Collaborative research: cybertraining: implementation: small: powercyber: scalable workforce development for AI-enabled power grids

The National Science Foundation Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure awarded North Carolina State University $300,000 on January 1, 2027, under the Computer and Information Science and Engineering program (CFDA 47.070) to develop and deliver workforce training in artificial intelligence-enabled power grid research.

The project, titled POWERCYBER: Scalable Workforce Development for AI-Enabled Power Grids, prepares faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students to integrate power engineering with advanced cyberinfrastructure, scalable computing, data-driven modeling, and trustworthy artificial intelligence. Deliverables include hands-on training, reusable instructional materials, and open-source computational environments delivered through a train-the-trainer model and research-ready training pathways. The program aims to accelerate curriculum adoption across the power engineering community, broaden access to advanced computational training, and strengthen the national cyberinfrastructure workforce to support the design and operation of cleaner, more reliable, and more resilient electric grids.

Work is performed in Raleigh, North Carolina through December 31, 2029. The award is classified as a project grant with no subawards identified.

Abstract

The U.S. Electric power system is undergoing a rapid transformation driven by inverter-based resources, distributed energy technologies, and emerging artificial intelligence-driven electricity demand. Achieving the scientific and societal benefits of this transformation requires a research workforce that integrates power engineering with advanced cyberinfrastructure, scalable computing, data-driven modeling, and trustworthy artificial intelligence. However, these capabilities remain unevenly distributed across institutions and are not yet systematically embedded in power engineering education. This cybertraining implementation project, powercyber, addresses this GAP by scaling a successful pilot effort into a national training and community-building program for artificial intelligence-enabled power grid research. The project prepares faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students to adopt, teach, and extend modern cyberinfrastructure methods through hands-on training, reusable instructional materials, open-source computational environments, and sustained community engagement. By combining a train-the-trainer model with research-ready training pathways, powercyber amplifies its impact beyond direct participants and accelerates curriculum adoption across the broader power engineering community. The project strengthens the national cyberinfrastructure workforce, broadens access to advanced computational training, and supports more reproducible, scalable, and trustworthy research for future electric grids. These outcomes will help prepare engineers and researchers to build a cleaner, more reliable, and more resilient energy system. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.