USF advances national security research, becoming first in Florida to implement new secure cloud infrastructure powered by Amazon Web Services

By Tina Meketa, University Communications and Marketing

The University of South Florida is strengthening its position as a national security innovation hub through a new secure cloud infrastructure that will expand defense and aerospace-focused research, accelerate technology development and prepare students for careers supporting national security.

Through a new collaboration with Amazon Web Services, USF will become the first institution in Florida to launch an upgraded Secure Research Environment - a compliance and security enabled cloud computing environment that further enhances USF's ability to compete for U.S. Department of Defense-funded research.

The AWS infrastructure includes access to modern digital engineering, modeling and simulation, high-performance computing and data analytics capabilities. It allows researchers to rapidly prototype, test and deploy technologies that tackle mission-critical defense challenges and support projects involving classified information.

"The pace of global threats isn't slowing down and neither can the pace of innovation," said Kim Majerus, vice president of Global Education and Local Government at Amazon Web Services. "With its proximity to SOCOM, established Army Research Lab partnerships and a commitment to preparing the next generation of technical leaders, USF is building an enduring engine of defense innovation and AWS is proud to power the secure cloud infrastructure behind it."

USF is under contract with U.S. Special Operations Command, headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base, and the Army Research Lab to conduct a range of research, including cybersecurity, biotechnology and energy sciences. One of its most recent projects includes developing a training device that allows soldiers to identify adversaries through electromagnetic signals.

"USF has built tremendous momentum in cybersecurity, defense, and national security research and this new secure cloud infrastructure represents another significant step forward," said Prasant Mohapatra, provost and executive vice president. "Together with our partners, we are creating an environment where breakthrough ideas can move more quickly from research to real-world application."

In addition to advancing research, the initiative will help strengthen workforce development by providing students hands-on experience with cloud computing and other digital engineering tools that are increasingly in demand across the defense industry.