FSU Researchers Receive $2.3 Million National Science Foundation Grant to Strengthen Wildfire Management in Hurricane-Prone Areas

Strategic Insights -

Researchers at Florida State University have received a $2.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation to develop artificial intelligence tools that will help manage wildfires fueled by hurricanes in the Florida Panhandle. Led by Yushun Dong, an assistant professor of computer science, the four-year project aims to study how hurricanes change wildfire behavior and build AI systems that can forecast ignition, predict roadway disruptions, and assess potential damage. This project is part of the NSF's Fire Science Innovations through Research and Education (FIRE) program, which funds research and education enabling large-scale, interdisciplinary breakthroughs that realign our relationship with wildland fire and its connected variables.

Key Takeaways:

  • The project, "FIRE: An Integrated AI System Tackling the Full Lifecycle of Wildfires in Hurricane-Prone Regions," is led by Yushun Dong, an assistant professor of computer science, and will bring together computer scientists, fire researchers, engineers, and educators to study wildfire behavior and build AI systems.
  • The project will focus on wildfires in the wildland-urban interface, where forests meet homes, roads, and other infrastructure, and will develop artificial intelligence tools to forecast ignition, predict roadway disruptions, and assess potential damage.
  • The project is funded as part of the NSF's Fire Science Innovations through Research and Education (FIRE) program, which supports research and education enabling large-scale, interdisciplinary breakthroughs in wildland fire and its connected variables.
  • Two other FSU researchers, Neda Yaghoobian and Eren Ozguven, are also funded for projects related to wildfire research, one of which will analyze unresolved canopy dynamics contributing to wildfires.
  • The grant includes educational and workforce development initiatives in AI and disaster resilience, positioning the Department of Computer Science as a leader in training the next generation of scientists working at the intersection of AI and wildfire research.
  • The project will focus on hurricane-wildfire connection and its impact on infrastructure, homes, and lives, and will develop practical, community-centered solutions to address these challenges.

Statistics:

  • The $2.3 million grant is the largest research award ever for FSU's Department of Computer Science.
  • The project is part of the NSF's Fire Science Innovations through Research and Education (FIRE) program, which funds research and education enabling large-scale, interdisciplinary breakthroughs.
  • The project will bring together computer scientists, fire researchers, engineers, and educators to study wildfire behavior and build AI systems.
  • The project will focus on wildfires in the wildland-urban interface, where forests meet homes, roads, and other infrastructure.
  • The project will develop artificial intelligence tools to forecast ignition, predict roadway disruptions, and assess potential damage.

Sources:

  • "FSU Researchers Receive $2.3 Million National Science Foundation Grant to Strengthen Wildfire Management in Hurricane-Prone Areas," Florida State University News, September 10, 2025, https://news.fsu.edu/news/science-technology/2025/09/10/fsu-researchers-receive-2-3-million-national-science-foundation-grant-to-strengthen-wildfire-management-in-hurricane-prone-areas/.