YSU professor’s High Energy Physics Pattern Recognition Project receives DOE grant

The Department of Energy's Office of Science has awarded a $600,000 grant, made possible through the Funding for Accelerated, Inclusive Research (FAIR) initiative, to Youngstown State University's Alina Lazar, professor of Computer Science. Lazar’s project, entitled "Investigating Large-Scale Models for High-Energy Physics Pattern Recognition," is a collaborative effort with Paolo Calafiura, senior scientist from the Computing Sciences Area at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL).

The primary focus of this project is pattern recognition in the context of high-density particle 3D point datasets. This capability is essential for advancing High Energy Physics experiments in the upcoming generation. However, the conventional tracking algorithms used for this purpose present many computational challenges when applied to large-scale projects. To address this, the project aims to develop algorithms that efficiently handle the training and inference processes for Graph Neural Networks used in particle tracking within High Energy Physics applications. Furthermore, the knowledge gained from this research may extend beyond its immediate domain and find applications in other areas, such as scene reconstruction for autonomous vehicles.

The FAIR initiative, under the DOE's Office of Science, is specifically designed to foster collaborative and mutually beneficial relationships between Minority Serving Institutions/Emerging Research Institutions and their partnering institutions. The DOE recently announced $37 million in grant funding where funds will be allocated to support fundamental research across various fields, including applied mathematics; biology; chemistry; computer science; engineering; geoscience; isotope research; materials science; and physics at the selected institutions. This initiative underscores the DOE's commitment to advancing research and promoting diversity and inclusivity in scientific endeavors.

This grant will provide support for several YSU students who are actively engaged in research projects. These students will have the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience and contribute to cutting-edge scientific projects. Notably, the grant includes provisions for 10-week paid internships at the LBNL during the summer months. This internship opportunity at a renowned national laboratory will offer a chance to gain exposure in the world of scientific research, collaborate with experts, and further develop a professional skill set. In addition, this grant will facilitate the travel of students to national conferences where they can present their research findings.