Erion Plaku is a Program Director at the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) in the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) and the Division of Information and Intelligent Systems (IIS). At NSF, Dr. Plaku is part of the Robust Intelligence cluster and co-leads the National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes program. Prior to joining NSF, Dr. Plaku was an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at George Mason University (2020-2023) and in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Catholic University of America (2010–2020). Dr. Plaku received his Ph.D. degree in Computer Science from Rice University (2008). He was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Laboratory for Computational Sensing and Robotics at Johns Hopkins University (2008–2010).

Program Management: As a program director at NSF, Dr. Plaku co-leads the National AI Research Institutes program, a cornerstone federal investment in AI, managing a $540 million portfolio that supports 27 institutes nationwide. This flagship initiative, supported by multiple federal agencies and industry partners, drives long-term, high-impact AI research while fostering collaboration between academia, industry, and government to accelerate innovation and real-world applications. In addition, Dr. Plaku is a program director for the CISE/IIS/Robust Intelligence program, which focuses on developing AI systems that are resilient and adaptable to real-world challenges. Dr. Plaku was also instrumental in advancing robotics research at NSF, co-leading the Foundational Research in Robotics (FRR) program, the agency's flagship initiative in robotics. He also co-chaired the Interagency Working Group on Intelligent Robotics and Autonomous Systems (IRAS), coordinating federal R&D efforts across multiple agencies to accelerate progress in robotics and autonomous systems. In addition, Dr. Plaku played a key role in the advancement of international collaborations, engaging with organizations such as Japan's Science and Technology Agency and the UK's Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

Through his work at NSF, Dr. Plaku continues to drive high-impact research initiatives, foster collaboration between disciplines, agencies, and international partners, and advance AI innovations with broad scientific, technological and social impact.

Research: Dr. Plaku is a leading expert in AI, specializing in planning, high-level reasoning, autonomous systems, and AI-driven decision-making. With a prolific academic career spanning over a decade, he has made significant contributions in AI and robotics, effectively bridging the gap between advanced AI and their real-world uses in robotics and autonomous systems. His work integrates advanced techniques in autonomous decision making, motion planning, and intelligent automation, along with cutting-edge developments in generative AI, large language models (LLMs), and foundational AI models. As a professor at George Mason University and the Catholic University of America, he conducted impactful research and mentored students in AI and robotics, contributing to significant advancements in AI-powered autonomy. Dr. Plaku has developed and released several open source software tools that advance AI, robotics, and autonomous systems, fostering collaboration, and broadening the impact of advanced technologies among researchers, students, educators, industry professionals, and practitioners. Dr. Plaku is actively engaged in advancing AI and robotics research, seeking to expand the capabilities of autonomous systems and intelligent decision making. His deep technical expertise, strategic vision, and experience managing high-impact AI programs allow him to make impactful contributions to AI innovation and the ongoing development of intelligent systems at scale.

Dr. Plaku is actively engaged in advancing AI and robotics research, seeking to expand the capabilities of autonomous systems and intelligent decision making. His deep technical expertise, strategic vision, and experience managing high-impact AI programs allow him to make impactful contributions to AI innovation and the ongoing development of intelligent systems at scale.