Historic Defense Contract Highlights Growing National Impact
SUNY Poly reached a major milestone this year with the award of a $61.9 million contract from the U.S. Department of Defense to develop advanced artificial intelligence technologies that will help the U.S. Army make faster, more informed decisions in complex operational environments. One of the largest awards in SUNY Poly’s history, the contract reflects years of strategic relationship-building, research excellence, and institutional investment.
Working alongside the University of South Florida and the University System of Maryland, SUNY Poly will develop advanced analytical tools that integrate generative AI, foundation models, and predictive analytics to support the U.S. Army Transformation Decision Analysis Center (TDAC). The technologies will help military planners assess risk, evaluate complex scenarios, and improve decision-making across land, air, space, and cyberspace.
The award builds upon an initial $5 million FY25 Defense Appropriation championed by U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, which launched the first phase of the initiative and positioned SUNY Poly for the larger contract.
The achievement also reflects the importance of strategic investment by the SUNY Poly Foundation. Early Foundation support helped the university in establishing their partnership with Command Strategies, which was critical in cultivating key federal partnerships and in pursuing opportunities that ultimately contributed to securing this transformational award.
Over the past two years, Principal Investigator Dr. Bill Thistleton and Co-Principal Investigators and contributors Dr. Arjun Singh, Dr. Amit Sangwan, Dr. Andrea Dziubek, Dr. Steve Schneider, Dr. Mahmoud Badr, and Dr. Emilio Cobanera laid the groundwork for the award by developing white papers, engaging with Department of Defense program managers, aligning SUNY Poly’s research expertise with TDAC priorities, and collaborating with TDAC scientists on next-generation AI capabilities for Army decision-making.
This landmark award strengthens SUNY Poly’s national reputation for research excellence while demonstrating how philanthropic investment can help create opportunities that advance innovation, expand partnerships, and generate lasting impact.
