UVM is on a roll as National Science Foundation grants $5.5M: What it will be used for
The largest grant of $2.1 million is for a new supercomputer for artificial intelligence research at UVM's Vermont Advanced Computing Center. The new computing cluster, named IceCore, is 100 times faster than existing UVM systems.
Chris Danforth of UVM's College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences is leading the effort of about 1,000 UVM researchers and collaborators from across Vermont and New England to study infectious diseases, computational social science and the behavior of large language models like ChatGPT using the new supercomputer.
"We are grateful for the National Science Foundation's recognition of our talented early career researchers," UVM President Marlene Tromp said in a news release. "These funds will offer a vital investment in UVM's research enterprise."
Underground robots, a new supercomputer, climate research and more
The $5.5 million total includes:
$2.1 million to a team led by Chris Danforth of the Vermont Advanced Computing Center and Vermont Complex Systems Institute for the creation of IceCore, a new AI supercomputer cluster.
$695,000 to Guiseppe Petrucci of the Department of Chemistry to study humidity and particle formation in Earth's atmosphere, with implications for improved understanding of climate.
$624,000 CAREER award to Niccolo Fiorentino of the Department of Mechanical Engineering to study the structure and function of cartilage for application to osteoarthritis research.
$571,000 CAREER award to Haicen Yue of the Department of Physics to study tissue mechanics, with implications for regenerative medicine.
$500,000 CAREER award to Samuel Chevalier, as part of an interdisciplinary team, to study machine learning to improve power grids.
$396,000 CAREER award to David Punihaole of the Department of Chemistry, to study the behaviors of proteins within cells.
$200,000 Engineering Research Initiation grant to Laura Treers of the Department of Mechanical Engineering to study robots that can operate underground to benefit disaster aid and agriculture.
$200,000 Engineering Research Initiation grant to Kathryn Hinkelman of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, to study aspects of renewable energy systems.
What to know about UVM grants for research
National Science Foundation CAREER and Engineering Research Initiation grants are awarded to researchers who are early in their careers and are undertaking new projects. The four CAREER awards and two Engineering Research Initiation grants in 2025 are a record for UVM.
Earlier this year, UVM was recognized as being among the top tier of universities categorized by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as R1 − a recognition of an extremely robust research enterprise, a designation earned by less than 3% of U.S. higher education institutions.
UVM attracted a record $266 million in research funding in the 2024 fiscal year, supporting an array of research that improves the lives of people and the planet.
Contact Dan D'Ambrosio at 660-1841 or ddambrosi@gannett.com. Follow him on X @DanDambrosioVT.
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: University of Vermont gets $5.5 million for science and AI research
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
This 12 Dividend Stock Portfolio Will Pay Your Bills
Most dividend stocks pay quarterly—but your bills don't. Rent, groceries, gas, surprise car repairs… life doesn't come once every three months. That's why some investors are building what's called a Weekly Paycheck Portfolio—a curated list of dividend-paying stocks staggered to deliver consistent income every week of the year. With the right mix of stocks across sectors and dividend schedules, you can build a dividend portfolio that not only delivers frequent income but grows it over time. These 12 stocks yield nearly four times the S&P 500 average and offer solid dividend growth. Here's how to build your own weekly dividend machine. Building a Dividend Portfolio that Pays the Bills I'll reveal my 12-stock portfolio as an example but the idea here is so simple and allows you to switch out your favorite dividend stocks. Most dividend stocks pay out each year on extremely consistent schedules. Dividend investors love that certainty and consistency so directors of these companies try to declare and pay those dividends on the same week every three months, some even down to the same day. That means, after putting together your list of dividend stocks, you can use a resource like the Historical Data tab on Yahoo Finance to see when each has paid dividends in the past. Once you have a list of when your favorite dividend stocks go ex-dividend, you can plan it out so you have stocks that will pay you every