RIVERSIDE, Calif. - www.lasierra.edu - Their project was among 278 selected from more than 5,000 applications nationwide. La Sierra University Assistant Professor of Computer Science Fuhao Li, together with researchers from the University of North Dakota, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Clean Republic SODO, LLC, was recently selected for Phase I support through a new federal research and development initiative for an artificial intelligence-based project aimed at strengthening the security and reliability of electric vehicle battery systems and other critical energy infrastructure.

Dr. Fuhao Li, assistant professor of computer science, poses in front of a banner featuring the DOE Genesis Mission grant awards branding. (Photo courtesy of Fuhao Li)

The project was selected in July under the inaugural Genesis Mission effort spearheaded by the U.S. Department of Energy. Genesis Mission is a national initiative designed to accelerate scientific discovery by bringing together government, industry, academia and other partners. The initiative integrates artificial intelligence, supercomputing, quantum systems and advanced scientific instruments to support advances in energy, scientific discovery and national security.

"I am honored to represent La Sierra University in this collaborative research effort." - Dr. Fuhao Li, Assistant Professor of Computer Science

Li serves as La Sierra's principal investigator for the project, which is led by the University of North Dakota. The award supports an initial nine-month phase of the three-phase project. During this phase, the research team will develop and evaluate AI-based methods in simulated adversarial scenarios involving battery management systems. The researchers aim to identify compromised or manipulated data and strengthen AI models so they can operate securely and reliably under adverse conditions.

The group's project, titled "Adversarial Robustness Framework for AI Models in Battery Management and Energy Science Workflows," will develop methods to improve the security, robustness and reliability of AI models not only in battery management systems, but also in related energy science applications.

"I am honored to represent La Sierra University in this collaborative research effort," Li said. "As artificial intelligence becomes more widely used in battery management and critical energy systems, it is increasingly important to ensure that these models remain secure, reliable and resilient. I look forward to working with our collaborators to advance trustworthy AI for energy applications."

The 278 projects selected for the Genesis Mission involve 342 participating institutions, including 142 higher education institutions. The projects were selected from more than 5,000 applications nationwide, meaning roughly 5% of applicants were chosen. The project funding will help support research activities, including student research assistance and dissemination of research findings.

"La Sierra University is one of only 13 higher education institutions in California participating in the DOE Genesis Mission," said Li. "It is an honor to help showcase La Sierra University's strengths in artificial intelligence, computer science and cybersecurity through this national initiative."

"Securing the Department of Education's Genesis Mission grant is a powerful testament to the fact that faith-based higher education and world-class academic excellence go hand in hand," said Enoch Hwang, chair of La Sierra's computer science department. "At La Sierra University, our mission has always been to blend rigorous intellectual discovery with a profound commitment to service. Being chosen for this federal award highlights the computer science department's competitive strength on a national level. It serves as another bright example of excellence in Adventist higher education-proving that our institutions are not only preserving values but are actively leading out on the frontiers of modern science and technology."

Each partner organization brings different expertise to the project. Dr. Jielun Zhang at University of North Dakota leads the overall effort, while researchers from La Sierra University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Clean Republic SODO, LLC contribute expertise in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and battery and energy systems. Together, the team will develop simulated attack scenarios and AI-based methods designed to detect and defend against attacks on battery management systems.

"Securing the Genesis Mission grant is a powerful testament to the fact that faith-based higher education and world-class academic excellence go hand in hand." - Dr. Enoch Hwang, Chair, Department of Computer Science

One challenge the researchers face is the limited amount of data available for training AI models for these types of security scenarios.

"We don't have enough data for training our model," Li said. "In this case, we need to develop methods to generate additional representative data and enlarge the data set. With more high-quality training data, we can improve the accuracy and reliability of AI models used in battery systems."

Once the methods demonstrate strong robustness and reliability under simulated attacks, the researchers hope to evaluate their approaches using real battery systems and potentially extend the research to smart grid environments.

"Millions of electric vehicles rely on batteries, and a serious cyberattack on these systems could create significant safety and reliability problems," Li said. "Our research is focused on developing AI-based methods that can detect and defend against these types of attacks and help make these systems more secure."

Li started his role as an assistant professor at La Sierra in July 2025 after his postdoc research fellow role at the University of North Dakota. Over the past year, Li has worked with Enoch Hwang, chair of La Sierra University's Department of Computer Science, on research involving humanoid and quadruped robots. He has also worked with and mentored computer science students on research accepted by peer-reviewed conferences and journals, including flagship IEEE conferences in multiple sectors.

"I love it here," Li said of his experience at La Sierra. "The students in our department are very energetic, curious and eager to learn. What I enjoy most is the opportunity to work closely with students and involve them in research. It is very rewarding to help them take what they learn in the classroom and apply it to real research projects."