UWF awarded $7.5M Office of Naval Research grant to advance research in decision making

The University of West Florida has been awarded a five-year, $7,488,652 grant from the Office of Naval Research to lead a groundbreaking project aimed at advancing understanding of human judgment and decision making, subject to negotiating a term sheet and legal contract.

The project, titled "Adaptive Taxonomic Modeling of Variability in Judgement and Decision Making," will be led by Dr. K. Brent Venable, professor and director of UWF's intelligent systems and robotics doctoral program. The research will explore how humans make complex decisions under varying conditions and how adaptive models can enhance accuracy and reliability in decision-making processes.

"This is a remarkable opportunity to advance our understanding of noise in human decision making and to explore how AI can be leveraged to model, support and ultimately improve those processes," Venable said. "UWF is proud to lead a team of outstanding researchers dedicated to driving forward the science of decision making and delivering transformative impact for the Navy and beyond."

The multi-institutional effort includes subawards to the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, Michigan Technological University, Tulane University and the University of Virginia. Together, the team will develop advanced computational models designed to improve decision making in uncertain and dynamic environments.

Researchers will study how individual and contextual factors, such as stress, expertise and available information, influence the variability of human judgment. By categorizing these factors into adaptive taxonomies, the team aims to create predictive models that account for real-world complexity rather than relying on static, one-size-fits-all frameworks.

"This award underscores the University's growing leadership in computational intelligence and predictive modeling," said UWF Provost Dr. Jaromy Kuhl. "It not only supports world-class research at UWF, but also strengthens opportunities for collaboration with leading institutions across the country."

A key aspect of the project involves integrating artificial intelligence with cognitive science to develop systems that not only mimic human reasoning but also adapt to diverse decision-making scenarios. These innovations could inform the design of decision support tools that improve operational effectiveness in defense settings and beyond.

By examining patterns in judgment and identifying factors that influence variability, the research has the potential to improve outcomes in fields ranging from defense and national security to healthcare, engineering and public policy.

For more information about the University of West Florida, visit uwf.edu.