering Research Center for Smart Streetscapes (CS3) project. The NSF’s ERC program is highly competitive, and our CS3 was selected from among hundreds of candidate centers across the country.

The nation’s streetscapes – neighborhood streets, sidewalks and public spaces – are prime sites for deploying engineering research to benefit society. A “smart streetscape” could instantly sense human behavior and guide disabled pedestrians, collect refuse, control pests, amplify emergency services, and protect people against environmental and health threats.

CS3 builds upon a longstanding partnership with the City of West Palm Beach, developed through the West Palm Beach Mobility Intelligence Project. Launched in 2019 by FAU’s I-SENSE, and supported through the City of West Palm Beach, the Knight Foundation, and the Community Foundation of Palm Beach and Martin Counties, the pedestrian mobility sensing project plays a central role in CS3.

By and large, the CS3 program will provide important pathways for universities, government, industry and community stakeholders to improve our nation’s quality of life, enhance social equity, and stimulate economic development through innovative and cutting-edge smart city technologies. We are thrilled that FAU has been selected to receive this ERC award along with our esteemed partners, and we look forward to building a better future together.