Florida State University has expanded its partnership with Amazon Web Services to provide researchers and students with enhanced access to cloud computing and artificial intelligence tools, positioning the university at the forefront of digital research infrastructure. The collaboration was highlighted at a recent FSU-AWS Researcher Showcase and Awards event, demonstrating how universities increasingly rely on scalable cloud infrastructure to accelerate research timelines and skills development. The partnership reflects a broader shift in higher education toward cloud-based environments that enable large-scale data analysis, machine learning, and applied AI projects.
“Proud to celebrate the ongoing collaboration between Florida State University and Amazon Web Services (AWS), empowering researchers with CloudComputing and AI tools to accelerate discovery,” said Kim Majerus, Vice President of Global Education, U.S. State, and Local Government at AWS. “From intersection safety systems to health prediction models, FSU scholars are transforming research timelines and unlocking innovation that serves communities.” The partnership enables researchers to access compute resources on demand, fundamentally changing how data-intensive projects are conducted across multiple disciplines.
At FSU’s Center for Advanced Power Systems, researcher Paul Bupe is leveraging AWS tools to analyze datasets for a predictive intersection safety system, processing more than 1.7 million objects across images and maps. “Without AWS, we wouldn’t have been able to make this research happen,” Bupe said. “In AI and machine learning, data is the most valuable thing. This gave us the capabilities that truly allowed for innovation.” The cloud infrastructure allows researchers to scale compute resources dynamically, reducing the time required to train models and process large volumes of data that would otherwise be prohibitive.
Michael Curry, a senior leader at AWS, emphasized the company’s commitment to accelerating academic research timelines. “Our goal as a technology provider and an industry partner is to help accelerate researchers’ work at a low cost,” Curry said. He noted that researchers are seeking to compress project timelines significantly, citing one presenter who said, “I don’t need this to be a six-month project. I want it to be a six-day or six-week project.” This acceleration of research timelines represents a fundamental shift in how academic institutions approach complex computational challenges.
Jonathan A. Fozard, Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer at FSU, positioned the partnership within the university’s broader strategic vision. “This partnership is a powerful example of how Florida State is delivering on the strategic vision of President McCullough by investing in the technology infrastructure that drives cutting-edge research,” Fozard said. “Removing traditional compute barriers and broadening access to secure cloud and AI tools allows our researchers and scholars to move faster, design transformative research and secure the large-scale grants that empower long-term impact.” The initiative addresses longstanding infrastructure limitations that have historically constrained research scope and speed.
Through the FSU/AWS Research Acceleration Fund, 11 researchers received up to $20,000 in AWS credits to support work across disciplines including education, engineering, health sciences, and communication. Vice President for Research Stacey Patterson described the transformation of research environments in the digital age. “Modern research is increasingly data-intensive,” Patterson said. “Whether we are talking about quantum materials, generative AI or predictive safety systems, the lab is no longer just a physical space - it is a digital one.” She added, “This partnership demonstrates the art of the possible. Our goal is simple but ambitious: we want to provide FSU researchers with a world-class environment that accelerates discovery.”
The partnership extends beyond faculty research to include student learning and skills development through initiatives like the FSU AI Maker Challenge, a 48-hour development event where students used cloud-based AI tools to build applications. Students developed various projects, including systems to match researchers with funding opportunities, demonstrating the practical applications of cloud-based AI tools in academic settings. The collaboration also addresses data security concerns, with faculty researcher Balu Bhasuran noting improved capabilities for handling sensitive information through AWS cloud infrastructure.
FSU’s expanded AWS partnership positions the university to compete for larger federal research grants that increasingly require sophisticated computational capabilities and data management systems. The initiative aligns with national trends in higher education where cloud infrastructure access has become a determining factor in research feasibility and competitiveness. Future phases of the partnership are expected to include additional funding opportunities and expanded access to emerging AWS technologies for both research and educational applications.