International research experience in Sweden seeks to develop the AI-enhanced workplace

A new National Science Foundation grant will allow 18 RIT students to travel to Sweden and conduct artificial intelligence (AI) research that enhances the industrial workplace.

The students will take part in a program of AI research, professional development, and mentorship, which includes eight weeks at University West, near Gothenburg, Sweden. The trip and program are funded as part of the NSF International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) program.

A team of RIT professors and collaborators at University West are running the program, which prioritizes Ph.D. students. The NSF-funded grant is called US-Swedish Research Experiences on AI in Production Technology and Work-Integrated Learning (AI-PROWIL). The research projects will advance fundamental scientific research on AI-enhanced automation, AI-enhanced automatic control, and AI-enhanced management.

“AI is transforming how industrial organizations operate, including on global scales,” said PI Cecilia Alm, a professor affiliated with RIT’s Department of Psychology and School of Information and director of the AWARE-AI program. “AI plays a prominent role in Industry 5.0—where robots, smart systems, and humans are teaming up.”

Alm said that University West is known for its unique scientific environment focused on work and industrial production and its advanced facilities enabling fundamental research that is future-of-work-centered. She added that challenges with workforce development and managing these AI-enhanced aspects of industry are important areas to study.

Students participating as IRES scholars in this U.S.-Sweden partnership will complete projects that are industry-inspired for future human-centered and sustainable workplaces, guided by faculty mentoring teams. The research projects could involve innovative machine learning algorithms, architectures, and new AI interface prototypes and sensor methods.

During the research experience, RIT students will interact with peer students at University West and experience international research cultures. The IRES scholars will also seek to present, publish, and release research products with mentors.

“Research has increasingly become a global endeavor, where different countries and universities may create unique cultures, environments, and approaches to research problems and development,” said Pengcheng Shi, computing and information sciences Ph.D. program director. “This experience will allow our students to benefit from different perspectives and technical/application strengths, address new research questions, and form concrete long-term collaborative relationships.”

Co-principal investigators on the grant, include Shi, who is also associate dean for Research and Scholarship in the Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences; Reynold Bailey, professor of computer science; and Alexander Ororbia, assistant professor of computer science and cognitive science.

Professor Thomas Pederson is coordinating the activities at University West.

“At University West, we are very much looking forward to hosting the participating RIT Ph.D. students and collaborating with them and their mentors to address important research challenges together,” said Pederson.

The NSF IRES program is training a new generation of science and engineering research leaders.

The U.S.-Sweden program will run from September to December in 2025, 2026, and 2027. The stay in Sweden begins in mid-September. The experience includes pre-travel research and professional development. A continuation phase with a workshop after the trip will be a springboard for research dissemination in publications and talks at top-tier conferences.

To learn more and apply, go to the IRES AI-PROWIL website.