Building Research Capacity through AI, Cyberinfrastructure, and Cybersecurity |…

Hosted by Florida Memorial University (FMU) and the Minority Serving–Cyberinfrastructure Consortium (MSCC) this “Building Research Capacity through AI, Cyberinfrastructure, and Cybersecurity” Workshop will be held, virtually, on Thursday and Friday, October 8+9, as well as in person at Florida Memorial University. This event is free and open to the public.

The Workshop brings together faculty, researchers, students, research administrators, technology professionals, and institutional leaders to explore AI, Cyberinfrastructure, and Cybersecurity questions through practical sessions, hands-on activities, and collaborative planning.

Register Now

Agenda

Workshop Goal

Strengthen research and educational capacity across South Florida institutions by increasing awareness, adoption, and strategic use of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity practices, and cyberinfrastructure resources while fostering regional partnerships and advancing institutional competitiveness for external funding opportunities.

Workshop Approach

• Day 1: Build the Foundation
  Participants explore the AI, cyberinfrastructure, cybersecurity, research networking, partnership, and funding landscape and identify resources that can strengthen research and education at their institutions.
• Day 2: Connect the Dots
  Participants connect these capabilities with regional education and workforce needs and work together to develop a prototype framework for integrating AI into curricula across different disciplines and institutional contexts.

DAY 1 Building Research Capacity through Infrastructure, Partnerships, and Technology

8:30–9:00 AM

Registration and Networking Breakfast

9:00–9:15 AM

Welcome and Opening Remarks • Dr. Jacqueline Hill, Florida Memorial University

• • Welcome to Florida Memorial University
  • FMU research and educational priorities
  • The importance of building research capacity through regional collaboration

9:15–9:30 AM

MS-CC Overview and Workshop Objectives • Dr. Amanda Tan, MS-CC

• • Introduction to MS-CC
  • Workshop objectives and desired outcomes
  • Available MS-CC resources and support
  • Framing the two-day progression from resources and partnerships to practical institutional action

9:30–10:15 AM

Building South Florida’s Research Technology Ecosystem: From AI Ambition to Research Infrastructure • Dr. Ravi Vadapalli, University of Miami | A regional perspective on the infrastructure, expertise, and partnerships needed to support AI-enabled research and education.

Topics:

• • AI and advanced computing infrastructure
  • Regional cyberinfrastructure capabilities
  • Shared research resources
  • Institutional and regional partnerships
  • Challenges facing under-resourced institutions
  • Building sustainable regional research capacity

10:15–10:30 AM—Break

10:30–11:30 AM

PANEL: Building Competitive Research Programs through Strategic Partnerships • Moderator: Dr. Amanda Tan, MS-CC

Panelists

• • Dr. Jayanta Das, Florida Memorial University, Faculty and researcher perspective on what researchers at minority-serving and under-resourced institutions need to build competitive programs and partnerships.
  • Dr. Ravi Vadapalli, University of Miami, Advanced computing, regional cyberinfrastructure, and shared research resources.
  • Mr. Jon Ellis, Florida LambdaRail, Research networking, connectivity, and shared infrastructure.
  • Dr. Mohammad Ashiqur Rahman, Florida International University, Federally funded AI and cybersecurity research and cross-institutional collaboration.

Discussion Topics

• • What barriers prevent researchers and institutions from participating in larger research initiatives?
  • What infrastructure, expertise, and resources can be shared regionally?
  • What makes cross-institutional partnerships successful?
  • How can institutions move from networking to substantive research collaboration?
  • How can partnerships strengthen future funding opportunities?

11:30 AM–12:15 PM

Cybersecurity and Research Security • Dr. Amin Kharraz or Dr. Ruimin Sun, Florida International University | A practical discussion of cybersecurity considerations associated with modern research environments.

Topics:

• • Securing research computing environments
  • Research data protection and governance
  • Cybersecurity considerations for AI workflows
  • Protecting sensitive research data
  • Emerging research security requirements
  • Incorporating security into research infrastructure and workflows

12:15–1:15 PM—Lunch and Networking

1:15–2:00 PM

AI in Research and Teaching • Dr. Wanli Xing, University of Miami | A practical look at how AI is changing research, teaching, and workforce preparation.

