UC Riverside has received $8 million in federal grants to help the Inland Empire become more proficient in artificial intelligence and better align engineering education with the needs of regional industries. The two grants, awarded by the U.S. Department of Education through its Strengthening Institutions Program, will support separate projects at UCR’s Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering aimed at preparing students for a workforce increasingly shaped by AI, robotics, and other emerging technologies.