week of the year. Cisco Systems (CSCO) Dividend Yield: 2.4% Ex-Dividend Schedule: First week of Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct Cisco offers a modest yield—but as a tech company, it's unusually generous. The company is well-positioned in the AI-driven data center boom with solutions in switching, routing, and cybersecurity. Cisco has raised its dividend consistently and shares are up 50% in five years. EOG Resources (EOG) Dividend Yield: 3.4% Ex-Dividend Schedule: Second week of Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct A natural gas powerhouse, EOG is benefiting from increased LNG export infrastructure. Its dividend has grown at 20% annually, and analysts forecast double-digit upside in shares. That's on top of 143% share price growth over five years. AbbVie (ABBV) Dividend Yield: 3.5% Ex-Dividend Schedule: Third week of Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct This pharma giant has become a dividend investor favorite thanks to its blockbuster pipeline, including Skyrizi and Rinvoq. AbbVie's strong growth and 12% price target upside make it worth the a look. Ford Motor (F) Dividend Yield: 6.9% Ex-Dividend Schedule: Fourth week of Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct Ford is deep value right now, trading at just 0.25x sales. While earnings are forecast to dip, the F-150 remains the best-selling truck in America. Any relief in input costs or sales rebound could re-ignite the stock, and the 6.9% dividend sweetens the wait. Kinder Morgan (KMI) Dividend Yield: 4.0% Ex-Dividend Schedule: First week of February, May, August, November With 80,000 miles of oil and gas pipeline, Kinder Morgan generates steady fees independent of commodity prices. The stock offers dependable income, modest growth, and analysts see 12% upside to the shares. Duke Energy (DUK) Dividend Yield: 3.5% Ex-Dividend Schedule: Second week of Feb, May, Aug, Nov Duke provides electricity and gas to more than 9 million customers across the southeastern U.S. With rising power demand driven by data centers, the company offers stability and potential for 10–20% share price appreciation. I love talking stocks and that face-to-face community we're building on the YouTube channel. Join the Bow Tie Nation and check out all the 2025 stock picks on Let's Talk Money! Prudential Financial (PRU) Dividend Yield: 5.0% Ex-Dividend Schedule: Third week of Feb, May, Aug, Nov Prudential brings international diversification with half its earnings overseas, especially in Japan and Brazil. Analysts see a 10% upside, and its 5% dividend with 4% growth rate makes it a top pick among insurers. NextEra Energy (NEE) Dividend Yield: 3.3% Ex-Dividend Schedule: Fourth week of February, May, August, November NextEra combines the scale of a major utility with a fast-growing renewables portfolio. It's grown its dividend at a 10% annual pace, and with 28GW in clean energy backlog, future growth looks strong even if yield is middle-of-the-pack. Regions Financial (RF) Dividend Yield: 4.2% Ex-Dividend Schedule: First week of Mar, Jun, Sep, Dec This regional bank has scaled well and consistently raised its dividend by 10% annually. Regulatory easing and a higher rate environment could push shares well above their current analyst target of $24 per share. Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) Dividend Yield: 2.5% Ex-Dividend Schedule: Second week of Mar, Jun, Sep, Dec HPE's merger with Juniper and strength in AI-driven server growth make it a hidden tech dividend play. While dividend growth has been slow at 1.6%, accelerating cash flows should drive both payouts and price higher. Altria Group (MO) Dividend Yield: 7.0% Ex-Dividend Schedule: Third week of Mar, Jun, Sep, Dec Despite declining cigarette volumes, Altria has grown total volume through heated tobacco and nicotine pouches. The dividend is king here, and with a 7% yield, investors are getting paid well to wait. Medtronic (MDT) Dividend Yield: 3.2% Ex-Dividend Schedule: Fourth week of Mar, Jun, Sep, Dec With a #1 or #2 position in all three of its core MedTech markets and AI-enabled devices already approved, Medtronic combines innovation and consistency. While growth has lagged recently, the stock remains a steady payer with upside potential. This 12-stock portfolio yields approximately 4.1%, nearly four times the broader market average—with an average dividend growth rate above 6% a year. It includes a mix of sectors for safety, income, and potential appreciation. That means you'll get dependable dividend checks every week of the year, from high-yield staples like Altria and Ford to steady growers like NextEra and Medtronic. It's not a get-rich-quick strategy—but it is a get-paid-every-week strategy. Disclosure: My Weekly Dividend Cash Portfolio that Pays the Bills is written by Joseph Hogue, CFA who is a former equity analyst and economist. Born and raised in Iowa, after serving in the Marine Corps, Joseph worked in corporate finance and real estate before starting a career in investment analysis. He has appeared on Bloomberg and CNBC and led a team of equity analysts for a venture capital research firm. He holds a master's degree in business and the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. Positions in stocks mentioned: F, MO, ABBV Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
