Federal Grant Award Summary

Northeastern University received a $630,000 CAREER (Faculty Early Career Development Program) grant from the National Science Foundation's Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation under the Engineering program (CFDA 47.041), awarded April 1, 2026, with completion targeted for March 31, 2031. The project delivers interpretable electro-chemo-mechanical analytics, diagnostics, and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for monitoring porous electrodes in complex energy storage and conversion systems. The research outputs include development of next-generation monitoring hardware and software that integrates electrical, mechanical, and thermal signals using AI to enable real-time health monitoring and early fault detection in battery and energy technologies used across the energy, transportation, and defense sectors.

Beyond technological deliverables, the project produces educational outcomes through workforce development initiatives that prepare engineers with interdisciplinary skills critical to U.S. manufacturing and energy sectors. The research establishes scientific foundations for understanding multi-field dynamic systems and addresses the fundamental question of whether the state and evolution of one physical field can be inferred, diagnosed, and controlled through measurements of another, directly supporting national priorities in energy resilience and technological advancement.