ST. JOSEPH’S UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK AWARDED GRANT TO SUPPORT AI RESEARCH

August 03, 2026

BROOKLYN and PATCHOGUE, N.Y. – July 30, 2026 – St. Joseph’s University, New York (SJNY), in partnership with Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), is part of the first cohort to be awarded a grant through Phase I of the U.S. Department of Energy's Genesis Mission to advance the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in support of scientific discovery, energy innovation and national security.

The Genesis Mission seeks to transform American scientific research by integrating AI, quantum technologies and high-performance computing to accelerate discovery science, strengthen national security and drive energy innovation. As part of this initiative, SJNY and BNL will partner on a project that will modernize the Evaluated Nuclear Structure Data File (ENSDF) by developing a physics-informed, AI-enabled framework that combines established nuclear physics knowledge with advanced machine learning techniques.

"We are honored to partner with BNL on this exciting initiative and to be among the first cohort of distinguished academic institutions awarded this Genesis Mission grant,” said Victoria Hong, Ed.D., assistant professor and director of SJNY’s M.S. in Cybersecurity program. “The grant establishes St. Joseph's as a part of cutting-edge AI-enabled scientific research and will strengthen the University's expertise in areas aligned with national priorities, while providing our students with hands-on experience in high-performance computing, AI methodologies and large-scale scientific datasets. These experiences will prepare our students for careers and graduate study in computer science, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science and physics.”

The grant team is comprised of Dr. Hong and Andrea Stadler, Ph.D., associate professor and associate chair of SJNY’s chemistry and physical sciences programs, and director of undergraduate research, as well as researchers from the National Nuclear Data Center (NNDC) at BNL, including SJNY alumni. Combined, the team offers expertise in computational science, nuclear data evaluation and nuclear physics. 

Building on the longstanding partnership between SJNY and BNL, the award will expand collaborative research while creating paid research opportunities for SJNY students pursuing STEM degrees. SJNY undergraduate students will assist the researchers in the development and validation of modular components to accelerate key ENSDF evaluation tasks. Students will work alongside research teams at BNL, both on-site and remotely, while also collaborating with SJNY faculty to support the Genesis Mission's objective of accelerating scientific discovery through AI.

“This is an incredible opportunity for St. Joseph’s, and more importantly, for our students,” said Donald R. Boomgaarden, Ph.D., president of St. Joseph’s University, New York. “They will gain invaluable, real-world experience in collaborative research that will assist them in their career journeys. We are extremely grateful to receive this funding, for our partners and the talented researchers at BNL.”

The Genesis Mission is a landmark initiative of the U.S. Department of Energy that is creating the world's most powerful integrated science discovery platform. By bringing together government, industry, academia and philanthropic partners, the initiative aims to accelerate breakthroughs in energy, scientific discovery and national security through the combined power of AI, supercomputing, quantum technologies and advanced scientific instruments.

Phase I Genesis Mission awards are intended to identify promising approaches for transformative scientific research and establish the foundation for future investment and expansion. Through these projects, research teams will design and demonstrate AI-enabled scientific workflows while evaluating their ability to accelerate discovery, improve predictive capabilities, enhance experimental research and generate new scientific insights.

For more information, visit sjny.edu. 

ABOUT ST. JOSEPH'S UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK
St. Joseph’s University, New York has been dedicated to providing a diverse population of students in the New York metropolitan region with an affordable education rooted in the liberal arts tradition since 1916. Independent and coeducational, the University provides a strong academic and value-oriented education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, aiming to prepare each student for a life characterized by integrity, intellectual rigor, spiritual depth, social responsibility and service. With campuses in Brooklyn and on Long Island, and many online programs, the University offers more than 100 majors and minors, special course offerings and certificates, accelerated dual degrees and affiliated and pre-professional programs.