Topics:

• • AI-assisted research workflows
  • Practical AI applications for faculty and researchers
  • AI in teaching and curriculum
  • Skills and competencies students increasingly need
  • Responsible AI adoption
  • Connecting AI education with research and workforce development

2:00–3:00 PM

Hands-On: Introduction to Research Cyberinfrastructure • MS-CC Team (Jennifer Kim or Jessica Johnson) | A practical introduction to national cyberinfrastructure resources available to researchers and institutions.

Topics:

• • ACCESS
  • NAIRR
  • High-performance and advanced computing
  • Cloud computing resources
  • Interactive computing environments and Jupyter
  • Example research/AI workflow
  • How researchers obtain access to resources
  • Where institutions can obtain technical assistance

3:00–3:15 PM—Break

3:15–4:00 PM

From Ideas to Opportunities: Funding AI, Cybersecurity, and Cyberinfrastructure • MS-CC, Dr. Ravi Vadapalli, and Regional Research Partners | A practical discussion of how institutional priorities and collaborative ideas can connect with external funding opportunities.

Topics:

• • The evolving research cyberinfrastructure funding landscape
  • Opportunities supporting AI, cybersecurity, research infrastructure, education, and workforce development
  • Identifying fundable institutional problems
  • Positioning collaborative projects
  • Building partnerships before pursuing funding
  • Resources for identifying appropriate opportunities

4:00–5:00 PM

Faculty Networking and Collaboration Exchange • Facilitators: Dr. Amanda Tan, MS-CC, and Dr. Jayanta Das, Florida Memorial University | A structured networking session designed to identify institutional capabilities, needs, and potential collaborations.

Participants will identify:

• • Research and teaching interests
  • Existing institutional capabilities
  • AI and cyberinfrastructure needs
  • Potential regional collaborators
  • Opportunities to connect research and education
  • Disciplines or use cases that could be explored during the Day 2 workshop

Participants will use these ideas as inputs for the Day 2 curriculum-development exercise.

DAY 2 Connecting the Dots: From AI Capacity to Curriculum and Workforce Development

9:00–9:30 AM—Breakfast and Networking

9:30–10:00 AM

AI: What It Can and Won’t Do for You • Dr. Rajeesh Pasupuleti | A practical grounding in the opportunities and limitations of AI, particularly for institutions building AI capacity with limited resources.

Topics:

• • Where AI can create meaningful value in research and education
  • What AI cannot or should not be expected to solve
  • Common misconceptions and implementation pitfalls
  • Data, infrastructure, expertise, and governance requirements
  • Approaches to fostering AI across research and education at under-resourced institutions

10:00–10:50 AM

Regional Perspectives: Preparing Students for an AI-Enabled Workforce • Randee Deich, South Florida TechGateway / Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance; and Dr. Lisa Milenkovic, Broward County Public Schools | A regional perspective on the skills students need as AI and advanced technologies reshape education and employment.

Topics:

• • Emerging technology workforce needs across South Florida
  • AI, data, and technology competencies employers increasingly value
  • Preparing students for an AI-enabled workforce
  • K–12, higher education, and workforce pathways
  • Opportunities for university-industry collaboration
  • Lessons from regional education and workforce initiatives

The discussion will provide workforce and education requirements that participants can incorporate into the curriculum-development exercise that follows.

10:50–11:05 AM—Break

11:05 AM–12:15 PM

Interactive Workshop Part I: Designing a Replicable “AI for X” Curriculum • Lead Facilitators: Dr. Amanda Tan, MS-CC, and Dr. Ravi Vadapalli, University of Miami; Supporting Facilitators: Dr. Jayanta Das, Dr. Rajesh Pasupuleti, Dr. Wanli Xing, and participating technical/domain experts | Participants work in interdisciplinary groups to develop a prototype framework for integrating AI into a particular discipline or application area. Rather than developing entirely separate AI programs for every discipline, groups will explore which components of AI education are broadly reusable and which need to be adapted to specific domains.

