As part of an initiative to establish a series of artificial intelligence research institutes nationwide, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a $20 million grant to a partnership of prestigious universities led by University of California, San Diego, and including National University, Yale University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Texas at Austin. Working together, the universities will form The Institute for Learning-enabled Optimization at Scale (TILOS). The five-year research partnership will focus on the optimization of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. We'll work closely with industry leaders to develop optimization tools that will enable real-world improvements in key industries, including chip design, robotics, and communications networks.