Project Grant 2609400

The National Science Foundation Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences awarded $510,000 to the University of Kansas Center For Research Inc. on August 15, 2026, under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) to apply machine learning techniques to probe the lifetime and total width of the Higgs boson using data from the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider.

The research will employ machine learning and artificial intelligence methods to constrain the off-shell Higgs boson cross section and its total width using an unpublished data analysis strategy, while improving CMS detector performance in complementary areas. The work encompasses both core research objectives and a structured program to advance the STEM pipeline and support early-career researchers and students through integration into the program, a machine learning workshop, a new machine learning course at the University of Kansas, a new recurring academic career panel event, and local outreach activities.

Performance takes place in Lawrence, Kansas, with a period of performance extending from the award date through July 31, 2029. The University of Kansas Center For Research Inc. serves as the research administration and grant-recipient entity for the University of Kansas and manages the federally-funded research initiative.