ArtIAMAS-MIPS Program
Funding for Collaborative R&D in Robotics and Smart Devices

The ArtIAMAS-MIPS Program offers grants for collaborative research projects between U.S.-based companies and faculty from the University of Maryland, College Park or the University of Maryland Baltimore County in the broad areas of robotics, systems, and smart devices that work intelligently in cooperation with each other and human actors across multiple domains. The Pilot Phase of the program is now open and includes up to $100,000 per year for each project, for up to two years, with all funding going to participating university faculty. The Demonstration Phase is slated to open in the Fall of 2022 with up to $1,000,000 per project, with funding going to participating companies and faculty.

Introduction

The Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) Program is participating in ArtIAMAS: AI and Autonomy for Multi-Agent Systems. ArtIAMAS is a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and the University of Maryland that supports and stimulates the advancement of science and technology in robotics, systems, and smart devices that work intelligently in cooperation with each other and human actors across multiple domains.  ArtIAMAS-MIPS projects are three-way partnerships between (1) private sector companies that wish to pursue collaborative research of interest to the ARL ArtIAMAS program, (2) ArtIAMAS-eligible faculty from the University of Maryland College Park (UMD) and the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), and (3) an ARL researcher. For more information on ArtIAMAS research, see http://artiamas.umd.edu/.

Any U.S.-based company is eligible to participate in ArtIAMAS-MIPS.

Partner Company Incentives

• Opportunity to have university researchers work on technologies of interest to the company
• Opportunity to receive funding for robotics and smart devices R&D (Demonstration Phase only)
• Opportunity to license commercial rights to new intellectual property developed by university researchers during the project. (Note: The Federal government retains government use rights on new I.P. developed by ArtIAMAS-MIPS projects.)
• Opportunity to have company technologies/products brought to ARL’s attention

The research areas of the ArtIAMAS program include:

1. Autonomous Planning and Navigation
2. Models, Tools, and Processes for Design, Test, and Verification
3. Machine Learning for Energetic Materials Research
4. Securing Connected Vehicles, Soldiers, and Platforms in Contested Environments
5. Multi-agent Distributed Scene Perception and Situational Awareness
6. Human-Machine Teaming
7. AI-Enabled Decision Making in Multiple Domains

The ArtIAMAS-MIPS program includes both Pilot Phase and Demonstration Phase projects (see navigation links, above). Participation in the Pilot Phase of ArtIAMAS-MIPS will position company partners well for participation in the Demonstration Phase, although the Demonstration Phase projects are not limited to Pilot Phase participants.

Note that (1) the ArtIAMAS-MIPS program does not guarantee confidentiality of submitted proposals, (2) awards will be made on a competitive basis, and (3) the terms of the ArtIAMAS-MIPS program are subject to change.