CoreWeave shares climb on $1.5 billion debt offering amid AI expansion
-- CoreWeave Inc (NASDAQ:CRWV) shares jumped on Monday after the AI infrastructure provider unveiled plans to raise $1.5 billion through a senior notes offering, bolstering its balance sheet to support continued growth. The stock surged 4.5% following the announcement as investors responded to the company's move to lean into long-term demand for AI compute capacity. The new 2031-dated bond comes as CoreWeave continues to navigate a stretched balance sheet, with $8 billion in total debt reported as of December 2024. The offering will be made to qualified institutional buyers under Rule 144A and to non-U.S. persons under Regulation S, and will be guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by certain wholly owned subsidiaries. Analysts have generally remained constructive on CoreWeave's near-term outlook despite the capital structure concerns. 'From a numbers perspective, we are expecting another double-digit beat, with current consensus assuming 10% q/q growth, which feels conservative given the ongoing Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) B200 ramp management spoke to last quarter,' noted Barclays analyst Raimo Lenschow. Still, the company's aggressive expansion strategy, centered on massive investment in GPU infrastructure, has come at a cost, with elevated interest burdens raising flags about cash flow resiliency in a cyclical market. CoreWeave issued $2 billion in new notes in May and follows that just two months later with this $1.5 billion issuance, moves that could signal a need to refinance rather than organic deleveraging. Since debuting in public markets in late March, CoreWeave's has proven an AI darling, initially spiking from $40 to $187 before stabilizing in the $125 to $140 range. Lenschow's updated price target of $140 reflects both expectations for sustained customer demand in AI cloud services and the limitations posed by valuation, which he described as 'full (~50x CY26E EV/EBIT).' CoreWeave's differentiated infrastructure, reportedly offering up to 35 times faster and 80% cheaper computing compared to AWS or Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Cloud, has positioned it as a leader in the AI acceleration space. However, the company's reliance on debt to fund its buildout raises long-term questions, particularly if hyperscaler spending slows or AI workload monetization falls short. Moody's assigned a B1 rating to CoreWeave's newly announced $1.5 billion senior unsecured notes due 2031, while maintaining its Ba3 corporate family rating and a stable outlook. Fitch similarly rated the notes at BB- with a Recovery Rating of 'RR4', noting CoreWeave's strong revenue visibility, capital discipline, and projected deleveraging, supported by a $25.9 billion backlog and robust EBITDA growth through 2026. Both agencies cited CoreWeave's relatively high leverage and customer concentration as key concerns. Nonetheless, Moody's and Fitch highlighted the stability of CoreWeave's contracted revenues, its unique competitive positioning in AI infrastructure, and the potential for leverage to decline to 3.5x or below by the end of 2026, provided the company continues its execution pace and maintains liquidity. Revenue for the second quarter is forecast at around $1.2 billion, potentially exceeding consensus estimates and supporting EBITDA momentum. 'In all, we think Q2 should provide proof points of ongoing healthy end-demand, though we still view valuation as full... and think the end of the lock-up two days after earnings limits any potential positive price action,' said Lenschow. Related articles CoreWeave shares climb on $1.5 billion debt offering amid AI expansion Victoria's Secret Exposed: The Warning Sign Behind the Stock's 52% Collapse Clients buying into summer rally, bracing for later pullback, says BofA's Hartnett Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
OpenAI, UK sign new strategic partnership
(Reuters) -OpenAI and the UK government signed a strategic partnership on Monday, setting out plans to expand AI security research collaborations and explore investing in AI infrastructure like data centres. Connectez-vous pour accéder à votre portefeuille
