UTEP Awarded $500,000 Grant to Protect Nuclear Plants with AI-Driven Cybersecurity
EL PASO, Texas (Oct. 16, 2025) – The University of Texas at El Paso has received a grant from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to support pioneering work to harness artificial intelligence and strengthen cybersecurity for nuclear power plants.
Cybersecurity has become one of the most pressing challenges in energy and national security, said Sajedul Talukder, Ph.D, a UTEP assistant professor of computer science and project co-principal investigator. With nuclear plants increasingly reliant on digital systems and automation, they face new risks from sophisticated cyberattacks.
UTEP’s newly funded project is designed to meet this national challenge head-on. The project is led jointly by Talukder and Syed Bahauddin Alam, Ph.D., assistant professor of nuclear, plasma and radiological engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC).
The UTEP-UIUC project is built around three major innovations that, together, could reshape how nuclear plants are defended against cyber threats, Talukder said.
The first is a new way of structuring plant networks, where every device and system is individually protected. Instead of relying on one big perimeter defense, the system creates layers of security that make it far harder for attackers to move around if they ever get in, the team said.
The second is an AI-powered monitoring system that acts like a digital security guard. It works in real time to spot unusual activity — whether from a sophisticated cyberattack or suspicious insider behavior — and responds before harm can be done.
The third is a virtual testing ground, or a digital twin of a nuclear plant’s most critical systems. This will allow the research team to safely simulate attacks, test defenses and ensure that the system remains resilient not only against today’s threats but also against those of the future.
“Together, these innovations shift nuclear cybersecurity from being reactive — waiting for attacks to happen — to being proactive,” said Talukder. “It’s an intelligent shield that adapts and evolves as quickly as the threats themselves.”
“For UTEP, this award places the University among an elite group of institutions helping to define the future of nuclear security and highlights our growing contribution to solving one of the nation’s toughest problems,” said Ken Meissner, Ph.D., dean of the College of Engineering. “This also reinforces UTEP’s reputation as a leader in research areas that sit at the intersection of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and national security.”
The three-year project will create new opportunities for UTEP students, both undergraduate and graduate, to gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge AI research.
Last Updated on October 16, 2025 at 12:00 AM | Originally published October 16, 2025
By MC Staff UTEP Marketing and Communications