Potential examples include:

• • AI for biology and bioinformatics
  • AI for environmental science
  • AI for criminal justice
  • AI for business
  • AI for cybersecurity
  • AI for education

Each group will identify:

• • Target learners and disciplinary context
  • Problems or applications students should be able to address
  • Foundational AI and data competencies
  • Discipline-specific competencies
  • Faculty expertise and professional-development requirements
  • Data and computing requirements
  • Cybersecurity and responsible AI considerations
  • Research applications
  • Workforce relevance

12:15–1:00 PM

Lunch and Lightning Talks • Florida Memorial University and Regional Faculty/Students | Short presentations designed to surface additional expertise and collaboration opportunities.

Presenters may highlight:

• • Research or teaching interests
  • Existing institutional capabilities
  • Current or emerging projects
  • Specialized expertise or resources
  • Collaboration needs and opportunities

Participants are encouraged to identify people, expertise, and resources that could strengthen the concepts being developed during the workshop.

1:00–2:00 PM

Interactive Workshop Part II: From Curriculum Framework to Implementation • Lead Facilitators: Dr. Amanda Tan, Dr. Ravi Vadapalli, and
Supporting Facilitators; Dr. Jayanta Das and Participating Technical/Domain Experts | Groups continue developing their “AI for X” concepts by considering what implementation would actually require at their institutions.

Groups will address:

• • Potential courses, modules, or learning experiences
  • Faculty roles and expertise
  • Faculty development needs
  • Computing and cyberinfrastructure requirements
  • Data and software resources
  • Institutional partners
  • Opportunities for cross-institutional collaboration
  • Student research opportunities
  • Industry and workforce connections
  • Barriers to implementation
  • Technical or programmatic assistance needed

The objective is to create a framework participants can adapt and continue developing after the workshop rather than requiring every institution to build an AI curriculum from scratch.

2:00–2:30 PM

From Curriculum Prototype to Collaborative Opportunity • Facilitators: MS-CC, University of Miami, Florida Memorial University, and Regional Partners | Participants explore how their curriculum concepts could grow beyond an individual course or institution.

Topics:

• • Sharing curriculum and instructional resources
  • Cross-institutional faculty collaboration\
  • Shared computing and cyberinfrastructure
  • Student research experiences
  • Industry and community partnerships
  • Opportunities for collaborative projects
  • Potential external funding pathways\
  • Technical and programmatic support available through MS-CC and regional partners

Groups identify whether their concepts are best pursued internally, collaboratively, or potentially developed into future funded initiatives.

2:30–2:50 PM

Group Report-Outs and Commitments

Each group briefly presents:

• • Its “AI for X” concept
  • Target learners and disciplinary context
  • Core curriculum components
  • Infrastructure and expertise required
  • Potential institutional or regional partners
  • One concrete next step

2:50–3:00 PM

Closing Remarks and Next Steps • Florida Memorial University + MS-CC

• • Key themes and takeaways
  • Follow-up resources and technical support
  • Opportunities for continued regional collaboration
  • Next steps for advancing concepts developed during the workshop

Workshop concludes at 3:00 PM.

 

About MS-CC

The Minority Serving – Cyberinfrastructure Consortium (MS-CC) is a vibrant and growing community of information technology (IT) professionals, campus leaders, faculty members, researchers, and students from across the nation’s historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and tribal colleges and universities (TCUs). They are joined by colleagues from Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) and minority-serving institutions (MSIs), as well as leaders from regional and national organizations.

The MS-CC is governed by a leadership board consisting of HBCU and TCU leaders who specialize in IT and research, and guided by the MS-CC Charter (opens in a new window). Their approach focuses on listening, building trust, and working with their campuses to lead conversations and develop sustainable solutions around cyberinfrastructure for the long term.

By working together and in community, MS-CC strives to strengthen the student, faculty, and staff experience at HBCUs and TCUs by focusing on sustainable campus-level IT capabilities for data-intensive education and research programs.