The University of West Florida has received a $100,000 award from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory’s Munitions Directorate to support research in multi‑agent artificial intelligence while training Ph.D. students.
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The one‑year grant was awarded through AFRL/RW’s University Day program and is led by Dr. Kristen “Brent” Venable, a professor and director of UWF’s Intelligent Systems and Robotics doctoral program. The project will design and test computer environments where multiple agents—robots, drones, or software systems—learn to work together across multi-step missions with less need for constant human direction. In plain terms, the team is building simulations that teach autonomous systems how to divide tasks, share information, and adapt as conditions change.
“We are excited for this opportunity to collaborate with AFRL/RW and are confident that it will serve as the first step toward a long‑term, fruitful research partnership, positioning UWF as a research partner of choice,” Venable said in a press release announcing the award.
The research focuses on decentralized strategies for “multi‑phase operational scenarios,” the kinds of step‑by‑step missions that could range from mapping an area to coordinating actions once a target is found. According to UWF, potential applications include disaster response, search and rescue, and reconnaissance. The work will also support two ISR doctoral students, Raffaele Galliera and Alessandro Amato, who will help design missions and specifications and apply advanced machine‑learning techniques to train cooperative agents.
“UWF is proud of our collaboration with AFRL/RW and of the contributions of our students and faculty to the cutting‑edge research conducted there,” said Dr. Mohamed Khabou, dean of the Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering and professor.
The Intelligent Systems and Robotics doctoral program itself reflects close ties between UWF and the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition. The program was established in partnership with IHMC, giving students access to nationally recognized researchers in robotics, human–machine interaction, and artificial intelligence. IHMC faculty co‑teach courses, mentor doctoral candidate,s and provide research facilities alongside UWF’s academic resources.
The AFRL award also arrives amid a broader push to grow autonomy research capacity in Northwest Florida. Earlier this year, IHMC secured a Triumph Gulf Coast grant of up to $6.72 million to establish the National Center for Collaborative Autonomy, a regional initiative focused on coordinating autonomous systems and enabling human operators to oversee safe and effective operations. While separate and much larger in scale, that investment complements UWF’s AFRL‑funded project by expanding the region’s facilities and workforce pipeline in autonomy and AI.
Together, the AFRL and Triumph awards underscore how UWF and IHMC are building a shared research ecosystem, positioning Pensacola as a hub for advanced autonomy research and workforce development.
