NRT Program
The National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) Program at UVA is the first of its kind in the U.S. and is leading the way in Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) education.
We are in our final year of the NRT Program (Fall 2023-Spring 2024). However, many of the NRT program elements will continue! Please reach out to find out about the opportunity to participate in a comprehensive and interdisciplinary education program including:
- Work in the Link Lab, a 17,000-square-foot interdisciplinary facility that is home to over 40 faculty and 200 students from six different engineering degree programs
- Take hands-on, testbed-driven cyber-physical systems courses, including:
-Embedded Systems
-Machine Learning, Signal Processing, and Control
-Dynamical Systems
-Formal Methods, Safety, and Security
- Conduct interdisciplinary research focused on smart cities, smart health, robotics and autonomous systems, hardware for IoT
- Connect with an industry advisory board that includes Northrop Grumman, IBM, Leidos, National Instruments (NI), Perrone Robotics and Azbil
- Earn a graduate certificate in cyber-physical systems
About the NRT Program
The National Science Foundation awarded UVA a five-year National Research Traineeship (NRT) grant to create a Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) education program. Through the CPS NRT Program, PhD and ME students will receive a degree in their respective degree program with a focus in CPS. Students in this exciting new education program will take core and in-depth CPS courses focused on a deep understanding of the interfaces between the cyber and physical worlds - driving discovery, innovation and education forward in the areas of Smart Health, Smart Cities, Robotics and Autonomous Systems and Hardware for IoT. The curriculum is based on integrated and testbed-driven CPS education as well as CPS research activities and professional development.
Industry Involvement
The CPS NRT Program utilizes an Industry Advisory Board to help identify skills and knowledge needed in industry, provide feedback on curriculum, offer ideas, support and resources for testbeds, and identify possible internships or full time post-graduation employment for students. The CPS NRT Advisory Board includes: Northrop Grumman, IBM, Leidos, EY, National Instruments, Perrone Robotics, and Azbil.
NRT Curriculum
Students in the CPS NRT Program will take a minimum of 3 “Core CPS Courses” and 2 “In-Depth CPS Courses”. Ph.D. and ME students will work with faculty advisors to create an individual plan for course selection (and research options for Ph.D. students). CPS courses listed below are also available for non-CPS NRT Program participants. The course requirements align with the requirements of the Graduate Certificate in CPS, so NRT students who complete the program will also be eligible for the certificate.
Additional information:
- VIDEO about the Link Lab
- VIDEO about Charlottesville
- Link Lab Faculty Guide
- ARTICLE: Attracting Underrepresented Minorities to PhD Programs – A Retrospective of “A Graduate Traineeship in Cyber-Physical Systems” NRT Program
- ARTICLE: "UVA Engineering welcomes first cohort in novel graduate program for future cyber-physical systems leaders"
- ARTICLE: "Masters of Success" (an article highlighting the graduate certificate in CPS and the first students who received it in May 2021)